WHITEHALL — Freeport distance runner Noah Bowser didn’t fret at the ever-darkening gray skies that were threatening to open up with rain.

A little water never hurt anybody.

“I like it when it rains,” Bowser said. “It’s always an epic race. It looks cooler to the audience and I feel awesome when I’m running in the rain.”

Bowser, along with sophomore teammate John Asay, survived the elements, scoring eight team points against Riverside in the 3,200-meter run to help the Yellowjackets finish second at the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championships Monday night at Baldwin High School.

The Yellowjackets beat Washington (89-61) and Riverside (80-70) to grab the second-place trophy.

Freeport’s lone loss was a 98-52 decision against champion Beaver.

The Butler boys also placed second in Class AAA.

Butler beat Canon-McMillan 75-75, winning on a tiebreaker for total points, and Hempfield 88-62. North Allegheny beat Butler 94-56 to claim the crown.

The Freeport girls finished third in Class AA.

Yellowjackets coach John Gaillot found Asay and Bowser before the race to let them know what they needed.

“They said ‘You mean it’s going to come down to us?’ I said yeah,” Gaillot said. “They said ‘We got this.’”

Asay finished second overall with a personal-best time of 10 minutes, 44 seconds.

Having Bowser with him helped him close out the race.

“I was trying to stay with my friend Noah over here,” Asay said. “I knew he would help push me like we do in training. In the last 100, I’d kick it with him so I’d stay in front of Riverside.”

Bowser, who finished in 10:50, had to readjust his pace.

The Class AA and AAA boys were put together due to the impending rain and he didn’t start how he would have liked.

“I got excited off the bat and I went out too fast,” Bowser said.

Dylan Hochbein helped Freeport with two first-place finishes. He won the 110 and 300 hurdles in 15.87 and 40.59 seconds, respectively.

Butler also finished strong to improve its place.

The Golden Tornado’s 1,600 relay team — consisting of Brandon Critchlow, Jeff Bailey, Connor Frost and Robert Burdine — ran a personal-best 3:26 to win the final event.

That helped boost the Tornado past the Big Macs in the tiebreaker.

“I had it scored that it was going to come down to the 4x4,” Golden Tornado coach Rick Schontz said. “I didn’t realize it was going to be a 75-75 tie. They ran their best time of the season. I was impressed because every one of those kids had at least two other events.”

Burdine won the 200 dash and was a member of the winning 400 relay team, along with Nathan Kibbie, Luke Kernick and Nikolai Peterson.

Burdine was glad it came down to the 1,600 relay.

“We hoped something like that would happen,” Burdine said. “We like when it comes down to the four-by-four. We have four good 400 runners so when it comes down to it, I know we have four better guys than the other team.”

Butler had two other individual wins.

Jake Anderson won the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 10 inches and Derek Gengler won the shot put with a throw of 50-10.

“I was feeling pretty good,” Gengler said. “It wasn’t my PR, but I got the job done. I was the only one throwing over 50 feet. I can always throw farther.”

The Yellowjackets’ girls team beat Southmoreland 94-55 for their lone win.

Kim Mixon had the best long jump with a distance of 15-8 3/4 for Freeport.

Boys

Class AAA

North Allegheny 94, Butler 56

North Allegheny 91, Canon-McMillan 59

North Allegheny 96, Hempfield 54

Butler 75, Canon-McMillan 75* Butler 88, Hempfield 62

Canon-McMillan 83, Hempfield 67

3,200 relay: Canon-McMillan, 7:56.86; 100 hurdles: Hempfield; 100 dash: North Allegheny, 11:49; 1,600 run: North Allegheny, 4:25.57; 400 run: Hempfield, 50.38; 400 relay: Butler (Vernick, Burdine, Peterson, Kibbie), 43.87; 300 hurdles: Hempfield, 39.47; 800 run: North Allegheny, 1:58.81; 200 dash: Robert Burdine (B), 22.88; 3,200 run: Not available; 1,600 relay: Butler (Brandon Critchlow, Connor Frost, Jeff Bailey, Burdine), 3:26

Shot put: Derek Gengler (B), 50-10; Discus: Not available; Javelin: North Allegheny 192-3; High jump: Jake Anderson (B), 5-10; Long jump: North Allegheny 20-10 1/2; Triple jump: North Allegheny 41-3; Pole vault: Not available

Class AA

Beaver 101, Washington 49

Beaver 92.5, Riverside 57.5

Beaver 98, Freeport 52

Freeport 80, Riverside 70

Freeport 89, Washington 61

Riverside 82, Washington 68

3,200 relay: Beaver, 8:29.54; 100 hurdles: Dylan Hochbein (F), 15.87; 100 dash: Beaver, 11.16; 1,600 run: Beaver 4:37.71; 400 run: Washington, 50.29; 400 relay: Beaver, 44.24; 300 hurdles: Dylan Hochbein (F), 40.59; 800 run: Beaver, 2:02.66; 200 dash: Washington, 22.61; 3,200 run: Not available; 1,600 relay: Not available

Shot put: Washington, 47-1; Discus: Riverside, 132-10; Javelin: Beaver, 151-7; High jump: Riverside 6-0; Long jump: Not available; Triple jump: Beaver, 39-5; Pole vault: Not available

Girls

Class AA

Beaver 81, Mohawk 69

Beaver 99, Southmoreland 50

Beaver 96, Freeport 54

Mohawk 85.5, Freeport 64.5

Mohawk 98, Southmoreland 52

Freeport 94, Southmoreland 55

3,200 relay: Beaver, 10:27.45; 100 hurdles: Mohawk, 15.87; 100 dash: Beaver, 13.23; 1,600 run: Southmoreland, 5:36.16; 400 run: Beaver, 59.95; 400 relay: Mohawk, 52.51; 300 hurdles: Mohawk, 46.98; 800 run: Not available; 200 dash: Not available; 3,200 run: Not available; 1,600 relay: Not available

Shot put: Southmoreland 106-5; Discus: Southmoreland 106-5; Javelin: Beaver, 114-9; High jump: Beaver 4-10; Long jump: Kim Mixon (F), 15-8 3/4; Triple jump: Mohawk 32-8 3/4; Pole vault: Beaver 8-0