Triumphs On The Track
SHIPPENSBURG — Personal records. School records. Triumphs and disappointments.
The final day of the PIAA Track and Field Championships offered a little bit of everything for Butler County area athletes on a humid and hazy Saturday morning and afternoon at Shippensburg University.
For Mars junior Zach Leachman, Seneca Valley senior Sam Owori and Karns City senior Hunter Jones, the state finals were a rousing success.
Leachman broke the school record for the second time in 10 days in the Class AAA 3,200-meter run, finishing at 9 minutes, 12.17 seconds. That mark was more than eight seconds better than his previous record-setting time in the event, which he established at the WPIAL Championships May 16.
“It's awesome,” Leachman said. “I was really excited to be fourth. Last year I was 10th and just missed the podium. That was no fun. The ride home will be a lot nicer now.”
Owori ran his best-ever time in the Class AAA 1,600-meter run by more than four seconds to place fifth.
“That was the best race I've ever had in my life,” Owori said with a beaming smile. “I was really happy. I was kind of nervous coming around on this backstretch because I was kind of tired, but I pushed through it.”
Jones had a pretty swell day on the track as well, smashing the school record in the Class AA 400-meter run with a time of 49.42 seconds to place fourth.
“I feel great about it,” Jones said. “I have the school record now. That was my goal for today. After last year, missing the second day, I feel great about it.”
And the Slippery Rock girls 400-meter relay team of Sierra Nagy, Emma McDermott, Tessa McHattie and Anna Kadlubek officially made school history, becoming the first Rocket girls relay to ever medal at the state meet by finishing in seventh place in Class AA with a time of 50.39.“It means a whole lot to us,” Nagy said. “Our school is really proud of us coming home as state medalists. We've never been in the finals before.”For McHattie the win made the leg injury she battled for a chunk of the season a distant memory.“Emma was injured, too, so we weren't sure how this relay was going to turn out,” McHattie said. “Since it's me and Sierra's (and Emma's) senior years, it's kind of neat to finish off at such a high point. This year the whole journey was up and down, but it was really great how we brought it all together at districts. I love these girls so much.”But for some, the finals were bittersweet.Moniteau junior Kendall Grossman was coming into this final in the Class AA pole vault with two second-place state finishes in her back pocket during her freshman and sophomore campaigns. But this was no ordinary season for Grossman, who had to overcome adversity after a scary snap of the pole and a fall in the event early in the year.Grossman placed sixth this year at 11 feet. She had three cracks at 11-6, but couldn't clear the bar.“I'm a little disappointed on how I jumped personally, but I'm still happy to place,” Grossman said. “My steps were a little bit off, which was frustrating. There was no middle ground. There was no consistency and I think that's what really kills me.“But I'm also proud,” Grossman added. “I'm excited. It was a building year and I'm definitely excited for next year. I know it's in there.”The day also contained mixed emotions for Butler senior Liz Simms, who wrapped up her standout career with a sixth-place finish in the 800-meter run with a school-record time of 2:14.44.She was sad it was over, but happy she exited among the best in Pennsylvania in the event.“You look at the people I'm standing next to, they're going to places like Georgetown and Rice,” Simms said. “They are the top girls in the nation, so to even get a chance to race against these girls was an honor.”It was also a day of near-misses and unfortunate injuries.Freeport junior Sidney Shemanski was ninth in the Class AA 800, just missing the podium by two seconds.Moniteau senior Kyle Norling was cruising in the Class AA pole vault until his pole crashed into his right knee, leaving it bruised, red and swollen. Norling wasn't able to clear another height and finished ninth at 13 feet, 6 inches.Seneca Valley's Connor Volk-Klos was also ninth in the boys Class AAA 1,600.Perhaps the hardest to take was the ninth-place finish by the Seneca Valley girls Class AAA 3,200 relay.Midway through the race the Raiders were in second place and challenging for the lead, but couldn't sustain that pace. Seneca Valley did cut nearly 12 seconds off its preliminary-race time, but missed the medal stand by two seconds.In all, 11 Butler County area individuals and one relay team came home with state medals.The Slippery Rock girls collected the most of any Butler County school with three, including the highest local placer, a silver by Maryann Ackerman Friday in the Class AA javelin.
