North Allegheny’s Owens shines at Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational
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Friday, April 13, 2018 | 10:09 PM
North Allegheny senior Ayden Owens is one of those athletes who is worth the price of admission.
The Southern Cal commit had quite a day at the 27th annual Lady Spartan/16th annual Wildcat Invitational Friday at Latrobe's Memorial Stadium.
He walked away with three gold medals, two stadium and meet records and a new personal record in the long jump. He also cleared 14 feet in the pole vault, which would have won the event, but he used too light of a pole and was disqualified.
Still, Owens turned in a performance that couldn't go unnoticed.
He started the day by winning the 110-meter hurdles in a record time of 14.02 seconds, breaking the mark of 14.24 held by Gateway's Montae Nicholson. The race was run into the wind.
He then followed with a record performance in the 300 hurdles, torching the field in 37.44.
He capped the day by winning the long jump with a personal record leap of 23 feet, 4 inches.
“This was a great day,” Owens said. “I had clean races, and this is all in preparation for future events. I just want to continue to get better.”
In the pole vault, Owens said he used a pole with a 185 rating, and he weighs 197. A pole vaulter must use a heavier pole than her or she weighs.
“It's a safety rule,” said Owens, who was named the meet's overall MVP.
Norwin's Jessica Kolesar, North Allegheny's Clara Savchik and Hempfield's MacKenna Orie and Eudel Moreta were double winners Friday.
Kolesar won the 200-meter dash and the long jump, Savchik won the 1,600 and 3,200 runs, Orie won the shot put and discus, and Moreta won the 100 and 200.
Orie, a junior, said she was pleased with winning both throwing events. She was named field MVP.
“I broke out of my slump,” Orie said. “I'm excited to see what's next for me. I want to be consistently over 40 (feet), but my coach (Dave Murray) said he expects 44. In the discus, he expects the 130s. I just want to continue to get better.”
Hempfield's Dillon Ferretti won the discus.
Moreta said battling the wind cost him a better time in the 100. He tried to stay low, but he said that didn't work, as well.
“I know I can do better,” Moreta said. “I have a lot of things to work on.”
Hempfield's Molly DeBone won the pole vault, tied for third in the high jump and fourth in the triple jump. Bailey Traczynski won the 100 hurdles and placed second in the 300 hurdles, and Rebecca Pyo won the high jump.
Greensburg Salem's Cameron Binda won the 1,600 and placed second in the 3,200. Malia Anderson won the 800.
Penn-Trafford's Nicolas Stiffler won the high jump and Cam Elna the shot put. Franklin Regional's Jacob Shedd claimed the triple jump title and was named boys' field MVP.
Paul Schofield is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at pschofield@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Schofield_Trib.
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.
Tags: Franklin Regional, Hempfield Area, North Allegheny, Norwin, Penn-Trafford
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