ADAMS TWP — It was all about redemption — and a few pleasant surprises.

Several Butler County track and field athletes were determined to put past disappointments behind them at the Mars Track and Field Invitational Friday.

With great showings by their field athletes, the Seneca Valley girls were more than pleased to emerge with the team title, scoring 59½ points to edge Center and Pine-Richland, which each had 52 points.

Senior Ashley Turici won the javelin with a throw of 120 feet, 5 inches and sophomore D'Lynn Mills finished tied for first in the high jump with Jackie Youra of Plum with a meet record jump of 5-4.

"Ashley threw 120, which isn't her best, but she's been helping us in the shot and (discus)," said Seneca Valley coach Wayne Roccia. "Now she is able to go back to her specialty, which is the javelin."

Seneca Valley also got strong performances from Mills in the 100, where she finished second with a time of 12.34, and in the 400-meter relay, where she helped the Raiders to a second-place finish.

Not to be outdone, Seneca Valley sophomore Emily Wolfarth finished second in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 11:33.17, breaking the school record by three seconds.

While Seneca Valley was cruising to a team title, a pair of Moniteau runners were focused on slaying past demons.

Seniors Alyssa Deal and Haley McFeaters had different reasons for wanting to perform well on the Mars track.

Deal, who suffered a hip flexor injury last year and didn't return to the track until near the end of the season, won the 1,600-meter run Friday with a time of 5:16.85.

She desperately wanted to win to put a poor showing last year in the 800 at the Mars Invitational to rest.

"When we came in here and saw all the buses, I said, 'Yep. It's going to be a good one.'" Deal said. "I was real nervous coming in. This is the second biggest meet I'll face. After having that year I had last year, (winning here) is really bringing me up."

Deal also was fourth in the 800 and ran a leg on the Warriors' 1,600-meter relay that placed third Friday.

One of her teammates on that relay was McFeaters, who had her own ax to grind.

Last year, McFeaters reached the state meet in the 200 and the 400 and didn't fare so well.

"I blew it," she said. "I choked. I went out wrong in the 400 and was dead. I ran my worst time."

That feeling festered inside her all off-season and made her more determined than ever to get back to the state meet this season with a better mental attitude.

McFeaters, who will run track next year at Thiel College, said she doesn't get as nervous before a big meet like she did last year, although she still got a bit queasy before her 400 race on Friday, which she won with a time of 59.65.

She was also fourth in the 200.

"I've been to the biggest thing, so I don't get as nervous," McFeaters said. "I want to get to state and place, and at least not choke."

In addition toDeal's and McFeaters' fine showings, Moniteau teammate Kendra Hall placed second in the shot put.

On the boys side for the Warriors, MattSchandelmeier was second in the javelin and sixth in the discus, David Rumbaugh was third in the 400 and the Warriors' 1,600-meter relay team also placed third.

In all, the Moniteau boys team scored 25½ points in the meet and the girls scored 20.

Vindication was also on the docket for Mars senior Brittany Zaborowski.

As a sophomore, Zaborowski won the WPIAL meet in the 800, but placed third there as a junior.

This year, Zaborowski is using her first-place finish in the 800 Friday as a first step to regaining her WPIAL crown. She was fourth last season in the 800 at the Mars Invitational.

She used a big late kick over the final 200 meters to finish the race with a time of 2:21.06 and secure the win.

The Knoch boys also enjoyed a solid meet, finishing in a tie for second with Northgate with 48 points. The Knights' 3,200- and 1,600-relay teams won titles, as did Kyle Reeping in the 800.

Notes: Wheeling Park won the boys meet with 50 points. ... Mark Ferguson of Karns City placed second in the 300 hurdles and third in the 110 hurdles.