Flying high
WHITEHALL — Alec Stivers was looking to redeem himself.
Did he ever.
After a poor showing in the Class AA boys pole vault at the WPIAL Track and Field Championships last year, Stivers returned with a renewed sense of purpose Thursday at Baldwin High School.
The Freeport senior won the event with a height of 13 feet, three inches, beating Riverside's Shane Fisher, who placed second at an even 13 feet.
“I didn't do well last year and it got to me,” said Stivers, who entered this year's WPIAL meet with a personal-best of 13 feet. “I came here to win and the fact I was able to do that, it was worth all the work I put in.”
Stivers will finish his high school career as a district champion at Shippensburg University, where the state meet will begin next Friday.
“This season has gone smoothly for me and I think I can get to 14 feet,” he said. “I've done that in practice and it's just a matter of getting it in a meet.”
Stivers will be joined at the PIAA event by teammate Cole Hepler, who placed third in the javelin with a throw of 167 feet.
“I beat my career-best, which was 166-11,” said Hepler, a junior. “Coach (John) Gaillot always tells me to improve by one inch every time I go out and I did that today. I was looking to move on to states, nothing less. I just want to have fun next week and give my best effort.”
Seneca Valley's Jonathan Dorogy came painfully close to bringing home a WPIAL title of his own. He finished second in the Class AAA 100-meter dash with a time of 11 seconds, just two one-hundredths of a second slower than Gateway's Julius Rivera (10.98).
“When you want it as bad as I did and you come so close, it's tough to swallow,” said Dorogy, who broke Seneca Valley's record in the event by running a 10.74 at last week's Northern Qualifier. “I had the best time in the prelims (Thursday) with an 11.08, but I wasn't that worried about the time. I had gold on my mind today.”
Despite being forced to accept silver, Dorogy is glad he decided to join the Raiders' outdoor track team. He's been pulling double duty this spring, also starring for Seneca's baseball team.
“I had run indoor before, but this was my first season on the outdoor team,” he said. “It's definitely worth it. I've had a ball.”
Dorogy would later finish third in the 200 dash (22.35), meaning he will compete in a pair of individual events in Shippensburg. He also will man a leg of SV's 4x100 relay, teaming with Forrest Barnes, Bradley Banks and Jordan Brown. The quartet was second Thursday behind Gateway.
Barnes was third in the 100 dash, just behind Dorogy at 11.09.
Butler's Travis Reed had his eye on making the PIAA meet in two events, but was still pleased with making it in the discus.
Following a fifth-place showing in the shot put, Reed ended up third in the discus after a throw of 152-5.
“My best is a 166,” he said, “but I'm satisfied with getting another shot at states. I threw the discus there last year and the atmosphere is completely different. There is a section of stands just for people to watch the throwing events. There's a lot of fans and it's much more intense.
“I want to medal (top eight) and throw my personal best.”
Also moving on to states after placing in the top four in their respective events at WPIALs is Seneca Valley's Mitch McPeek (second in discus, 163-2) and Butler's Stephan Shoemaker (fourth in javelin, 173-3). Advancing by meeting the state qualifying standard in the 400 run was Seneca's Banks, who placed fifth with a time of 49.73.
The WPIAL flexed its muscles in the Class AAA girls long jump, as all eight medalists met the state qualifying standard of 17 feet, three inches. Included in that group were Mars' Lydia Dennis (fifth, 18-2.75) and Butler senior Kennedy Evans (eighth, 17-7.5).It is the third time Evans has made the PIAA field.“I've gone 17-8 before, but I would rather peak next week than today,” said Evans. “I'd like to set a new personal best by jumping 18 feet. The school record is 18-4, set by Coach (Annessa) Steele. She's always urging me to knock her name off the board.”Dennis placed second in the triple jump (37-9.5) and will be joined at states by teammate Emily Thomas, who took second in the discus (121-11).Rounding out Butler County's girls headed to Shippensburg for individual events are Butler's Ava Bonetti (fourth in shot put, 39-9.5) and Julia Baxter (sixth in high jump, 5-3), Knoch's Katie Bozzo (fourth in 300 hurdles, 46.04), Seneca Valley's Abbie Trzeciak (fifth in javelin, 124-7) and Freeport's Danika Durand (second in Class AA long jump, 16-11).The Yellowjackets' 4x800 relay squad of Becca Dudek, Brittney Bianco, Nicole Miller and Rachael Kubeldis also qualified, finishing fourth with a time of 10:07.88.
