Mark Ferguson didn't see anyone in front of him with the finish line just one hurdle away.

From that point on, however, everything he saw was just a few feet from the ground.

Ferguson, a senior at Karns City, was running the 300-meter hurdles finals at the PIAA Track and Field Championships Saturday at Shippensburg University when he hit the last hurdle and stumbled to the track.

"Yeah, it happened on the last hurdle. I was tied for first and I hit the last hurdle the same time (as the co-leader)," said Ferguson. "I fell on my face and dove across the finish line."

Ferguson settled for fourth place with a time of 39.66 seconds behind winner Derrik Keich of Tamaqua (38.65), Brandon Tress of Bible Baptist (38.67) and T.J. Breya of East Juniata (39.55).

"He was 20 yards away from being a state champion," said Karns City boys coach Don Black. "He clipped the second hurdle from the end, not hard but enough to knock him off stride.

"Instead of changing his stride and go for second or third, he went for it. He hit the last hurdle and fell two feet from the line and just dove across.

"He gave it everything he had. He left everything on the track," Black added.

Ferguson also came away with a sixth-place finish in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.01.

Ferguson was the fourth Butler County area athlete to come away with two medals this past weekend.

He joined Seneca Valley's Da'Lynn Mills (Class AAA girls high jump and 200), Moniteau's Matt Schandelmeier (Class AA boys shot put and javelin) and Grove City's Kristy Woods (discus and shot put).

"I was just hoping to place in the 110 hurdles," said Ferguson, who was the No. 2 seed in the 300 hurdles finals. "Usually the faster sprinters from some of the bigger (Class AA) schools do well."

Ferguson can still boast in his own household. His brother, Ian placed fifth in the 300 hurdles at states.

Other placewinners from Saturday:

n Woods, a sophomore, was third in the shot put with a throw of 42 feet, 5¼ inches behind Center's Allyn Laughlin, who set the Class AA state record (50-10¾) and Union City's Natalie Clickett (43-3¼).

Woods had placed sixth in the discus on Friday.

"(Laughlin) set or tied the record five times that day," said Grove City coach Dave Gatewood. "She's outstanding. Kristy went out with the idea of competing with Laughlin and Clickett. Both are seniors and threw well.

"That says a lot for Kristy and her work ethic and mental strength, not being overwhelmed out there. You go to states, that's a different world, but to be third at states as a sophomore, that says a lot for her," Gatewood added.

• Mills finished sixth in the 200 on Saturday with a time of 25.23. She had tied for third in the high jump Friday. Laurel Highlands' Breehana Jacobs won the race with a time of 23.85.

• Butler's Kendall Butch was sixth in the Class AAA girls triple jump with a leap of 37-5¼.

The mark was Butch's personal record, having bettered last year's jump of 37-3. Her best this year had been 35-10.

"Anyone who sets a PR at the state meet, you have to be thrilled," said Butler coach Rod Harris. "That moves her into third place all-time for Butler."

When Butch no-heighted in the pole vault at the WPIALChampionships May 18, she may have missed out competing at states in her strongest event, but it may have proved to be a blessing in disguise.

"She finally had time to practice the triple jump," said Harris. "She had maybe been practicing about an hour a week."

• Moniteau's Alyssa Deal placed seventh in the Class AA girls 1,600 with a time of 5:14.25.

• Butler's Andy Strutt tied for eighth place in the Class AAA boys pole vault by clearing 14-0 along with Garden Spot's Jon Andrews. Laurel Highlands' Jared Jodon broke the state record with a 16-2, bettering the old mark by one inch.

Notes: Four area schools racked up three medals apiece. Ferguson was joined by Steve Black (boys pole vault Friday), Mills by Ashley Turici (girls javelin Friday), Schandelmeier by Ryan Protzman (boys shot put Friday) and Woods by Tim Gruber (boys javelin) ... The Seneca Valley girls team placed 15th in Class AAA team score with 16.5 points while the Karns City boys were 20th in Class AA with 11.5 points.