Numerous athletes from the area headed to Baldwin for the WPIAL Track and Field Championships with hopes of earning medals and moving on to the PIAA championships next week.
But only a few managed to get on the medal stand and move on.
The medalists were Belle Vernon Area's Jessica Slagus and Monessen's 400-meter relay team.
Slagus, a senior, finished second in the javelin in Class AAA with a long throw of 130 feet, 2 inches. Her effort was just short of her school record of 132 feet, 6 inches set at the WPIAL qualifier.
“She did pretty much what I thought she would do,” said BVA coach Chris Stasicha. “She's going on to states. It's a great way to close out her career.”
For Monessen, the Greyhounds' 400 relay team of Javone Carlock, Javon Brown, Irving Green and Andre Boulton finished fourth in Class AA with a time of 44.32 seconds.
The time was just short of the group's career best of 44.3 seconds.
“I thought they ran a real good race, the best they possibly could,” said Monessen coach Ramont Small. “The competition was really strong here and I'm so proud of them. They just got nosed out for third at the finish line.
“They deserve to go on to the states.”
Monessen's 3200 relay team of Raymond Sitton, Green, David Diggs and Boulton finished sixth to earn a medal and missed out on qualifying for the state championships by one place.
“They ran a great race,” said Small of his underclassmen group. “The best thing is that I get them all back next year.”
The top eight finishers in each class earned medals Thursday. The top four finishers in each event in AAA and top five in AA, along with all state qualifying standards, advance to the PIAA championships May 24-25 at Shippensburg.
There were some performances that did not qualify for the state championships, but were still worth noting.
They included:
• BVA senior Matt McCloskey, who finished 10th in the 800 meters, setting a new BVA school record of 1:58.44.
•Ringgold freshman Bailey Cooper finished ninth in both the 100 and 300 hurdles, one spot out of medaling in each event.
• In the 300 hurdles, Cooper set a new Ringgold school record with a time of 46.92 seconds.
• In the 100 hurdles, Cooper originally finished eighth. However, another competitor appealed and the top nine finishers ran another race, and Cooper finished ninth.
• Ringgold sophomore Noah Smith set a new school record in the 3200 meters with a time of 10:09.
