BUTLER TWP — Butler’s boys track team got the clincher it was looking for Thursday against North Allegheny.

It just came harder than anticipated.

The Golden Tornado (5-0) clinched a spot in the WPIAL team semifinals with a 91-59 victory over the Tigers. Butler also defeated Shaler, 140-10. Butler’s girls (4-1) dropped a 96-54 decision to NA while rolling to a 128-19 win over Shaler at Art Bernardi Stadium.

The Tornado girls must defeat Seneca Valley in their dual meet Tuesday to secure a spot in the team playoffs.

“Our elite athletes came up with elite performances today,” Butler girls coach John Williams said. “NA is just deeper than us. In the race to 76 points, they beat us badly in the distance races.”

With the Butler Invitational looming Friday and Saturday, the Tornado boys were hoping to ease through Thursday’s meet to rest some legs for the Invite.

No such luck.

“We didn’t want to run some people as much as we did today,” Seybert said. “But this is the meet we had to have. The score was close enough that we couldn’t take any chances.”

CJ Singleton wound up winning the 1,600 meters, then ran the 800 and won it. He also ran a leg of the 4x400 meter relay. The Tornado boys swept the relay events.

Guinness Brown won the 100 and 200 meters along with running a leg of the 4x100 relay. He felt ill earlier in the day as his family has been fighting off a flu bug.

“I had to be there for my team,” Brown said. “Once you get on the track and you’re ready to start the race, you forget any feeling about being sick. All I’m thinking about there is winning.

“This was an important meet for us. We had to have this.”

Singleton admitted he wasn’t planning on running the 800 or jumping into the 4x400 at the last minute.

“You always have a plan until you get punched,” Singleton said. “This is one of those meets we put a circle around when the schedule comes out. I’ll take beating NA over doing anything in the Invite.

“I was willing to do whatever was needed for us to win this meet.”

North Allegheny’s boys fell to 4-1 with Thursday’s loss. The Tiger girls remain undefeated. Both teams defeated Seneca Valley earlier this season.

“We know how deep and talented Butler’s boys are and how that would be a challenge for us,” NA coach John Neff said. “Their girls are also very good and we knew we’d be pushed there as well.”

Neff added that he’s been pushing the WPIAL for years to revise its team qualifying process for the team playoffs.

“This happens every year,” he said of either NA, Butler or Seneca Valley falling short. The top two teams in each section qualify for the team playoffs.

“Year after year, I broach this subject with the (WPIAL) Committee,” Neff said. “If you want the best teams in the team playoffs, you have to revise this system.”

Seybert agreed.

“For the last 20 years, the third-place team in our section could probably beat the first-place teams in other sections — yet they’re left home,” the Butler coach said. "There’s something wrong with that system.”

Alli Morrow had a stellar meet for the Tornado girls in defeat. She won the 100 and 200 meters, the long jump and ran a leg of the winning 4x100 relay.

She and her teammates will return to the track Friday for the Butler Invitational.

“I’ve never done back-to-back big meets like that before,” Morrow said. “This will be a whole new experience. It’s nerve-wracking, competing in meets like this. NA is our biggest rival. I just wanted to answer the challenge,.”

Megan Penrod won the shot put and javelin for Butler’s girls. Penrod’s javelin throw of 117 feet, 6 inches was her career best. Megan Baggetta won the triple jump, an event she holds the No. 1 seed in entering the Invite.

“Alli does what leaders do ... She stepped up today,” Williams said. “That’s what leaders do. We had our leaders perform well today. We just need more followers.”

Boys

Butler 91, North Allegheny 59

Butler 140, Shaler 10

3,200 relay: Butler (Ryder Kriley, Raine Gratzmiller, Sage Vavro, CJ Singleton) 8:11.63; 110 hurdles: Presley Ornelas (B) 15.92 ; 100 dash: Guinness Brown (B) 11.21; 1,600 run: CJ Singleton (B) 4:20.97; 400 run: Lucas Slear (B) 50.73; 400 relay: Butler (Presley Ornelas, Guinness Brown, Brayden Young, Landon Lacey) 43.18; 300 hurdles: Owen Curran (NA) 42.05; 800 run: CJ Singleton (B) 1:58.47; 200 dash: Guinness Brown (B) 22.57; 3,200 run: Drew Griffith (B) 9:40.40; 1,600 relay: Butler (Presley Ornelas, Raine Gratzmiller, CJ Singleton, Lucas Slear) 3:31.14

Shot put: Keenan (NA) 42-8; Discus: Jake Pomykata (B) 135-4; Javelin: Tyler Rekich (B) 137-9; High jump: Owen Curran (NA) 5-11; Long jump: Dwayne Taylor (NA) 21-7.25; Triple jump: Dwayne Taylor (NA) 45-44; Pole vault: Tristan McGarrah (B) 14-8

Girls

North Allegheny 96, Butler 54

Butler 128, Shaler 19

3,200 relay: North Allegheny 10:04.95; 100 hurdles: Emma Lehman (B) 15.86; 100 dash: Alli Morrow (B) 12.89; 1,600 run: Wren Kulcer (NA) 5:27.30; 400 run: Mia Tuman (NA) 101.41; 400 relay: Butler 50.65; 300 hurdles: Kienna Shannon (NA) 48.82; 800 run: Wren Kulcer (NA) 2:19.67; 200 dash: Alli Morrow (B) 26.65; 3,200 run: Robin Kulcer (NA) 11:14.27; 1,600 relay: North Allegheny 4:21.66

Shot put: Megan Penrod (B) 32-6.5; Discus: Digiacomo (NA) 100-1; Javelin: Megan Penrod (B) 117-6; High jump: B.Johns (NA) 5-1; Long jump: Alli Morrow (B) 17-5.5; Triple jump: Megan Baggetta (B) 36-0.75; Pole vault: Ava Como (NA) 10-6