Dom Lagnese sets Quaker Valley discus record

By: Karen Kadilak
Friday, May 3, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Quaker Valley senior Dom Lagnese set a school record in the discus and, in the process, established himself as a favorite at the WPIAL Class AA track and field championship meet May 16.

Lagnese recorded a throw of 160 feet, 3 inches April 11 against New Brighton. He bettered the school record set by Sam Yarrington in the 1990s.

The throw put Lagnese on top of the WPIAL performance list by close to 4 feet as of April 29.

“I want to compete with the rest of the top throwers of the state,” Lagnese said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that I win states.

“I just want to be able to say to myself when the season is all said and done that I did the best I could do.”

Top finishers at the WPIAL championship will advance to the PIAA meet May 24-25.

Lagnese placed fifth in the WPIAL and 14th in the PIAA last season. In 2017, he was third in the WPIAL and sixth in the state.

Quaker Valley coach Jerry Veshio said he believed it was a matter of time before Lagnese got the school record.

Lagnese said it was his goal to get on the record board. He also competes on the Quakers 400-meter relay team, which Veshio said is an unusual double.

Since taking over in 1998, Veshio said he has coached only one or two elite throwers who were sprinters.

“He’s a great kid,” said Veshio, adding Lagnese is the type to come early to practice and stay late.

Lagnese is considering walking on at Pitt next season.

“I was deciding between Denison for track and Pitt,” said Lagnese, a captain on the soccer team last fall. “I chose Pitt because I want to study sports medicine.

“I thought (Pitt) was my best option.”

Tags: Quaker Valley