After strong freshman season, Plum’s Gabrielle Layne ready to take next step

By: Michael Love
Saturday, April 29, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Gabrielle Layne came within an eyelash of making the finals of the Class 3A girls 100-meter dash at last year’s WPIAL championships at Slippery Rock.

The top eight from the preliminaries made the finals heat, and Layne placed ninth with a time of 12.97, just three one-hundredths of a second from eighth.

“I was disappointed with that because I was so close,” said Layne, Plum’s top female sprinter and a contender for medals at this year’s WPIAL meet.

“My first reaction to that was that I wanted to cry. But my mom reminded me that I was only a freshman and that I would have a couple more chances. I was happy with my block start, but I think it was my finish that kind of messed me up. I knew that I had to put it behind me and keep working. At practice, I try to work on (my finish) more than my starts, and it is propelling me forward.”

Layne did say she was encouraged by her placement as it was better than several more seasoned sprinters, those who were juniors and seniors some two or three years older than her who were on the doorstep of competing in college.

Layne still is on the young side in the overall WPIAL picture, but, she said, she is taking that freshman year of experience and her opportunities at WPIALs — she also was 14th in the 200 dash, 16th with the 400 relay, and 23rd with the 1,600 relay — and using it to her advantage.

“It was my first WPIAL meet, and it was fun for me to compete in four events,” Layne said.

“It was a good opportunity to go up against the best in the WPIAL. I like that competition, and I was able to see where I ranked. It was great motivation to work hard to be ready for this season.

“I really learned that you can’t underestimate anyone. That was the biggest thing, to always be ready at the line no matter who you are racing.”

Layne kept up her competitive edge over the summer at several meets. She qualified for the Junior Olympics meet, but was not able to attend.

She trained with a small group — Pitcairn-based FOCUS Beyond the Field — last fall, and that led into more training with Plum coaches and teammates in the indoor season throughout January and February.

The speed, she said, was there, but getting stronger was a priority in the fall and winter months.

“(Indoor track) was all new to me,” Layne said. “I had never done indoor before. I got in a lot of good training work, and I also went to the Tri-State meets and other meets in Ohio. It really prepared me for the outdoor season.”

Layne said there was a lot of excitement and anticipation for the first big meet, the Igloo Invitational in Altoona on April 1.

She medaled with a third in the 100 (13.26) and took second with the other members of the 400 relay (52.32). She was scheduled to run the 200, but it was canceled because of adverse weather conditions.

“I was happy with how I ran there, because I didn’t do too well there last year,” Layne said.

Racing against some new and unfamiliar competition at the Slippery Rock Invitational on April 22, Layne lowered her time in the 100 to 12.90, better than her time at WPIALs last year.

She grabbed four medals that day, also taking fourth in the 200 (27.08), third with the 400 relay (52.79) and sixth in the 1,600 relay (4:37.16).

“I saw improvement from Igloo simply in my times because they speak for themselves,” Layne said.

“Slippery Rock had poor conditions with the weather, and I don’t usually run that good in poor conditions. But my performances were encouraging because last year, I only ran well in warm and dry conditions. It told me that I am doing what I need to do. I was happy with my times at that meet.”

Layne said she has an eye on the school record in the 100 meters, a 12.18 set by Ashley Amato in 2016.

Layne said the 400 relay is coming along as the coaches work to find the right combination by the time WPIALs rolls around.

Of the six who were entered for the 400 relay at WPIALs last year, no one graduated. Junior Nia Hart, sophomore Lilliana Dubois-Davis, and seniors Mia Matolcsy and Annabel Arhin also are among those who have competed in the 400 relay this season.

“There’s a lot to be determined, but it’s exciting to see how the pieces are coming together,” she said.

“I think we have a good chance to place if everything works our way. There are a lot of fast runners on this team.”

Layne and the rest of the Plum track and field teams were to compete at the Norwin Invitational on Wednesday (May 3).

Plum also will be a part of the Pine-Richland Invitational on Friday before gearing up for the stretch run to WPIALs on May 17.

“Gabrielle’s success last year put a taste in her mouth for what she could do coming back,” Plum sprints coach Matt Proskin said.

“She came in with some bigger goals and recognizes that she can do something with her talents. She really spent a lot of time building her speed and her strength. She has the natural talent, and she’s putting in the work to go along with it.”

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.

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