SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Brookville’s Ryan Thrush became the first Brookville boys’ track and field athlete to claim a state title when he won the 400-meter dash at the PIAA Class AA Championships Saturday in Shippensburg.
Thrush ran a time of 48.71 besting Javon McIntyre of Columbia by 14/100th of a second. McIntrye was second in a time of 48.85.
District 9 has had two state champions this year, as Moniteau’s Maura Kimmel won the discus Friday.
Kimmel’s quest to be a double state champ fell short Saturday when she took fourth in the shot put with a throw of 42-7 just ahead of teammate Brittany Lindsay, who was fifth with a toss of 39-1 1/4.Cassidy Cunningham of Elk County Catholic gave District 9 three medalists in the shot put finishing seventh with a throw of 37-9.
Also Saturday, the Kane twins duo of Tyler and Shane Rolick went two-three in the pole vault with Tyler going second with a vault of 14-0, the same as champion Joe Jardine of Schuykl Kill Valley but needing more attempts. Shane was tied for third with a vault of 13-6. Cole Ruppert of Christopher Dock and Joe Nally of Mountain View both went over at 13-6 as well.
Joe Newton of Kane also medaled by taking eighth in the Class AA 110-meter hurdles in a time of 15.33.
In Class AAA, Tom Bojalad of St. Marys was third in the discus with a throw of 172-7. It was his second medal of the championships, he also medaled Friday in the shot put.
Locally, Dayna DeSalve of DuBois finished 11th in the girls’ Class AAA long jump with a leap of 17-7 3/4, while Ashley McCluskey, also of DuBois, was 27th in the javelin with a toss of 106-10. Joey Varischetti of DuBois Central Catholic finished 12th in the boys’ Class AA shot put tossing the ball 46-6 1/2. Leah Miller of Punxsutawney was tied for 19th in the Class AAA girls’ high jump going over the bar at 5-0, while her teammate, Sam Dyson was 15th in the Class AAA girls’ discus with a throw of 107-8. Seth Ray of Brookville finished 22nd in the boys’ Class AA triple jump leaping 41-0 1/4. Ethan Riley of Punxsutawney was 15th in the boys’ Class AAA long jump springing 21-6 3/4, while Ryan Jones of Punxsutawney was 23rd in the boys’ Class AAA javelin with a toss of 155-2.
In team scoring, the Moniteau girls tied Burrell for sixth in Class AA with 25 points. Hickory won the title with 48 points, two ahead of second-place Avonworth.
Schuylkill Valley won the boys’ Class AA title with 39 points, three ahead of second-place Camp Hill. District 9’s highest finisher was Kane in 12th with 15 points.
In Class AAA, State College edged out Downingtown West for the boys’ title, 54-53. St. Marys tied Greensburg Salem and Kiski Area for 16th with 11 points.
Cheltenham won the girls’ Class AAA title with 48 points, 16 points ahead of second-place State College. District 9 didn’t have a team score in girls’ Class AAA.