The 2017 track and field season will be a numbers game across southwestern Pennsylvania. The WPIAL eliminated individual qualifiers, so spots in the district championship meet — 24 in each event — will be based on the best times and distances posted throughout the regular season.
Chartiers Valley coach Lori Poe said she believes the new qualifying system could lead to some interesting coaching decisions.
At invitational meets, for example, some coaches choose to run “B” teams in relays to give different athletes experience and rest their top athletes. Now there will be a premium on improving times throughout the season to increase chances for spots in the WPIAL championship.
Rest days for top athletes might be reduced, which also could lead to more wear-and-tear.
“It's going to force coaches to do things a little different,” Poe said. “It will be a learning experience.”
Poe has her own numbers game with the Colts. The girls team is smaller, but the boys team is “probably the biggest we've ever had.”
Depth will be important for the boys team, which lost several top athletes to graduation. There are a number of WPIAL qualifiers returning, however, led by thrower Dan McGeough, a West Point football commit.
McGeough did not earn a medal at the WPIAL meet last season, but Poe said it is just a matter of him making his best throws at the right time.
“Dan McGeough has been right there,” she said. “It just depends what he does at the big meets. He just has to take it one step further. He came out of our qualifier as tops in the shot put but had an off day at WPIALs.”
Other top returning performers for the Chartiers Valley boys: Aaron Tate (hurdles), Lennon Zrimsek (400), Elias Zajicek (800), Czar Tarr (3,200), Armando Novelli (javelin) and Anthony Doyle (jumps).
Tate also will be the Colts' top sprinter. Zajicek was part of the 3,200 relay team that placed third at the WPIAL championships and qualified for states. He also finished just off the medal stand in the 800, placing 10th at the WPIAL meet.
“The boys team has somebody experienced in just about every event.” Poe said.
Johannah West leads the list of returning girls after her 10th-place finish in the javelin at the 2016 WPIAL championship. Other top returning athletes for the Char Valley girls: Sydney Mickens (discus), Carleea Webb (sprints), Kiki Thornton (800), Tia Horew (200, 400) and Abbey Collins (jumps).
Collins also competed in pole vault last year, but offseason wrist surgery will limit her to the long and triple jumps. Finding someone to fill her spot in the pole vault will be among the many challenges Poe faces with a limited amount of athletes from which to choose.
“The girls team is a little smaller, so the girls are really going to have to step up and do a lot of events,” Poe said. “There's a lot of experience. There just aren't a lot of numbers.”
Chuck Curti is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at ccurti@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CCurti_Trib.
