PIAA track and field championships: Butler’s Aubrey Rock readying for pole vault competition; Golden Tornado boys relays advance
SHIPPENSBURG — Aubrey Rock has managed lofty achievements in the pole vault despite limited time competing in the event.
She first attempted to clear the bar less than two years ago. Two WPIAL titles and a state medal later, and she feels accomplished enough in the event that she is now anticipating competing in the pole vault at Westminster College.
"I've been working with Bradi Rhoades (Westminster pole vault coach), and he helped me progress so much in a short amount of time," said Rock, who finished in a three-way tie for seventh place with a height of 11 feet, 6 inches at the PIAA Class 3A Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University on Friday. "I'm really excited to continue working with him."
Rock competed here last year as a WPIAL champion, but an illness held her back and she settled for 13th place.
A background in gymnastics helped her hit the ground running in the pole vault.
"That definitely helped me with strength and air awareness, and the event felt natural for me from the start," Rock said. "I believed I could succeed."
Rock also won a WPIAL title in the long jump earlier this month, and is ranked sixth in the state in that event Saturday.
Survive and advance.
That was the goal for Butler's boys 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams Friday.
Both quartets competed in preliminary races, needing to finish in the top eight to reach Saturday's state final.
The 4x100 team did so by placing seventh with a time of 42.35 seconds, while the 4x400 got through at 3:19.87 to place eighth.
The 400 team, made up of Logan Ekas, Kevin Shriver, Grayden Brown and Chris Rubcic, came in May 14 with a school-record time of 41.85 to win the WPIAL crown. It was just two-hundredths of a second from the WPIAL meet record.
"We thought anything below 42 seconds today would be good enough to get us to Saturday," Rubcic said. "But the wind was crazy. If the weather is nice (for the final), I can see us getting down to 41.5."
Ekas said there was one main focus for the foursome over the last week in practice.
"We spent a lot of time working on handoffs, and we got the timing down perfectly," he said.
Added Rubcic: "That's the best way to cut time, with clean handoffs."
Butler coach Mike Seybert credited the team members' familiarity with each other for the success.
"During the year, you're moving kids around to different events depending on who's healthy and what the team needs to win a meet," he said. "But for the last several big meets, it's been those four guys in that event. Their timing is right on."
The 4x400 team is made up of Regan Peth, Aaron Stebick, Jace Gratzmiller and Carter Ekas. They broke school and WPIAL meet records with a time of 3:17.49 last week. The other seven teams in Saturday's final are from the eastern side of the state.
"Thirty-two teams showed up (in each relay), 24 are out and eight have stayed," Seybert said. "Today was about finding a way to move on."
Butler's 4x800 relay — Ethan Thomas, Mateo Saspe, Zachary Slear and Logan Rogers — will also be in action Saturday. According to Seybert, it will mark the first time ever for a storied program that all three relays will be competing for a state title on Day 2.
