Quaker Valley track sets sights on WPIAL team championships

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, April 28, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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The athletes in the Quaker Valley track and field program have the dates May 1 and May 7 circled on their spring calendars.

The semifinal round of the WPIAL 2A team championships will take place May 4 at four sites, followed by the finals May 9 at Peters Township.

Last year, the Quaker Valley girls defeated Winchester Thurston (92-57), Knoch (100-50) and Derry (100.5-49.5) and are two-time defending WPIAL titlists. It was the Quakers’ ninth WPIAL title.

QV’s boys team placed second at WPIALs a year ago behind Greensburg Central Catholic. The Centurions beat QV (80-70), South Park (92-58) and Shenango (91-59) in the championship round.

“Our expectations for both the girls and boys teams are very high,” QV coach Jared Jones said. “The girls are hoping to get a chance to defend their title, while the boys are aiming for another shot to claim it after finishing second in the WPIAL last year.

“The entire coaching staff and I are very proud of the character of both the boys and girls teams. They are so talented, but also put in the work, support their teammates, respect their coaches and respect their opponents. They all cheer for their teammates at meets, but they are also respectful and build friendships with competitors from other school. This is an amazing group of young student-athletes.”

Both teams ended their regular season as undefeated section champions with 8-0 records.

“Both completed their final section meet (April 17), maintaining an undefeated regular season,” Jones said. “Both teams have progressed amazingly all season long but have more room to grow.”

The boys team has been led by juniors Clark LaLomia (distance), Davin “Macky” Gartley (hurdles), Thomas Debelak (jumps) and Winston Clifford (jumps/sprints), among others.

Luke Bellissimo, Matt Cohen, Zach Djedid, Izzy Emerson, Oliver Graham and Aidan Park have been providing senior leadership for the Quakers.

Among the team’s pleasant surprises have been sophomores Reese Fatur and Nick Winnowski in the throwing events, sophomore Aiden Dwyer and freshman James Irwin in the jumps, sophomore Jayden Julianno in the sprinting events and freshman Jonah Montagnese in distance.

“The boys team is very strong,” Jones said. “They have worked and grown so much since last year and are excited to compete as a team in the WPIAL playoffs.”

The QV boys have been dominant this season. An example of that came in a four-team meet April 3 with Aquinas Academy, Sewickley Academy, Aquinas Academy and hosted by Shady Side Academy.

The Quakers racked up 11 individual victories and 12 runner-up finishes and won all three relay events.

Sophomore Ronnie Berry (100), Juliano (200), LaLomia (400), sophomore River Capek (800), junior Jackson Pethel (1,600), Graham (3,200), Gartley (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Clifford (high jump), Debelak (triple jump) and Winnowski (javelin) all captured first place.

Runner-up performances were achieved by Emerson (200), Cohen (400), LaLomia (3,200), freshman Hugo Castellini (hurdles), Dwyer (jumps), Kris Brown (shot put), Fatur (discus, javelin), and juniors Nico Cardinale (long jump) and Ethan Dai (pole vault).

The QV boys 3,200 relayers are the reigning WPIAL champions. Luke Hotchkiss, Capek, Pethel and LaLomia took first place last season with an 8:15.55 time.

WPIAL individual medalists a year ago included LaLomia (800), sophomore Tyler Bell (3,200), Gartley (110 hurdles) and Debelak (triple jump).

Debelak (triple jump), LaLomia (800) and Gartley (110 hurdles) were PIAA qualifiers in 2023.

Leading competitors on the girls team include two freshmen.

“We have some new athletes making big splashes on the girls team,” Jones said. “Two freshman athletes, Evie Rosselli (pole vault/long jump) and Rose Pocasangre (hurdles), have excelled and made great strides this season. I am very excited to see what they can do down the stretch.”

The QV girls trounced on the track at last year’s WPIAL finals, winning every race except the 100 and the 1,600 relay.

Two QV athletes broke school records. Sarah Minard won the pole vault event by clearing 10 feet, 2 inches, and Jay Olawaiye reached 39-5 in the triple jump. Both girls were sophomores in 2023.

Other WPIAL titlists aiming to repeat include senior Ellie Cain in the 800 and 1,600; sophomores Mia Gartley and Oumou Thiero, who tied for first in the high jump; sophomore Zora Washington in the 200; junior Cecilia Montagnese in the 3,200; and junior Kwilai Karto in the 100 hurdles.

Washington, Karto, Thiero and junior Vanessa Pickett all were members of the winning 400-meter relay team.

Cain, a four-year competitor in track, plans to continue her career at Washington University in St. Louis.

“Ellie has been such an amazing athlete to coach the past four years,” Jones said. “She has grown so much as an athlete and a person. She is such a hard worker and has become such an amazing leader and teammate to her peers.

“I am so proud of everything she has accomplished to this point and excited that she has committed to running in college at Washington University in St. Louis. I am just hoping that she is able to enjoy every moment of her final season with us.”

Cain also considerd attending William and Mary and Emory before deciding to further her education in St. Louis. She has a 4.46 grade-point average.

“I chose WashU because of their academics as well as their athletics,” Cain said. “Additionally, when I went on my recruiting visit, all of the people on the track team were very welcoming.”

Other senior athletes on the girls team include Margaret Elliott, Lucia Fardo, Julia Garvic, Kate Hines, Deja Keo, Mia Hrabovsky, Kathryn Main, Lizzie Szuba and Grace Waller.

Olawaiye, Gartley medal

Three QV girls returned home April 19 as individual medalists at the 59th annual Butler Invitational, annually one of the largest high school track meets in Western Pennsylvania.

Olawaiye finished as the runner-up in the triple jump event with a distance of 37-4. Olawaiye also placed eighth in the long jump with a mark of 16-11.

“Jay has amazed me every step of her journey,” Jones said. “I am sure she has more surprises in store this year. She has made a large commitment to track and field this season, so the sky is the limit for her.”

Minard and Rosselli also tied for seventh in the pole vault event as each cleared 10-2.

Two other leading competitors for the Quakers were Pocasangre in the hurdles and Cain in the 800.

For the QV boys team, Gartley, LaLomia, Clifford and Dwyer were medalsts at Butler. Gartley placed second in the 110 hurdles in 14.81 and third in the 300 hurdles in 39.93.

LaLomia rambled to third place in the 800 in 1:55.73 while Clifford and Dwyer ended up eighth in the high jump and triple jump, respectively, with marks of 6-1 and 43-7.

Other top competitors for the Quakers included Montagnese in the 1,600, Winnowski in the javelin and Dwyer in the high jump.

Tags: Quaker Valley