CARROLL TOWNSHIP — A familiar champion was crowned Monday at the 11th annual Mid Mon Track Classic at Ringgold's Joe Montana Stadium.
For the eighth straight year, Belle Vernon Area won the boys' team title.
"I am very pleased and although we weren't as strong as last year's team, everyone comes to compete at this event," BVA coach Chris Stasicha said. "Everyone picked it up and performed well.
"With the boys winning and the girls — who won it last year — to lose to a talented team like EF, it is an accomplishment."
On the girls' side, a familiar champion returned to its throne as the Elizabeth Forward won its second title in three years with a 132-131 win over BVA.
"We are really excited about the girls' win," said EF coach John Walsh. "We won this event two years ago with 14 girls and last year we had more, but we wanted to build depth.
"We don't have superstars yet, but we have a lot of freshmen and sophomores. We are a balanced team and we placed a lot of girls."
With the boys, the Leps finished with 135 team points, well ahead of second place Ringgold (113).
Rounding out the boys' totals were EF (90), Monessen (77), Charleroi (58), Beth-Center (30), California (25), Bentworth (22), and Brownsville (8).
BVA won five different events, with Matt McCloskey taking home two individual gold medals.
McCloskey won the 400-meter dash (51.32 seconds) and the 800-meter run (2:04.08).
Ryan Thomas (11:28.45 in the 3,200-meter run) Ian Dobbins (23.38 in the 200-meter dash) and Adam Cole (126 feet, 5 inches in the discus) also took home individual honors for the Leps.
Monessen had the most first place winners on the boys' side with six, while Ringgold tied BVA with five and both EF and Beth-Center added one.
Leading the way for the Greyhounds was Alonzo Payne, who won three individual events and brought home gold in the 1,600-meter relay with Javon Carlock, Mario Tarver, and Kalhi Green with a time of 3:35.89.
Payne's individual wins came in the high jump (6 feet), long jump (19 feet, 5 in), and the triple jump (45 feet, 3 inches) with the triple jump setting a meet record.
Also winning titles for Monessen were Juwan Mull, who set a record in the shot put (48 feet, 9.5 inches) and the 400-meter relay team of Javon Carlock, Jeff Carlock, Tarver, and Javon Brown (45.02).
Ringgold's first place winners consisted of record breaker Billy Baisley (11 feet, 6 inches in the pole vault), Jon Patz (42.39 in the 800-meter hurdles), Chris Spahr (4:44.08 in the 1,600-meter run), Demetrious Lewis (11.09 in the 100-meter dash), and the team of Spahr, Hunter Homa, Skyler Scholl, and Tyler Bevan in the 3,200-meter relay (8:37.64).
EF's Matt Bernadowski (11.09 in the 100-meter hurdles) and Beth-Center's Sal Faeita (183 feet, 1 inches in the javelin) also took first place honors. Faeita set a record with his throw.
Following EF and BVA on the girl's side were Ringgold (110), Charleroi (59), Bentworth (58), California (22), Beth-Center (21), Brownsville (16), and Monessen (8).
EF had four first place winners and Rachel Collage had a hand in three of the wins.
Collage won the 100-meter hurdles (17.20) while teaming with Haley Strotman, Abbey Sporio, and Rachel Bakewell to win the 400-meter relay (51.43) and with Sporio, Josie Madden, and Strotman to win the 1,600-meter relay (4:23.06).
EF's other winner was Rachel Pell in the 300-meter hurdles (49.64).
Ringgold had the most first winners on the girls' side.
Looking best for Ringgold was Christina Wills (three gold medals) and Kirsten McMichael (two).
Wills won the 100-meter dash (12.55), the 200-meter dash (26.79), and the 400-meter dash (61.12).
McMichael won the 3,200-meter run (12:46.54) and the 1,600-meter run (5:44.40) while Jessie Martin took home the pole vault title (9').
Wills' time in the 100-meter dash and Martin's pole vault number are records for the event.
BVA's quartet of Caitlin Pasternak, Jenna DiPerna, Gibby Kohr, and Samantha Mendicino won the 3,200-meter relay (10:32.97) while Jessica Slagus won the javelin throw (106 feet, 3 in) and Kaitlyn Slagus won the discus throw (103 feet).
Charleroi's Briya Smith won the long jump (16 feet, 3 inches) and the triple jump (34 feet, 8.5 in), California's Kailyn Clancy won the shot put (36 feet, 7.75 inches), Beth-Center's Erin Pirt won the high jump (5 feet, 1 inches), and Bentworth's Carlye Moore won the 800-meter run (2:31.71).
Stasicha and Walsh weren't the only happy coaches. Monessen's Ramont Small and Charleroi's Joe Caruso were both proud of their respective teams' efforts despite their lack of numbers.
"I am very pleased with how well our team is doing today against a lot of AAA schools," Small said. "This is a well-run meet and I could not be happier.
"We have a couple of record breakers in Juwan and Alonzo and I am proud of them."
"Our numbers are way down this year and we don't have a lot of kids here, but the ones we have are trying real hard," Caruso said. "Briya brought home two golds for us and we did well against bigger schools. We won't face them as we move on."
More than 350 athletes competed in this year's event.
