17 champions looking to defend titles at WPIAL track and field championships

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 | 9:23 PM

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It’s the day track and field athletics have had circled all season.

The WPIAL track and field championships begins 11 a.m. Wednesday at Slippery Rock. Athletes will try to become the best in the district and earn a spot in the PIAA championships, which are May 24 and 25 at Shippensburg.

There are 17 returning champions looking to add to their collection. They are:

• 3A boys: Canon-McMillan’s Colton Dean (200), Butler’s Drew Griffith (1,600 and 3,200), North Hills’ Gamaliel Mogire (300 hurdles), Central Catholic’s Xxavier Thomas (triple jump) and Hempfield Area’s Peyton Murray (discus).

• 3A girls: North Allegheny’s Isabella Costa (400), Kiski Area’s Eliza Miller (800), Mount Lebanon’s Logan St. John Kletter (1,600 and 3,200) and Canon-McMillan’s Rose Kuchera (100, long jump and triple jump).

• 2A boys: Freeport’s Michael Braun (3,200) and Ligonier Valley’s John Jablunovsky (high jump).

• 2A girls: Avonworth/Northgate’s Hayzes Robinson (100), Laurel’s Tori Atkins (200 and 400), Quaker Valley’s Mia Gartley (high jump), Beaver’s Elizabeth Michael (pole vault), Beaver Falls’ Mikayla Anderson (shot put) and Derry Area’s Sophia Mazzoni (javelin).

To qualify for states, athletes have standards they must reach. In Class 3A (boys and girls), the top four automatically qualify, and those who finish top eight and qualify under the state’s standards. Class 2A girls get six automatic qualifiers, and the Class 2A boys receive five.

“Not only to I want to win, there are some school records I’d like to set,” said Murray, the defending PIAA Class 3A discus champion. “I still feel I have some big throws in me.”

Mazzoni would like to add a PIAA title to her resume. She enters the WPIAL meet with the longest throw in the state in either classification.

“There are goals to meet,” Mazzoni said. “Hopefully, I can achieve them over the next two meets.”

Greensburg Central Catholic has numerous runners looking for gold. They include Jerry Davis (400), Eva Denis (100), Aidan Allison (100), James Brewer (110 hurdles) and Sasha Hoffman (100 hurdles).

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.