High school track and field: 39 returning athletes to watch in District 10 in 2024
While District 10’s track and field season officially began March 22, only occasional dual meets have been held since then.
That significantly changes come Saturday, when teams from this corner of the state converge on two major meets north and south of Pittsburgh.
The South Hills Classic, located at Baldwin High School and the Butler County Classic will include district programs and beyond. They’ll take place during the first of four consecutive weekends that also include meets at Fort LeBoeuf and West Middlesex (April 13), Harbor Creek (April 20) and McDowell (April 26).
Each is a prelude to the District 10 meet, which returns to Slippery Rock University’s Mihalik-Thompson Stadium on May 18. The winners of those events are assured trips to the 2024 PIAA track and field champions, scheduled May 24-25 at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.
Here are some of the notable athletes who could be competing in each of those postseason events:
Class 2A girls
Tessa Bemiss, North East, sr.
Bemiss is a member of the last Grapepickers’ track and field team that will compete before this summer’s field turf installation at Ted Miller Stadium.
She was last season’s district gold medalist in the discus with a toss of 113 feet, 2 inches.
Grace Bresnan, Reynolds, sr.
The fourth-year Raider returns as the district’s best triple jumper. She won that event at last year at 37-10½.
Hailey Corritore, Fort LeBoeuf, sr.
The Bison veteran qualified for the PIAA’s triple jump competition at with her best district attempt of 36-1½.
Maggie Goodlin, Greenville, jr.
Goodlin has competed in throwing events, with a particular emphasis on the shot put. She won districts with a toss of 36-7¾ and was the fourth-place medalist (37-3¼) at states.
Maya Jeckavitch, Wilmington, so.
She qualified for PIAA action in the 200 (26.12) as a first-year Greyhound.
Josie Jones, Grove City, so.
She was the silver medalist for the district’s 3,200 race last spring. Her time of 11 minutes, 29.47 seconds was swift enough to get a lane during the state’s qualifying heats.
Nadalie Latchaw, Franklin, sr.
The distance specialist for the Knights was the district’s bronze medalist in the 3,200 (11:31.41). Her place and time were low enough to get a state berth.
Karis McElhaney, Greenville, jr.
McElhaney is a Jamestown student who’s competed for the Trojans through the schools’ co-op arrangement.
Last spring, she was a district and state medalist for the individual 800 and 1,600 races, plus a state medalist with Greenville’s 3,200 relay.
Ava Murko, Reynolds, so.
She qualified for states as the district’s silver medalist for the long jump (17-3).
Isabel Owens, Fairview, sr.
Owens can repeat as the district’s fastest runner for the 800. She completed her two laps at Slippery Rock in 2:23.31.
Owens also medaled fourth (2:18.42) for the PIAA final at Shippensburg.
Aiva Reich, Slippery Rock, jr.
Reich was the silver medalist for the district’s 100 hurdles final. She qualified for states at 16.25.
Kelsie Skinner, Fort LeBoeuf, sr.
She qualified for the PIAA meet in the shot put with her second-place distance of 34-11½.
Riley Tighe, Sharpsville, sr.
Tighe won track’s glamour race during last spring’s district meet. She finished first (12.69) for the 100 final.
Alena Urbanowicz, Fort LeBoeuf, so.
Although Urbanowicz was a slight second (12.88) to Tighe in the 100, her second-place effort was still fast enough to get a PIAA berth.
Ondrea Young, Sharon, jr.
Young qualified for the PIAA meet’s 100 and 300 hurdles. She did so as the district’s gold medalist for the former (15.42) and silver medalist for the latter (47.59).
Young placed sixth in the state’s 100 final and seventh for the 300.
Class 2A boys
Eli Anderson, Slippery Rock, sr.
While Anderson is listed here first, he’s one of three returning Rockets who were vital to the 2023 team’s first-place performance in the district meet and second place in the PIAA standings.
He ran a leg of their 1,600 relay and additionally qualified for state action in the 110 and 300 hurdles.
Tyler Arblaster, Slippery Rock, sr.
Arblaster’s contributions to the Rockets’ successful postseason last spring were with their 1,600 relay and the individual sprint events. He won the district’s 400 final with a lap of 50.90.
Camden Bryant, Mercyhurst Prep, sr.
Bryant started the anchor leg for the Lakers’ championship time (43.55) in the district’s 400 relay final. His additional medals for that meet, which came with state berths, were for the individual 100 and 200 sprint races.
Noah Crozier, North East, sr.
He won the district’s high jump competition as the first participant who cleared the bar at 6-3.
Jamari Curlett, North East, sr.
Curlett, at 11.03, beat Bryant by .02 for first place in last season’s 100 final at districts.
Danick Hinkson, Lakeview, sr.
The fourth-year Sailor can defend as the district’s best runner for the 200. He covered half of Slippery Rock’s track (22.37) for first in that final.
Dustin Joyce, Slippery Rock, jr.
Another of the returning Rockets who helped them finish first in the district’s team standings.
Joyce’s prime contribution was a second-place distance for the triple jump (42-8¼) that also sent him to states.
Charlie Motter, Oil City, sr.
Motter won the district’s 2023 javelin title with a top throw of 149-10.
Wesley Paris, Seneca, sr.
He seeks for his last appearance as a Bobcat to be at the PIAA meet. The middle-distance runner competed in last year’s 400 discipline as the district’s second-place finisher (51.87) to Arblaster.
Levi Prementine, Slippery Rock, sr.
Prementine will be challenged to surpass his 2023 postseason results.
Not that the fourth-year Rocket won’t try.
Prementine, competing at the college athletic facility across the street from his high school, was the gold medalist for the district’s 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles and long jump events. The following weekend at Shippensburg, he became a PIAA champion in the long jump (23-11¼) and the 300 hurdles (38.19).
Prementine also was the sixth-place medalist (14.74) for the 110 hurdles.
Caleb Prettyman, Franklin, sr.
Prettyman dominated the district’s distance races last year. He won the 800 (1:58.43) and the 1,600 (4:24.42) and was the silver medalist for the 3,200 (9:52.80).
Prettyman followed up with top-eight medals in each of those finals at states.
Jack Thomas, Commodore Perry, sr.
He topped last season’s district field in the triple jump at 43-11.
Reed Yost, Seneca, sr.
Yost is likely to contend for the pole vault championship come this spring at the Rock. He cleared an even 14 feet, good for second place to Wilmington graduate Solomon Glavach.
Yost also received the eighth and final pole vault medal at the PIAA meet.
More: Erie High's Schneider, Slippery Rock's Prementine claim PIAA track and field titles
Class 3A girls
Josslyn Hancock, Hickory, so.
The first-year Hornet was the district’s fastest runner (12.80) for its 100 final.
Tamya Larkin, Erie High, sr.
She cleared the 300 hurdles for a title-winning time of 49.64 at districts.
Jessica Miklos, Hickory, sr.
The Hornets have become a traditional track and field power, particularly because of their throwers.
Miklos maintained that perception last year at the Rock. It was there she won the district’s shot put (35-6) and discus (112-2) events.
Megan Puleio, Meadville, so.
Puleio produced prime points for the Bulldogs when they finished atop the team standings for the district’s 2023 meet. The brunt of them were for winning its 400 (58.88) and 800 (2:18.20) races.
Puleio also finished 11th in the 800 at the PIAA. That was the best individual result for any district female returnee who participated in the girls large-school portion at the meet.
Lauren Raimy, Cathedral Prep, sr.
The Fordham University recruit, who will compete in cross country and track for the Rams, can repeat as the district’s best runner in the 1,600. Last year, she won that event at 5:08.23.
Raimy also led off the Ramblers’ first-place 3,200 relay and started third for their victorious 1,600 relay.
Marley Rodax, Meadville, jr.
She was the district’s titlist for last year’s 100 hurdles at 17.48.
Joslyn Schnell, McDowell, sr.
Schnell is the top returning runner for the Trojans. She won the district’s long jump competition with an attempt of 16-2 and was the second leg of the first-place 400 relay (51.17).
Class 3A boys
Logan Anderson, General McLane, sr.
The star for the Lancers over recent seasons seeks a title repeat in his specialty events. The hurdler won last season’s 110 hurdles in 14.84 and its 300 hurdles in 39.86.
M.J. Pottinger, Grove City, jr.
Pottinger won the district’s individual 3,200 race at 9:30.94. He placed 11th in that same eight-lap event at states, which is the best result for any of the district’s returning large-school males who competed at Shippensburg.
Benny Whitaker, McDowell, sr.
He sprinted to first place for the district’s 100 (10.92) final and was second for its 200 (22.39). Each result qualified him for PIAA competition.
Nicholas Williams, Meadville, sr.
Williams can repeat as the district’s 400 winner (50.71) at districts.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: District 10 track and field: 39 notable athletes to watch in 2024
