After a season filled with abysmal weather conditions that included rain and more rain, this weekend’s PIAA Track and Field Championships had abundant sunshine and the WPIAL made sure to take advantage of it.
Hempfield girls were able to win their second consecutive team title and were led by Junior standout Maddie Holmberg. Holmberg won three gold medals over the weekend including wins in the Long Jump, Intermediate Hurdles and 4×100 relay.
Holmberg’s 20 foot, one inch long jump narrowly missed the all-time PIAA record and is the ninth best jump nationally. Teammate Bridget Guy was able to add another gold medal for the Lady Spartans, winning the Pole Vault by clearing a height of 12’6.
Holmberg was not the only multiple gold medal winner from the WPIAL. Joining her was another Spartan, throwing standout Max Adams, who won the boys Discus (198’3) and Shot Put (61’4) Adams will continue his career at Wake Forest University.
Vincentian Academy’s Ally Bartoszewicz, a Notre Dame recruit, finished her fine career with wins in the 100 (12.28) and 200 meters (24.72).
Beaver Falls has a special sophomore in Dom Peretta, who won individual titles in the 1600 (419.82) and the 800 (154.01)
Two athletes featured on Pittsburgh Sporting News, Shaler junior Bree Schwartz and Gateway senior Montae Nicholson, both came away with gold at PIAA’s. For Schwartz, it was a repeat championship in the 1600 with a blazing time of 4:46.95. Nicholson added two more gold medals with wins in the 110 hurdles and helping the Gators to a 4×100 meter title, narrowly missing the PIAA record in the process.
Nicholson’s winning time in the hurdles was 14.02. While the quartet of Nicholson, Jae’Len Means, Cameron Gray, and Kevin Jeter were able to blaze around the track in the 4×1 with a time of 41.16. It was a repeat championship for the Gators in the relay.
The WPIAL was able to come away from the State Championships with 19 gold medals, which was the most of any district in the state.
