D9 Class 3A Track and Field Championships preview

BROOKVILLE, Pa. – The District 9 Class 3A Track and Field Championships runs Friday in Brookville with events starting at 1 p.m.

St. Marys’ Kyla Johnson is the defending champion in the 3,200-meter run and should challenge for the 1,600 crown at Friday’s District 9 Class 3A Championships in Brookville.

Here is the time schedule for Friday’s combined meet.

Here’s the breakdown of how things look:

BOYS

Team favorite: Bradford has won four straight team titles and 19 of the last 20 dating back to the start of the run in 1999, but Punxsutawney could end that run this year.

To qualify for states: Champions in each event plus any state-qualifying performance marks earn a trip to the PIAA Championships at Shippensburg University May 24-25.

It’ll likely be win or go home for the boys, who have just one athlete in the district who has reached a state-qualifying standard in Class 3A and it’s St. Marys’ Adam Park in the discus. 

Returning state medalists (top 8)/finalists:

None

Returning district champions:

Trevor Franek, Clearfield, 400 dash

Owen Bartlebaugh, Punxsutawney, 3,200 run

Jordan Meinart, DuBois, high jump and long jump

Taye Lynch, Clearfield, triple jump

Steven Kellam, Bradford, pole vault

Relays: All Punxsutawney

Top seeds, notes by event, with top seed listed first:

4×800 relay: Punxsutawney. The Chucks are seeded at 8:22.47, nearly 30 seconds ahead of No. 2 Bradford.

110 hurdles: Dylan Phillips, Bradford. He’s seeded No. 1 at 15.76 seconds. The next closest is Punxsutawney’s Tyler Elliot at 16.65.

100 dash: Bayden Lyle, Punxsutawney: He’s the top seed at 11.24 seconds. Clearfield’s Trevor Franek, the top returning placewinner with a third last year, is No. 2 at 11.54.

1,600 run: Owen Bartlebaugh, Punxsutawney. He owns the top time at 4:38.96 with Clearfield’s Jeremiah Vizza (4:42.52) and Punxsutawney’s Aiden McLaughlin (4:45.35) nearby.

4×400 relay: Bradford. The Owls own the top tim of 44.77 seconds. Punxsutawney is second at 45.3.

400 dash: Michael Bosworth, Bradford. Four of the top six finishers from last year return and Bosworth, last year’s runner-up, leads the way with a seeded time of 51.57 seconds, ahead of defending champion Trevor Franek of Clearfield (52.13). Clearfield’s Logan Firanski is also under 53 seconds at 52.63.

300 hurdles: Jason Plubell, Clearfield. He and No. 2 seed Alex Liners of Bradford are the only hurdlers seeded under 430 at 42.49 and 42.7 seconds.

800 run: Andrew Wehrle, Punxsutawney. Last year’s third-placer is the top seed with a 2:03.5. Bradford’s Tyler Kraft is the only other runner seeded under 2:05 with a 2:04.71. Last hear’s runner-up Andrew Boyle is seeded No. 4 at 2:06.98.

200 dash: Bayden Lyle, Punxsutawney. He’s the top seed at 22.92 seconds with Bradford’s Michael Bosworth and Donny Pattison the only other runners under 24 seconds at 23.31 and 23.9. Pattison is the highest returning placewinner with a third a year ago.

3,200 run: Owen Bartlebaugh, Punxsutawney. The defending champion is seeded at 9:58.13 with No. 2 seed and returning third-placer Jeremiah Vizza at 10:17.22.

4×400 relay: Bradford. The Owls are seeded at 3:33, just over two seconds ahead of Clearfield. Nobody else is under 3:40.

Pole vault: Steven Kellam, Bradford. The defending champion has cleared 13 feet, 9 inches. No. 2 seed Max London of Punxsutawney has cleared 13 feet.

High jump: Anthony Cortina, St. Marys. Cortina qualified for states in Class 2A last year as a runner-up. He’s seeded No. 1 at 6 feet, 2 inches, but four other jumpers have cleared 6 feet, including defending champion Jordan Meinart of DuBois, Punxsutawney’s Ethan Presloid, Punxsutawney’s Evan States and Clearfield’s Taye Lynch.

Long jump: Max London, Punxsutawney. He’s the top seed in a crowded group of contenders at 20 feet, 4 1/4 inches. Defending champion Jordan Meinart (20 feet, 1 inch) is one of five other jumpers over 20 feet, including St. Marys’ Anthony Cortina, Bradford’s Steven Kellam, and Clearfield’s Ian Billotte and Taye Lynch.

Triple jump: Taye Lynch, Clearfield. He’s the defending champion and top seed at 44 feet, 5 inches. Punxsutawney’s Evan States is the only other jumper over 40 feet at 40 feet, 4 inches.

Shot put: Adam Park, St. Marys. He’s the top seed at 51 feet, 1/2 inch. The only other putter over 45 feet is No. 2 seed Zane Inguagiato of Clearfield at 46 feet, 10 inches.

Discus: Adam Park, St. Marys. He’s the clear favorite here as well with a top seed of 161 feet, 3 inches. His teammate Alex Agosti is No. 2 at 127 feet, 9 inches.

Javelin: Adam Park, St. Marys. He owns the top throw in the district at 160 feet, 4 inches, ahead of No. 2 seed Brandon Ishman of Punxsutawney at 155 feet.

GIRLS

Team favorite: Bradford looks for its third straight title, but could be pushed by all three of the other teams in the meet with Punxsutawney, DuBois and St. Marys.

To qualify for states: Champions in each event plus any state-qualifying performance marks earn a trip to the PIAA Championships at Shippensburg University May 24-25.

No girl has reached a state-qualifying standard during the regular season.

Returning state medalists (top 8)/finalists:

None

Returning district champions:

Summer Herring, St. Marys, 100 hurdles

Kyla Johnson, St. Marys, 3,200 run

Relays: Bradford (4×100), Bradford (4×400), St. Marys (4×800).

Alexis Huber, Bradford, Pole vault

Regan Johnson, Bradford, long jump

Top seeds, notes by event, with top seed listed first:

4×800 relay: St. Marys. The Lady Dutch are seeded at 9:44.01, just over 12 seconds ahead of Bradford.

100 hurdles: Summer Herring, St. Marys. The defending champion is the top seed at 16.64 seconds with Punxsutawney’s Makena Nesbitt No. 2 at 17.02.

100 dash: Regan Johnson, Bradford. Last year’s runner-up is the top seed at 12.51 and only sprinter under 13.2 as DuBois’ Antonia Fenice is at 13.24 seconds.

1,600 run: Olivia Roberts, Punxsutawney. She’s the top seed at 5:17.69, but will be challenged by 3,200 defending champion and No. 2 seed Kyla Johnson, who was seeded at 5:18.38. No other runner is below 5:29.

4×100 relay: Bradford. The Lady Owls are seeded at 51.75 seconds, ahead of DuBois at 52.6.

400 dash: Samantha Hayes, St. Marys. She’s under a minute at 59.88 seconds with No. 2 seed Megan Quesenberry also from St. Marys at 1:01.94.

300 hurdles: Summer Herring, St. Marys. She’s the top seed at 47.8 seconds with Bradford’s Erica Marshall No. 2 at 48.94.

800 run: Emily Bosworth, Bradford. Last year’s runner-up is the top seed at 2:20.34, just over two seconds ahead of St. Marys’ Samantha Hayes. Nobody else is under 2:25.

200 dash: Regan Johnson, Bradford. Last year’s runner-up is seeded No. 1 at 26.05 seconds with DuBois’ Antonia Fenice (27.94) the only other sprinter under 28 seconds.

3,200 run: Kyla Johnson, St. Marys. The defending champion is seeded at 11:22.9, over a minute ahead of No. 2 seed Olivia Roberts of Punxsutawney.

4×400 relay: St. Marys. The Lady Dutch are seeded at 4:05.93, just under five seconds ahead of Bradford.

Pole vault: Makena Nesbitt, Punxsutawney. She cleared 10 feet, 7 inches with defending champion Alexis Huber of Bradford No. 2 at 9 feet.

High jump: Jerica Fischer, DuBois, and Maeve Hanley, Punxsutawney. Both have cleared 5 feet, 2 inches. Punxsutawney’s Cassidy Reed is the only other one who has cleared 5 feet, exactly at that height.

Long jump: Alana Burton, DuBois. She’s the top seed at 16 feet, 7 inches, just ahead of teammate Jerica Fischer (16 feet, 6 1/2 inches) and defending champion Regan Johnson of Bradford (16 feet, 2 1/2 inches).

Triple jump: Jerica Fischer, DuBois. She’s the only jumper over 34 feet at 34 feet, 4 inches. DuBois’ Morgan Allman is No. 2 at 33 feet, 8 inches.

Shot put: Saige Heigel, St. Marys. The top returning placewinner with a third last year is the top seed at 34 feet, 10 inches, just four inches better than Taegan Ludwig. They’re the only two over 33 feet this year.

Discus: Gabby Snyder-Petitti, DuBois. She’s the only one over 100 feet this year at 105 feet, 10 inches. Punxsutawney’s Taegan Ludwig is No. 2 at 96 feet.

Javelin: Taegan Ludwig, Punxsutawney. She’s the top seed at 107 feet. Nobody else is over 100 feet with Bradford’s Lydia Pompa No. 2 at 99 feet, 11 inches.