Deer Lakes’ Carson McCoy adds WPIAL gold to his medal collection

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 | 10:15 PM

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Carson McCoy won state gold last year in the 1,600-meter run, and now he can display that hardware with a pair of WPIAL individual gold medals.

The Deer Lakes senior entered Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 2A track and field championships at Slippery Rock University seeded first in the boys 1,600 and 800 runs, and he bested the field in both.

He first ran to the top spot in the 1,600 with a time of 4 minutes, 23.18 seconds and followed that with the best 800 time, 1:56.34.

“I feel I ran fast enough to get in the fast heats at states,” said McCoy, who will return to Shippensburg University for the PIAA championships May 27-28.

McCoy was second in the 1,600 at WPIALs last year, and foot issues limited him in the 800.

“It’s a great feeling to now have a couple of WPIAL gold medals, especially since I had my first state gold before I ever won a WPIAL championship,” McCoy said.

McCoy and his 1,600 relay teammates — Nathan Buechel, Aidan Herman and Fletcher Hammond — capped the meet with a bang with a WPIAL title in a school-record time of 3:28.08.

McCoy, the anchor, took the baton in second place and passed Riverside’s Alden Wetzel on the final lap.

Rain and cool temperatures prevailed for most of Wednesday’s events where individuals and teams were gunning for automatic trips to states — top five in Class 2A and top four for Class 3A — and also top-eight medals.

Those who finished fifth through eighth in Class 3A and sixth through eighth in Class 2A also qualified for states if their times, heights or distances met the PIAA’s qualifying standards.

Right on McCoy’s heels in the 800 was Riverview junior Amberson Bauer, who bumped up from the No. 3 seed to place second overall in a time of 1:58.84. Bauer set the school record in the event at the Mars Invitational.

“I had run the 4-by-800 earlier, so I was a little tired, but overall, I felt good,” Bauer said. “I trusted in my training, and I knew I was ready for a good race.”

Bauer and Raiders seniors Ty Laughlin and Parker Steele were a part of last year’s boys 3,200 relay that set a school record and brought home WPIAL gold.

Freshman Chris Barnes came on board, replacing the graduated Mason Ochs.

The quartet made a strong run at another title. In the end, the group settled for second overall in a time of 8:19.79. The time was almost 20 seconds faster than their sixth-place seed time of 8:39.69.

“I was honored to be able to join this 4-by-8 team,” Barnes said. “Last year, they were the WPIAL champs, so I felt really good about that. Getting second place with those three, it was a very fun time.”

Greg Klingensmith hoped to break his school record in the Class 2A boys discus, but the Apollo-Ridge senior said he was content with his finish.

The William & Mary football commit threw 4 feet under his record of 156 feet, 9 inches from WPIALs last year and his season best of 156-2, but he was able to hold his seed place, bringing home a silver medal with a top distance of 152-4.

“I like to be realistic, and second place was my goal,” said Klingensmith, who finished second to defending champion Will Patton, a senior from Shenango who blew away the field with a top throw of 171-2.

“Patton is a premiere athlete. It will be tough to beat him at states. I wanted to get a little further, but we had rain, and the pit was a little slippery. But I think I did very well.”

Klingensmith hopes for redemption at states, where he placed 16th last year (135-7).

The Burrell girls 3,200 relay of juniors Kadi Bauer and Brynn Leiner, sophomore Grace Nesko and senior Isabella Leger, seeded fifth coming in, bumped up two spots to third overall in a time of 10:02.41.

The quartet automatically qualified for states and set a school record.

“We came in seeded fifth, and I knew that we could at least pull something,” Leger said. “The school record was always in the back of our minds. We actually did that today, so it’s super exciting.”

Riverview junior John Patsey qualified for states for the first time with a third-place finish of 41.99 in the boys 300 hurdles.

“I felt pretty good, like nothing was sore or hurting,” Patsey said. “I was ready physically. It was just the mental aspect of the race. A 41.99 is pretty good in my books.”

The Burrell boys 3,200 relay of Damian Barr, Billy Kowalkowski, Luke Guerrini, and Ethan Croushore was seeded fifth, and that’s where it finished as it earned an automatic qualifying place in a time of 8:31.54.

The finals time was six seconds better than its seed time of 8:37.92.

Apollo-Ridge senior Gavin McCall will head to states in the Class 2A boys triple jump with a fifth-place leap of 41-1½.

Burrell senior Kayden Ireland will do the same in the boys 200 after taking fifth in a time of 23.41.

The Riverview 1,600 relay of Bauer, Patsey, Micah Black and Jack Betler made a charge from the first heat and 13th seed to place fifth and qualify for states in a time of 3:34.78.

Class AAA

Isaac Wetzel is PIAA championships bound for the first time in his career.

The Freeport junior reached his goal of states with a third-place finish in the 300 hurdles (41.01).

“I raced alright,” he said. “The weather was kind of iffy, kind of cold. My time was a little slower than normal. Other than that, I felt pretty good for the race I ran. I am excited for states and the opportunity to better my PR (40.65) and maybe even get a top-eight place. I’ve been aiming for a sub-40 this year.”

Earlier in the meet, Wetzel just missed qualifying for states in the 110 hurdles. He took fifth in a time of 15.76, just two one-hundredths of a second from fourth and an automatic berth.

Kiski Area sophomore Eliza Miller will compete at Shippensburg individually after qualifying in the 1,600.

She earned an eighth-place medal in the 1,600 with a time of 5:06.40.

“It is a really awesome feeling considering how crazy fast all the times were this year,” Miller said.

Miller said she knew her time was faster than the qualifying standard as she glanced over to the clock as she crossed the finish line, but she didn’t immediately know if she had the needed place finish, eighth or better.

“One of the other girls, Meredith Price (Pine-Richland), said that we all got top eight, so then I was sure I had qualified,” Miller said.

Price finished seventh with a time of 5:04.99.

Miller came back in the 800 run and placed fifth. Her time of 2:20.49 was five one-hundredths of a second from fourth place and a second PIAA berth.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Deer Lakes