SLIPPERY ROCK — About 10 meters into the race, Tyler Yurich was staring at the back of a lot of track jerseys.

It isn't an unfamiliar view for the Seneca Valley freshman sprinter.

“It was not a very good start,” Yurich said.

No matter. The Seneca Valley freshman sprinter more than made up for his slow exit from the blocks over the final 90 meters of the 100 dash at the WPIAL Class AAA Track and Field Championships Thursday afternoon at Slippery Rock University.

Yurich blazed past the field and crossed the finish line in 10.84 seconds to win the WPIAL title.

It was a shocking outcome. No one was more shocked than Yurich.

“I'm very surprised,” Yurich said. “I didn't think I was going to come anywhere close to that (time). I was very nervous in the beginning because I'm only a freshman and there's so many experienced people in this event. It was just really cool to be in this position.”

Yurich's previous best time in the 100 was 10.97 seconds. He blew past that mark — and the rest of the field in the process.

And that was with a poor start that Yurich said has been a work in progress since the seventh grade.

“Starts,” he said, grinning. “I really need to get better at my starts. I still haven't done anything close to getting it right.”

North Catholic jumper Joe Kearney certainly got things right — eventually.

After struggling in his first five attempts in the Class AA long jump, Kearney took a deep breath, sprinted down the runway and took off for a record-setting effort of 23 feet, 5 inches.

“My first five jumps were shorter than my regular 22s,” Kearney said. “No one was jumping well today. Last jump, something came out of me.”

Kearney's leap broke the previous WPIAL Class AA record of 23-0.

Kearney, a senior who won the long jump title last season, didn't even know he set the record until he climbed onto the podium.

“Honestly, it wasn't one of my goals,” Kearney said. “I didn't see that coming.

“Definitely coming in with the best jump, everyone is looking at you,” Kearney added. “They want to see your jumps. You're who they are chasing.”

Everyone was chasing Butler junior Sami Taoufik after his first attempt in the Class AAA triple jump.

Taoufik shook off some doldrums while he was warming up to clear 6 feet, 5 inches to claim the WPIAL crown.

“Today was just one of those days when I was really tired,” Taoufik said. “I'm a competitor, though, and something just took over and I was like, 'I'm going to win.' I knew I was.”

Taoufik's previous best jump this season was 6-7. That, though, wasn't in the cards.

“It's not bad. I can't complain,” Taoufik said.

Especially after what happened to him last season.

Taoufik was ranked No. 2 in the high jump before the WPIAL championships in 2018, but didn't even clear a height.

That has motivated him since.

“I had the biggest chip on my shoulder all year,” Taoufik said. “I knew I should have been at states last year. It burned. It really hurt.”

For Butler senior Jack Codispot, there was a little joy — and a little hurt, too — after his Class AAA pole vault effort.

Codispot, who came in with the best vault in the WPIAL and one of the best in the state at 15-6, cleared just 14-3 Thursday.

But he won a WPIAL title.

“Definitely the first goal was to come in and qualify for states,” Codispot said. “That was the first thing. It just wasn't the best day to jump, but we'll make up for it at states.”

Codispot came in with some lofty goals at the WPIAL meet.

“At this point of the season, I'm trying to (get a personal record),” Codispot said. “So, (16 feet) was what I wanted to do today.”

Some other highlights from the WPIAL Class AAA and Class AA boys championships:

Seneca Valley had a strong day on the track. Seth Ketler earned two medals, placing second in the 800-meter run and fifth in the javelin. ... Sam Owori also had a pair of third-place finishes, in the 800 and 1,600. ... Luke Smith was third in the 300 hurdles. ... Gavin Thomas is also heading to the state meet with a fourth-place finish in the long jump.

North Catholic's Sam Mager earned three WPIAL medals in Class AA. He placed third in the 400, eighth in the 200 and ran a leg of the third-place 400-meter relay.

Butler's 1,600-meter relay team of Cade Gratzmiller, Ryan Marcella, Byron Manchester and Cody Reddick) is also heading to the state meet. After Reddick cross the finish line, Gratzmiller mobbed his teammates and yelled, “We're going to states!”