Split Decision
WEXFORD — Just another day at the office for Liz Simms.
The Butler senior won the 400 and 800 meter events, anchored the 4x800 meter and 4x400 meter relay victories as the Golden Tornado girls defeated North Allegheny, 90-60, in a critical early season meet Tuesday at Newman Stadium.
Butler's boys dropped an 80-70 decision, falling victim to a botched exchange on the final two legs of the 4x400 relay that might have altered their fortunes.
“I'm going to miss this rivalry,” Simms said. “It's always such a big meet with a lot on the line.
“I appreciate having three awesome teammates running the (4x4) with me. It's one of the last events and we always feel like we have to win it.”
Gabby Boden, Chesna Tomko and Taylor Timmons ran the three legs of the 4x400 in front of Simms. By the time she grabbed the baton, Butler had a huge lead.
“At that point, all I had to do was run my race,” Simms said. “When it's real close when I get the baton, my heart starts pounding because I feel like it's all on me.”
She had plenty of help in this meet.
Tabitha Wilbert and Anna Baxter both set personal records in the 100-meter hurdles and Baxter won the 300 hurdles. The Tornado's Emma Stewart and Gabby Boden finished second and third in the 100 meters.
“We picked up 17 points in the first three events on the track,” Butler girls coach John Williams said. “That was huge for us.”
Butler swept the discus and pole vault events to cement the team win.
“Andrea Jones placed third for us in the discus and she had never scored a varsity point before this meet,” Williams said. “Those points are so important in a competitive meet like this.
“You need your superstars, but you also need those second and third-place points to win.”
On the boys side, Ryan Marcella won the 100 and 200 meters, nosing out NA's Joey Porter Jr. both times. As Marcella crossed the finish line after winning the 100, he thrust his fist in the air and shouted “Let's go!.”
Everyone was real calm in practice leading up to this meet, even on the bus ride over here,” Marcella said. “Once we get down on the field and that 4x800 relay starts ... everyone gets all hyped up.
“Every year, we look forward to this meet. It's tough in our section because it always come down to North Allegheny, Butler and Seneca Valley. We don't want to be the team left out.”
Only the top two teams from each section qualify for the WPIAL team playoffs.
Marcella ran a personal-best 11.17 in winning the 100.
“I knew those (100 and 200 meters) would be tight races,” he said. “He (Porter) has beaten me before and I've beaten him, But they're always right at the wire.”
Mason Montag won the high jump and javelin for the Tornado. Butler swept the javelin, high jump, triple jump and pole vault, but still came up short.
The 4x400 relay was shaping up to be a tight finish before Butler dropped the baton on the final exchange. Byron Manchester would have normally been in on that exchange, but tweaked a hamstring earlier in the meet and was replaced.
“Losing that 4x4 hurt,” Butler boys track coach Mike Seybert said. “If we had gone on to win that event ... This meet would have been close.”
Had Butler won the 4x400, the final score of the boys meet would have been 75-75, with the Tornado winning the tiebreaker.“We're a little banged up right now and we were missing people,” Seybert said. “But we have to work on finishing races better, stronger.“The Seneca Valley meet now will determine which one of us goes to the team playoffs).”Butler did not have Sammi Taoufik — its best jumper — or runner Isaiah Seybert available Tuesday. Skyler Vavro was just returning from a leg injury and Manchester had the hamstring issue.“Hopefully, we'll get another shot at them,” Seybert said of North Allegheny. “It's always fun running against them.”BoysNorth Allegheny 80, Butler 703,200 relay: North Allegheny 9:26; 110 hurdles: D.Rrice (NA) 15:13; 100 dash: Ryan Marcella (B) 11:17; 1,600 run: Kinne (NA) 4:35; 400 run: J.Porter (NA) 50.82; 400 relay: Butler 43.61; 300 hurdles: D.Rice (NA) 40.0; 800 run: McGoey (NA) 2:00.23; 200 dash: Ryan Marcella (B) 23.08; 3,200 run: Kinne (NA) 9:54; 1,600 relay: Northy Allegheny 3:36.53Shot put: Dennis Goodwine (B) 49-0;Discus: W.Stetson (NA) 140-6; Javelin: Mason Montag (B) 129-4; High jump: Mason Montag (B) 5-10; Long jump: Tyler Kennedy (B) 19-7; Triple jump: Tyler Rekich (B) 39-9.5; Pole vault: Jack Codispot (B) 14-6GirlsButler 90, North Allegheny 603,200 relay: Butler 9:53.75; 100 hurdles: Tabitha Wilbert (B) 15.74; 100 dash: E.Naughton (NA) 12.53; 1,600 run: K.Misutka (NA) 5:20.37; 400 run: Liz Simms (B) 1:00.01; 400 relay: Butler 50.44; 300 hurdles: Anna Baxter (B) 47.0; 800 run: Liz Simms (B) 2:25.41; 200 dash: Gabby Boden (B) 26.96; 3,200 run: H.Lindgren (NA) 11:36.54; 1,600 relay: Butler 4:15.19Shot put: Paris Johnson (B) 32-3.5; Discus: Sarayne Forbes (B) 111-10; Javelin: Autumn Pettinato (B) 110-0; High jump: E.Wiethorn (NA) 5-0; Long jump: Emma Stewart (B) 16-5.5; Triple jump: J.McConnell (NA) 33-7.5; Pole vault: Samantha Penrod (B) 10-3
