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MCMURRAY — Coming into the WPIAL 2A high school team track and field championships, the Quaker Valley boys had a three-peat on its minds.
The three-peat became reality, sweeping Greensburg Central Catholic, North Catholic and Riverview on Tuesday, May 5 to continue its dominant run against team competition.
“My freshman year, we weren’t able to get the job done, but ever since then, we learned from our past experiences,” senior Xander Vescio said. “But ever since that loss, we have had some great guys who have come up and did their part. We are all excited that we were able to come out today and win another title.”
Vescio helped the Quakers put up valuable points, placing first in the 110-meter hurdles, an event that he ran behind the now-graduated Davin Gartley last season.
The senior not only picked up points on the track, but he was also a valuable asset in the field events, placing second in the long jump with a PR of 22-0.
Along with the strong effort from Vescio, the team also had a successful day in the distance events, with junior Jonah Montagnese leading the way. In just his junior season, Montagnese has already found success in the team championships, WPIAL individuals and the PIAA meet.
This year’s team championship was no different, helping the Quakers score points in a variety of ways. He helped get the team on the board early in the meet as one of the legs of the 4x800-meter relay.
Required Reading: Beaver County Times' top returning high school track & field athletes
Required Reading: The Times' spring high school sports top performances from April 26-May 2
Following that win, Montagnese also picked up victories in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs to complete the sweep of distance events.
“You are not always putting up the fastest times because you are just trying to come out here to place and get the team points but it is always great to race in this meet,” Montagnese said. “You are running a lot of events in a short amount of time, so it is hard to base off of that, but I am glad I was able to run smart races, do what I could to get the points and help the relay as well.”
Quaker Valley’s boys squad finished the day 3-0, defeating Riverview 116-34, North Catholic 112-42 and Greensburg Central Catholic 98-52.
While the Quaker Valley boys emerged victorious, the girls’ four-year reign as WPIAL team champions came to an end.
With Quaker Valley leading 73-72 against North Catholic in the 4x400 relay, the final race of the day, the Quakers ran out of gas, with North Catholic taking first place to emerge victorious 77-72.
The loss certainly stings for the group, not having experienced a loss in the team finals throughout their high school track careers.
But for head coach Jared Jones, with the seniors it lost to graduation after last year and the way the team overperformed in this year’s finals, there is nothing they should hang their heads on.
“These girls have come a very long way from where they were at the beginning of the season,” Jones said. “We knew that this group had a lot of work to do from what we lost last year and they have put in the work, performed and did everything they possibly could. They should be proud of this performance today.”
One of those seniors who was lost to graduation in the distance races was Cecilia Montagnese. However, it was her sister Lucy Montagnese who rose to the occasion in those races this year.
The sophomore was part of the 4x800 relay team that captured first place to begin the meet, followed by victories in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs.
“Lucy is really coming along and has improved significantly even over these past few weeks,” Jones said. “The sky is the limit for her, and she is an amazing kid. It is great for her to see success and continue to grow.”
While the loss is a tough pill to swallow for the squad, many of the athletes who competed in the finals will be back in action next week at the WPIAL championships, aiming to reach the podium and qualify for the PIAA state meet.
The WPIAL track & field championships return to the William C. Lennox Track at Slippery Rock University on Wednesday, May 13, with events starting at 11 a.m.
Ethan Morrison is the sports reporter for the Beaver County Times. Follow him at EthanMorrison26 on X, formerly Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Quaker Valley boys track and field wins third consecutive team title
Continue reading...
The three-peat became reality, sweeping Greensburg Central Catholic, North Catholic and Riverview on Tuesday, May 5 to continue its dominant run against team competition.
“My freshman year, we weren’t able to get the job done, but ever since then, we learned from our past experiences,” senior Xander Vescio said. “But ever since that loss, we have had some great guys who have come up and did their part. We are all excited that we were able to come out today and win another title.”
Vescio helped the Quakers put up valuable points, placing first in the 110-meter hurdles, an event that he ran behind the now-graduated Davin Gartley last season.
The senior not only picked up points on the track, but he was also a valuable asset in the field events, placing second in the long jump with a PR of 22-0.
Along with the strong effort from Vescio, the team also had a successful day in the distance events, with junior Jonah Montagnese leading the way. In just his junior season, Montagnese has already found success in the team championships, WPIAL individuals and the PIAA meet.
This year’s team championship was no different, helping the Quakers score points in a variety of ways. He helped get the team on the board early in the meet as one of the legs of the 4x800-meter relay.
You must be registered for see images
Required Reading: Beaver County Times' top returning high school track & field athletes
Required Reading: The Times' spring high school sports top performances from April 26-May 2
Following that win, Montagnese also picked up victories in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs to complete the sweep of distance events.
“You are not always putting up the fastest times because you are just trying to come out here to place and get the team points but it is always great to race in this meet,” Montagnese said. “You are running a lot of events in a short amount of time, so it is hard to base off of that, but I am glad I was able to run smart races, do what I could to get the points and help the relay as well.”
Quaker Valley’s boys squad finished the day 3-0, defeating Riverview 116-34, North Catholic 112-42 and Greensburg Central Catholic 98-52.
Quaker Valley Girls’ bid for five-straight comes up short
While the Quaker Valley boys emerged victorious, the girls’ four-year reign as WPIAL team champions came to an end.
With Quaker Valley leading 73-72 against North Catholic in the 4x400 relay, the final race of the day, the Quakers ran out of gas, with North Catholic taking first place to emerge victorious 77-72.
You must be registered for see images
The loss certainly stings for the group, not having experienced a loss in the team finals throughout their high school track careers.
But for head coach Jared Jones, with the seniors it lost to graduation after last year and the way the team overperformed in this year’s finals, there is nothing they should hang their heads on.
“These girls have come a very long way from where they were at the beginning of the season,” Jones said. “We knew that this group had a lot of work to do from what we lost last year and they have put in the work, performed and did everything they possibly could. They should be proud of this performance today.”
One of those seniors who was lost to graduation in the distance races was Cecilia Montagnese. However, it was her sister Lucy Montagnese who rose to the occasion in those races this year.
You must be registered for see images attach
The sophomore was part of the 4x800 relay team that captured first place to begin the meet, followed by victories in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs.
“Lucy is really coming along and has improved significantly even over these past few weeks,” Jones said. “The sky is the limit for her, and she is an amazing kid. It is great for her to see success and continue to grow.”
While the loss is a tough pill to swallow for the squad, many of the athletes who competed in the finals will be back in action next week at the WPIAL championships, aiming to reach the podium and qualify for the PIAA state meet.
The WPIAL track & field championships return to the William C. Lennox Track at Slippery Rock University on Wednesday, May 13, with events starting at 11 a.m.
Ethan Morrison is the sports reporter for the Beaver County Times. Follow him at EthanMorrison26 on X, formerly Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Quaker Valley boys track and field wins third consecutive team title
Continue reading...
