CLARION, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Hayden Smith has been raising the bar all season.
Literally.
The senior on the Union/A-C Valley track and field team and student at Union has shattered records just about everywhere he has gone in the high jump.
He cleared 7 feet at a meet this season. He went to the Penn Relays and jumped against some of the best high school competition in the country and placed second.
(Pictured above, North Clarion’s Mason Burford)
On Tuesday he was named the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference Field MVP.
Smith is a three-time defending District 9 champion in the high jump and has won the state title for the past two seasons.
Smith was also a first-team selection as part of Union/A-C Valley’s 4×100 relay and earned a second-team nod in the 110 hurdles.
On the track, Karns City’s Zach Kelly and North Clarion’s Mason Burford shared the MVP honors.
Burford was a first-team selection in the 110 hurdles and earned second-team honors in the 100, 400 and 1,600 relay.
“It means a lot,” Burford said of sharing the track MVP with Kelly. “It’s an honor and especially to be co-MVP with Kelly. He’s a good friend of mine. It just makes me happy to know he got that and we worked hard for it.”
Burford will run the 110 hurdles, 400 and the 4×400 relay at the District 9 Track and Field Championships, which will be held on Friday.
He’s most hyped about the relay, where he teams up with Dane Sliker, Wyatt Boyden and Mason Gourley.
“It’s gonna be really exciting. There’s lots of good teams competing in districts,” Burford said. “I think we have the heart to at least make the top two.”
Kelly received first-team honors in the 100 and on the 4×400 relay, where he ran a leg with teammates Kaydin Wilson, Carter Farren and Griffin Booher. He was also second team in the 4×100 relay.
Following are the KSAC boys track and field all-star teams:
FIRST TEAM
TRACK
100-Zach Kelly (Karns City), 200-Logan Skibinski (Union/A-C Valley), 400-Kaydin Wilson (Karns City), 800-Griffin Booher (Karns City), 1,600-Johnny Hansford (Keystone), 3,200-Johnny Hansford (Keystone), 110 hurdles-Mason Burford (North Clarion), 300 hurdles-Drew Slaugenhaupt (Keystone), 400 relay-Union/A-C Valley (Logan Skibinski, Dawson Camper, Aidan Fox, Hayden Smith, Michael Yerkey), 1,600 relay-Karns City (Kaydin Wilson, Carter Farren, Griffin Booher, Zach Kelly), 3,200 relay-North Clarion (Jonas Wilshire, Dane Sliker, Wyatt Boyden, Mason Gourley)
FIELD
Long jump-JP Blauser (Union/A-C Valley), Triple jump-Aidan Fox (Union/A-C Valley), High jump-Hayden Smith (Union/A-C Valley), Pole vault-Ashton Grossman (Moniteau), Shot put-Dawson Camper (Union/A-C Valley), Discus-Josh Beal (North Clarion), Logan Campbell (Moniteau), Javelin-Luke Cramer (Karns City)
TRACK MVPs: Zach Kelly (Karns City), Mason Burford (North Clarion)
FIELD MVP: Hayden Smith (Union/A-C Valley)
SECOND TEAM
TRACK
100-Mason Burford (North Clarion), Logan Skibinski (Union/A-C Valley), 200-Aidan Fox (Union/A-C Valley), 400-Wyatt Boyden (North Clarion), Mason Burford (North Clarion), 800-Jorge Reyes (Union/A-C Valley), 1,600-Jonas Wilshire (North Clarion), Kieran Fricko (Redbank Valley), 3,200-Jackson Nicewonger (North Clarion), 110 hurdles-Hayden Smith (Union/A-C Valley), Drew Slaugenhaupt (Keystone), 300 hurdles-Caleb Buti (Karns City), 400 relay-Karns City (Hobie Bartoe, Kaydin Wilson, Owen Heginbotham, Zach Kelly, Caleb Buti), 1,600 relay-Union/A-C Valley (Aidan Fox, JP Blauser, Jorge Reyes, Logan Skibinski, Nick Ielase), North Clarion (Mason Burford, Dane Sliker, Wyatt Boyden, Mason Gourley), 3,200 relay-Karns City (Mason Bell, Carter Farren, Dillan Stroup, Griffin Booher)
FIELD
Long jump-Aidan Fox (Union/A-C Valley), Ashton Kahle (Redbank Valley), Triple jump-JP Blauser (Union/A-C Valley), High jump-Michael Swanson (North Clarion), Pole vault-Dane Wenner (Cranberry), Landon Wilson (Karns City), Shot put-Josh Beal (Keystone), Discus-Eli Rex (Redbank Valley), Javelin-Kevin Peasall (Cranberry), Seth Slaughenhaupt (Keystone)
