Butler, Mars underclassmen sparkle at WPIAL qualifier
BUTLER TWP — Karli Paracca strained to catch her breath, grimacing with each labored step.
The Mars freshman collapsed to the ground shortly after finishing the anchor leg of the girls 1,600-meter relay at the WPIAL Class AAA Northern Qualifier at Butler High Tuesday.
She was spent. But her effort was worth it.
Paracca held off hard-charging North Allegheny and Knoch for a first-place finish and school record in the event with a time of 4 minutes, 3.25 seconds.
That was nearly two seconds better than the quartet's previous school mark set last week.
“That final 100 meters,” Paracca said. “felt like death.”
But the Planets' 1,600 relay is very much alive and so is Paracca's personal attack on the Mars' record book.
The top eight in each event advanced to the WPIAL Class AAA Track and Field Championships at Baldwin High May 19.
Paracca made sure there was no doubt for her 1,600 relay teammates Mani Brueckner, Carly Clark and Lydia Dennis.
“Every time I run, I just say, ‘This is for my team,'” Paracca said. “They just push me harder.”
Paracca nearly had another record, coming a mere six-one-hundredth of a second shy of the school mark in the 200, clocking in at 25.96.
“I'm so excited,” Paracca said. “As a freshman, I never thought I would get this. Me and my team, I feel like we are going to do great.”
Paracca wasn't the only Mars freshman to break a record.
Dennis shattered a mark in the triple jump that is older than she is with a jump of 36 feet, 7.5 inches. The previous record of 35-10 was set by Amy Howard in 1993.
“I didn't know what to think,” Dennis said. “I was ecstatic.”The showing put in by the freshmen did not completely surprise Mars girls track and field coach Deb Knox.“After I saw at the beginning of the year what (Dennis) could do, yes I thought the record was within reach,” Knox said. “We have a very talented freshman and sophomore class.”In fact, many underclassmen were stars at the qualifier Tuesday.Butler sophomore Ava Bonetti captured first place in the shot put and Tornado sophomores Kennedy Evans and Paige Allen advanced in multiple events; Seneca Valley sophomore Jamie Rutkowski had the top throw in the javelin and Butler junior Lexis Frost cruised to the WPIAL finals in three events.“We have so many younger kids who just get it done week after week after week,” said Butler girls track and field coach Annessa Steele. “Ava is only a sophomore. Kennedy Evans, who had a huge meet setting a (personal record) in the 300 hurdles by more than two seconds, is only a sophomore. Paige Allen is a sophomore. We have some stud athletes who are so dependable for their age. It's truly remarkable.“You can see the next generation of great track athletes coming up,” Steele added. “It's kind of a neat thing. For a freshman or sophomore just to make it to the WPIAL finals is a great thing.”
