North Catholic’s Trevor Paschall wins 4 gold medals at WPIAL Class AA track and field championships

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, May 19, 2021 | 5:10 PM

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Temperatures under sunny skies climbed throughout the morning Wednesday as the top athletes competed at the WPIAL Class AA track and field championships at Slippery Rock University.

As the final events concluded, thermometers had readings in the low to mid 80s.

But that didn’t stop the cream of the crop from rising to the top, including North Catholic junior Trevor Paschall who won three individual gold medals and one with the Trojans’ 400-meter relay.

“This is just an amazing feeling,” said Paschall, who claimed the 100-meter dash (10.98 seconds), 200 (22.37) and 400 (49,45).

“I just wanted to come out here and do the best I possibly could. I truly didn’t expect for all this to happen. I couldn’t be more pleased. My coaches and my teammates have been congratulating me. It’s just the best feeling.”

Paschall, along with freshman Jack Fennell, fellow junior Luke Mager and sophomore Kyle Tipinski, teamed to win the 400 relay in a time of 43.28.

“I am so excited for states and the competition,” Paschall said. “That’s the best part of a track meet, especially in the 200. I was really pushing at the end there. (Deer Lakes’) Nigel (Rossman) was there. It was close.”

Rossman earned silver in the 200, finishing just 20 one-hundredths of a second behind Paschall.

“I am really looking forward to getting back to states,” Paschall said. “I placed 13th in the 200 there as a freshman. I am expecting to make that performance there better this year.”

The top five Class AA finishers in each boys and girls event at WPIALs automatically qualified for the PIAA championship meet, set for May 28 at Shippensburg. The top eight received medals.

Shady Side Academy senior Melissa Riggins defended her WPIAL titles in both the 800 (2:13.73) and 1,600 (4:51.93). Both times were slightly elevated from her WPIAL-record efforts in 2019.

She now is a three-time WPIAL champion in both the 800 and 1,600 and will seek more gold at states.

“This feels amazing,” Riggins said. “I just love all the girls in my events. It is a great community, and it is a great feeling to come out and compete hard. It was really hot, and I wasn’t the happiest with my times, but I did what I could do. I won, and that’s just what a competitor does.”

Riggins also picked up a state-qualifying medal as part of the 1,600 relay (4:15.51).

It also was a repeat of double gold for South Park senior Maddie Raymond in the 100 and 200. Raymond started with a 12.43 in the 100 final as the top four also met the state qualifying standard. She then ran the 200 to a winning time of 25.66, edging out Shenango senior Haley Morgan at the finish line.

“All the hard work, it paid off again for me, knowing that I could come back from a year off because of covid and not having a season and still perform at a high level,” said Raymond, who also earned a fourth-place medal in the high jump.

“I was a little nervous just because we hadn’t been in a big meet like this. But getting my first run in, I was fine and ready to go.”

Another successful title defense came in the pole vault as Waynesburg senior Taylor Shriver capped her WPIAL career with another gold medal. She bested the field with a top vault off 11 feet, 6 inches.

East Allegheny senior Amaryeh Luckey was a double WPIAL champion as he claimed both the boys triple jump (42-11) and long jump (22-4.75). He also helped the Wildcats’ 400 relay take fifth and qualify for states.

Also claiming a pair of gold medals was Mohawk senior Nadia Lape, who won the girls long jump (16-11.5) and the triple jump (36-4.5).

Other WPIAL girls champions:

• North Catholic 400 relay (Aniela Balog, Gia Cerconne, Rachel Erich and Ava Smith), 51.90

• Fort Cherry 1,600 relay (Emma Blickenderfer, Ava Menzies, Sarah Navadauskas, Mara Whalen), 4:17.05

• Avonworth/Northgate 3,200 relay (Maggie Colenbrander, Catherine Penrod, Lindsey Hartle and Lydia Valeriano), 9:56.90

• Ella Boothe, Beth-Center, 400, 62.20

• Jolena Quarzo, Brownsville, 3,200, 10:57.19

• Clara Barr, McGuffey, 100 hurdles, 16.29

• Nora Johns, Quaker Valley, 300 hurdles, 45.01

• Tara Perry, Derry, high jump, 5-2

• Emma Callahan, Shenango, shot put, 49-3.5

• Miranda Schramm, Burgettstown, discus, 135-3

• Casey Weightman, Apollo-Ridge, javelin, 121-7

Other WPIAL boys champions:

• Riverside 1,600 relay (Colby Belczyk, Ty Fluharty, Noah Zelch, Brody Barton), 3:27.84

• Riverview 3,200 relay (Amberson Bauer, Ty Laughlin, Parker Steele, Mason Ochs), 8:17.09

• Colby Belczyk, Riverside, 800, 1:54.94

• Gabe McConville, Waynesburg, 1,600, 4:18.01

• Patrick Malone, Winchester Thurston, 3,200, 9:53.45

• Eric Anderson, South Allegheny, 110 hurdles, 15.74

• Graham Kralic, Riverside, 300 hurdles, 42.19

• Dustin Mackall, South Side, high jump, 6-1

• Teddy McHale, Riverside, pole vault, 13-6

• Mitch Miles, Laurel, shot put, 53-11.5

• Will Patton, Shenango, discus, 163-10

• Miles Higgins, Ligonier Valley, javelin, 169-10

Check out top-eight results from the WPIAL Class AA championships here.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: East Allegheny, Mohawk, North Catholic, Shady Side Academy, South Park, Waynesburg