Baldwin’s O’Malley takes 4 golds at South Hills Classic track and field meet

By: Ray Fisher
Friday, April 12, 2019 | 6:55 PM

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Brendan O’Malley is one of the most talented, dedicated and well-respected track and field athletes in the region.

His athleticism was on full display April 6 at the 15th annual South Hills Classic held on a pleasant, sunny day at Baldwin Stadium.

O’Malley, a senior, won four events, taking first place in the boys 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes with times of 11.12, 22.45 and 50.61, respectively, and finishing first in the long jump with a school-record leap of 23 feet, 2¹⁄₂ inches.

“It went well,” O’Malley said. “I’ve been working hard leading up to this. It was a big day for me and a really good way to start off the season.”

After securing the WPIAL Class AAA runner-up position in the long jump last year, O’Malley placed eighth in the same event at the PIAA finals.

“My goals for the season are to be WPIAL champion in all my events, then hopefully medal at states,” O’Malley said.

During the 2018-19 indoor season, O’Malley was lauded as third-team all-state in the long jump by the Pennsylvania Track & Field Coaches Association.

O’Malley placed third in the long jump, seventh in the 200 and 10th in the 400 at the PTFCA indoor state championships at Penn State.

And at the TSTCA indoor finals held at Edinboro, he won the 200 and 400 and placed second in the long jump.

O’Malley plans to continue his track and field career at Duquesne.

“I think the weather allowed the athletes to be able to really compete,” said Ed Helbig, Baldwin coach and meet director. “We had a number of outstanding performances but none more so than Brendan O’Malley with his four firsts.”

Brendan’s twin brother, Bailey, a Carnegie Mellon commit who also will continue his track career, took second place in the shot put at the South Hills Classic. He tied for third in the same event at the Tri-State indoor championships.

“Brendan’s brother Bailey finished second in the shot put (at the SH Classic) with a throw of 50 feet, 3 inches,” Helbig said. “After the meet while they were helping to clean up the stadium, I told them to take it easy (the following day). Almost simultaneously, they said they were going to do some light lifting.”

The Highlanders’ 3,200-meter relay team of juniors Teddy Boehm and Caden Harsh, senior John Ziegler and freshman Dom Ditoro, placed sixth at the TSTCA indoor meet.

The Baldwin girls distance medley relay team of senior Macy Hale and Devon Schroeder and sophomores Mariah Jones and Gina Bolla secured seventh place.

Tags: Baldwin