Ellwood City's Crizer wins WPIAL track championship

SLIPPERY ROCK — The unexpected weather delay in the completion of the WPIAL Track and Field Championships, held at the William C. Lennox Track at Slippery Rock University, put a little more pressure on Ellwood City senior Colten Crizer.

“We wrote letters to ourselves as sophomores about where we wanted to be as seniors,” said Crizer. “Mine said I wanted to be a WPIAL track champion.”

At the time he opened the letter, the wish had not come true… but hours later it had. In the first race of the day Thursday, Crizer won the gold medal in the 800 meters in an exciting race. Crizer didn’t take the lead until the final few strides. The boys 800 would have been the next event when the meet was called at 9:45 Wednesday night.

“It was really tough physically to be ready to run and then not get the chance but it was 10 times as tough mentally,” Crizer said. “It was really tough to concentrate today and no one knew what the strategy would be with the other runners with the delay.

“I just found my pace and kept it. I was really happy with my time, now I get to work to get better at states.”

Times coverage area runners were seven of the 16 finalists and four of the eight medal winners as Quaker Valley’s Clark Lalomia, Jackson Pethel, and River Copek all medaled.

That same local grouping was evident in the final boys’ Class AA race of the night – Quaker Valley won the 400 relay, just over a second better than Ellwood City, while Beaver Falls was fifth and also qualified for the state.

“We were so into it,” said Jayden Juliano of Quaker Valley’s win. “We wanted the win – we weren’t going for second place. We want the school record.

“We’ve won against these teams before and we weren’t going to lose,” said James Irwin.

Juliano and Irwin were joined by Davin Gartley, who already had a gold (110 hurdles) and a silver (300 hurdles) and Clark Lalomia, who won silver in the 1600 and a gold in the 3200 relay.

“Winning in two relays just shows how deep this team this,” said Lalomia – and the team agreed.

“We’re going for it all now,” Gartley said.

Over the two-day event, a large of local athletes and relay teams earned the right to go for it all – winning 80 medals, representing 14 local schools.

Nine different gold medals were won – five by Quaker Valley. Representing the boys were Davin Gartley in the 110 hurdles and the 3200 relay and 1600 relay teams while Mia Gartley in the high jump and Jay Olawaiye in the triple jump.

A pair of gold medals came home to Ellwood City as Nick Franitti won the 300 hurdles and Colten Crizer won the 800 meters. South Side’s Mateja Pavlovich won the javelin and Reece Sullivan of Riverside won the pole vault.

Twelve silver medals were carried home as well, including two by Grace Fritzman of West Allegheny in the 1600 and 3200. Winners of single silver medals were Mikayla Anderson of Beaver Falls (shot put), Shaye Bailey of Freedom (200), Nick Franitti of Ellwood City (110 hurdles), Davin Gartley of Quaker Valley (300 hurdles), Aurea Hickenboth of Freedom (pole vault), Clark Lalomia of Quaker Valley (1600), Connor Progar of Hopewell (pole vault), and Da’Karri Williams of Beaver Falls, along with the relay teams of Freedom girls (400) and Quaker Valley boys (3200).

An initial count shows 70 athletes and teams have qualified for the state meet in Shippensburg next weekend.but that number could change as some athletes drop out and others move in.

Here is a complete list of local medal winners from Thursday’s resumption of the meet. Those with a (Q) qualified for the PIAA meet.

Girls

200: AA 2. Shaye Bailey, Freedom, 25.03 (Q); 4. Deirdra Cox, Beaver Falls, 25.51 (Q); Emma Palmieri, Hopewell, 25.81 (Q).

3200: AA 5. Gianna Mosca, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 11:39.24 (Q); 6. Lexi Fluharty, Riverside, 11:40.65 (Q); 7. Brooke Wissinger, Riverside, 12:32.30; 8. Mira Mosca, OLSH, 12:41.83. AAA 2. Grace Fritzman, West Allegheny, 10:47.14 (Q); 8. Lyla Brew, Moon, 11:10.40

1600 relay: AA 4. Quaker Valley, 4:06.89 (Q).

Boys

200: AA 4. Zack Kovell, Hopewell, 22.74, (Q); 5. Michael Blackshear, Beaver Falls, 22.98 (Q). AAA 6. Brady Noel, Central Valley, 22.55.

800: AA 1. Colten Crizer, Ellwood City, 1:56.25 (Q); 3. Clark Lalomia, Quaker Valley, 1:57.34 (Q); 7. Jackson Pethel, Quaker Valley, 1:59.79; 8. River Capek, Quaker Valley, 2:00.04. AAA: 8. Jordan Styer, West Allegheny, 1:58.26.

3200: AA. 6. Jonah Montagnese, Quaker Valley, 9:59.73; 8. Devin Monteleone, Riverside, 10;00.78. AAA 5. Tyler Giunipero, Moon, 9:22.02 (Q); 6. Elijah Bechdel, Beaver, 9:23.04 (Q).

1600 relay: AA 1. Quaker Valley, 3:26.89 (Q); 2. Ellwood City, 3:28.22 9 (Q); 5. Beaver Falls, 3:30.09 (Q).

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Ellwood City's Crizer wins WPIAL track championship