WPIAL team title droughts end for Shenango boys, Quaker Valley girls
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Wednesday, May 11, 2022 | 8:43 PM
Quaker Valley’s Cecilia Montagnese wins the 3200 meter race during the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championships on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
The Shenango boys track and field team celebrates with the WPIAL championship trophy after the Class AA team finals on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
The Quaker Valley girls track and field team celebrates with the WPIAL championship trophy after the Class AA team finals on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
Shenango’s Dalton Peters anchors the 4x400 relay to victory during the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championships on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
Quaker Valley’s Ellie Cain wins the 800 meter race during the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championships on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
Shenango’s Tommy Presnar wins the 800 meter race during the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championships on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
Quaker Valley’s Nora Johns anchors the 4x400 relay to victory during the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championships on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
Shenango boys pole vaulters gather together before competing during the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championships on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Ella Zambruno wins the 200 meter dash during the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championship on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Corinn Brewer runs to a second place finish in the 800 meter race during the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championships on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Joe Blahovec runs to a second place finish in the 200 meter dash during the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championships on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Nick Szekely wins the 3200 meter race during the WPIAL Class AA team track and field championships on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Peters Twp.
A drought ended for two teams at the WPIAL Class 2A track and field championships Wednesday at Peters Township.
The Shenango boys won their first title, and the Quaker Valley girls won their first since 2007.
Shenango clinched by winning the 1,600-meter relay to edge Riverside, 80-70. The Wildcats also downed Greensburg Central Catholic, 82.5-67.5, and South Park, 115-35.
Riverside nipped Greensburg Central Catholic, 79-71, for second place and also defeated South Park, 101.5-48.5. Greensburg Central Catholic topped South Park, 107-43.
“The boys have finished second the last four or five years, so they are going to be excited when they announce the winner,” Chris Vecenie said. “We had some setbacks, we dropped the baton, but they just persevered.
“They kept running hard and kept believing. And the 1,600 relay decided the meet. There was a lot of heart from my seniors.”
Shenango was led by Tyler Morosky, who won the 110 and 300 hurdles and was part of two winning relay teams. Will Patton won the shot put and discus.
“This is very big for the program,” Vecenie said. “The boys have been knocking on the door for a while.”
The Quaker Valley girls used a strong performance from Ellie Cain and Nora Johns to defeat Greensburg Central Catholic, 83-67, Riverside, 85-65, and Shenango, 89-61. Greensburg Central Catholic placed second by beating Riverside, 84-66, and Shenango, 81-69. Shenango defeated Riverside, 84-66.
Cain won the 400 and 800 and was part of the winning 400 and 3,200 relay teams. Johns won the 300 hurdles and was on the winning 400 and 1,600 relay teams. Cecilia Montagnese won the 1,600 and 3,200 runs.
Other members of the 400 relay team were Kwilai Karto, Vanessa Pickett and Spencer Elliot. The other members of the 1,600 relay team were Kathryn Karwoski and Kate Hines, whereas Anna Cohen, Hines, Cain and Karwoski made up the 3,200 relay team.
“I’m very excited about it,” Quakers coach Jared Jones said. “The girls did great. They had a shot as long as they put their best effort forward. It took a lot.
“The biggest thing was the girls’ confidence in themselves. They believed in themselves, and they thought they had a shot.”
Greensburg Central Catholic coach Mike Brewer was happy with his team’s performance.
“I’m very proud how far we’ve come,” Brewer said. “To make it this far against such great competition is amazing. There are more than 70 Class 2A-size track teams, and to be second overall for the girls and third for the boys, it was an amazing day.”
GCC was led by Corinn Brewer, who won the pole vault and 100 hurdles and placed second in the 400 and 800.
“It was a great team effort,” Brewer said.
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
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