Plum, Riverview athletes benefit from indoor track and field season

By: Michael Love
Sunday, March 3, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Owen Proskin finished as one of the top scorers for the Plum boys basketball team this season.

The 6-foot-4 sophomore also made the most of his athletic double duty this winter through indoor track and field training and competition.

His versatility showed with a third-place medal in the high jump (5 feet, 9¼ inches) and a seventh-plcae finish in the 60-meter hurdles (8.73) at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association indoor championships Feb. 17 at Edinboro.

Proskin’s success at the championships and at meets throughout the past two months highlighted the extensive work done by area track athletes, including those from Plum and Riverview, who now have their sights set on accomplishments in the outdoor season that began with the start of official preseason workouts Monday.

“I think this was a really encouraging continuation of what we started over the last couple of years,” said Plum track and field coach Matt Proskin, Owen’s father. “It was our biggest participation in the indoor season since we brought it back. That is very exciting for us. We’ve seen that it often translates very well to success in the outdoor season, both individually and teamwise. You see it with every school that some kids want to use the indoor time or winter time to simply train for the outdoor season, and others like to really get in there and compete.”

Plum and Riverview athletes tested themselves at meets all over the region since December, with several TSTCA meets at Edinboro and other meets at Youngstown State; the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio; Akron; Mt. Union (Ohio); and at the Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory in New York City.

Coach Proskin said the indoor season, whether it was through training or the added aspect of competition, was beneficial for first-year track participants, freshmen or otherwise, who were able to establish a strong foundation for their transition to outside.

“We had a couple of kids who weren’t too far away from making indoor states, which was exciting,” Proskin said. “The whole program continues in the right direction, which is encouraging for us.”

While Owen Proskin, who also threw the shot put this winter, continues to develop his skills in his second varsity track season, others from Plum continue to make strides.

Sophomore Zoe Wilkes fared well in the high jump at the Tri-State championships and finished 13th with a top successful attempt of 4-9¼.

Junior sprinter Gabrielle Layne qualified for the championship meet at Edinboro but was sick that day and unable to compete. She was favored to finish in the top eight in the 60 dash and 200 dash.

Good weather the past several weeks has lifted the spirits of local athletes who have been able to train outside in advance of going live for the outdoor season.

“We’ve all been pretty lucky to get outside and work on some things we don’t normally get to work on until the middle of March,” coach Proskin said.

Riverview was well-represented at the Tri-State championships.

The Raiders boys distance medley relay of Cohen Hoolahan, Braden Longstreth, Micah Ivy and Chris Barnes earned a medal with a third-place finish in a season-best time of 11 minutes, 31.92 seconds.

Barnes added a seventh in the one-mile run with a season-best 4:36.30.

“Indoor is much more laid back, and we allow the athletes to focus on different distances,” Riverview distance coach Palma Ostrowski said. “We just want to use these meets to help us bridge from a successful cross country season to hopefully a successful outdoor season.”

Senior Carlo Buzzatto hit a season-best 37-3.5 mark in the triple jump at the Tri-State meet. Ivy and the 3,200 relay of Hoolahan, Longstreth, Ashton Saunders and Levi Roupas also represented the Raiders at the championships.

Saunders and Roupas also were members of the Riverview boys basketball team.

On the girls side, Riverview achieved season bests in three of four events, with the 1,600 relay of Cailey Trosch, Pennie Stotler, Audrey Myers and Jonisha Carlino leading the way in 15th in a time of 4:44.73.

Also qualifying for the Tri-State championships were the 800-meter relay, Carlino in the 400 dash and Myers in the 60 hurdles.

“It was a good winter for all of us,” Ostrowski said. “Everyone is looking ahead to the outdoor season with hopes of building on this momentum.”

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: Plum