BUTLER TWP — The North Catholic girls track and field team includes a number of great athletes, but could the Trojanettes hang with a perennial WPIAL power like Butler?

North laid any doubts to rest Wednesday afternoon, not only staying with the host Golden Tornado, but pulling off a 76-74 upset in a Class 3A semifinal playoff.

The result, coupled with North’s 100-46 win over Franklin Regional, sends the Trojanettes to Tuesday’s team championship meet at West Mifflin High School.

North had made the Class 2A playoffs in previous years, but was making its debut in the 3A event.

“Winning here was a tremendous accomplishment for the team,” said North coach Terry Fischer. “It was not one of our goals. We wanted to win our section, which we did with an undefeated record, and we were focusing on the WPIAL Individual Championship meet a couple of weeks from now.

“I believed we could be successful on the track today, but received some efforts in the field that made a big difference.”

In the boys meet, Butler rolled to victories over Central Catholic (120-30), Moon (109-41) and Franklin Regional (104-46).

North’s girls were leading Butler 71-65 with just two events remaining. Aniela Balog, who had already won the long jump, went 35 feet, 11 inches to win the triple jump and clinch the team victory.

Butler earned wins in all three throws — Lauren Beneigh (shot put), Julianna Lockwood (discus) and Sarah Lucas (javelin) — and outscored North 23-4 in those events, but the Trojanettes topped the Tornado in eight of 11 events on the track.

The first victory of the day came from North’s 4x800 relay squad of Grace Lazzara, Madeline Meeuf, Gracie Plastino and Sydney Dunn. The quartet finished in nine minutes, 35.85 seconds, obliterating the previous school record by 20 seconds.

Meeuf and Plastino placed first overall and second, respectively, in the 3,200 run and were first and third in the 1,600.

“I’m very proud of our distance runners,” said Fischer. “They help make us a complete team.”

Sunni Love led off the Trojanettes’ winning 4x100 team, which also featured Daphne Flerl, Anna Lazzara and Seava Cresta.

Cresta added individual wins in the 100 and 200.

“A lot of us are looking to make the state meet in different events,” Love said. “The fact that we came in here and advanced to the finals, I think it’s just the beginning for us.”

Butler reached the team semifinals after missing the postseason a year ago. The Tornado won the district title four straight years beginning in 2017.

“North Catholic is a great team with great coaches,” said Butler coach John Williams. “You can predict scores and results of events all you want, but it comes down to getting it done. Hats off to them, they came in and beat us.

“We had some great performances today, but so did they. That’s what this meet is all about, kids giving it their all.”

Drew Griffith highlighted Butler’s win in boys action, breaking C.J. Singleton’s school record in the 800 run with a time of 1:52.05. Singleton’s standard was 1:52.17.

“That was Drew’s goal for this meet,” said Tornado coach Mike Seybert. “He wanted a meet where all he had to run was the 800 so he could go for the record and today was it.”

Aaron Stebick was on the winning 4x100 and 4x400 teams for Butler.

Butler won district team titles in 2021 and 2022. The Tornado fell short in last year’s championship meet.

“It feels great to get back,” Stebick said. “We’re a stronger team this year and are going for it.”

“We front-loaded our lineup, put our top kids in the first four or five track events (to get a big lead), then had kids looking to earn a varsity letter running later in the meet,” said Seybert. “We had a lot of good efforts today in the heat.”

Boys

Butler 120, Central Catholic 30

Butler 109, Moon 41

Butler 104, Franklin Regional 46

3,200 relay: Butler (Zach Slear, Mateo Saspe, Ethan Thomas, Logan Rogers) 8:29.71; 110 hurdles: Cartwright (FR) 16.10; 100 dash: David Graef (B) 11.21; 1,600 run: Kociela (FR) 4:29.40; 400 run: Landon Lacey (B) 50.18; 400 relay: Butler (Logan Ekas, David Graef, Kevin Shriver, Aaron Stebick) 43.16; 300 hurdles: Moyer (M) 41.14; 800 run: Drew Griffith (B) 1:52.05; 200 dash: Simon (M) 23.25; 3,200 run: Brendan Eicher (B) 10:08.97; 1,600 relay: Butler (Jace Gratzmiller, Griffin Bauer, Jacob Fallecker, Aaron Stebick) 3:30.58

Shot put: Terrell Holderman (B) 46-0.75; Discus: Duncan (M) 127-7; Javelin: McCarthy (CC) 142-4; High jump: Perez (FR) 6-4; Long jump: Orein McBride-Cager (B) 21-6.25; Triple jump: Thomas (CC) 43-6.5; Pole vault: Silvis (FR) 13-5

Girls

North Catholic 100, Franklin Regional 46

North Catholic 76, Butler 74

Butler 119, Franklin Regional 31

3,200 relay: North Catholic (Grace Lazzara, Madeline Meeuf, Gracie Plastino, Sydney Dunn) 9:35.85; 100 hurdles: Paterline (FR) 15.54; 100 dash: Seava Cresta (NC) 12.81; 1,600 run: Madeline Meeuf (NC) 5:19.16; 400 run: Natalie Weiland (NC) 1:01.28; 400 relay: North Catholic (Sunni Love, Daphne Flerl, Anna Lazzara, Seava Cresta) 49.10; 300 hurdles: Lauren Bowden (B) 44.32; 800 run: Madi McGarrah (B) 2:21.90; 200 dash: Seava Cresta (NC) 26.36; 3,200 run: Madeline Meeuf (NC) 12:00.51; 1,600 relay: Butler (Lyla Bowden, Madi McGarrah, Jocie Slesinski, Lauren Bowden) 4:01.36

Shot put: Lauren Beneigh (B) 30-10.75; Discus: Julianna Lockwood (B) 102-8; Javelin: Sarah Lucas (B) 103-3; High jump: Grace Nichols (B) 5-3.5; Long jump: Aniela Balog (NC) 17-4.75; Triple jump: Aniela Balog (NC) 35-11; Pole vault: Aubrey Rock (B) 11-7