PHOTO GALLERY | Richland's Garnett, Conemaugh Township's Sleek earn silver in PIAA girls meet

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The script is familiar to Richland High School senior Sasha Garnett.

In her third season as a track and field athlete, Garnett has earned another medal, this time a silver in the discus throw in the PIAA Track and Field Championship Meet at Shippensburg University Friday.

Garnett will have another opportunity Saturday when she’ll defend the Class 2A girls shot put championship she won in 2023.

Garnett earned a silver medal in the Class 2A girls discus for a second straight year by throwing 131-2 on Friday, just as she had done on the first day of competition a year ago.

“In the prelims, I did really good, but then in the finals I fouled half of my throws,” Garnett said.

“I was really nervous on the sidelines, but I did end up PR-ing. I think I did good for my last meet, my last time for discus.”

The Penn State University commit hit her best discus distance of the meet on her third throw in the preliminary round.

Even though Garnett scratched on all three of her throws in the finals, she still finished second to Lancaster Catholic’s Margaret Bila, who won with a 136-9.

“It just flew and popped up in the air. It was a really nice throw,” Garnett said of her best effort of the day.

Bedford’s Rachel Weber (100-0) placed eighth, and United’s Katlynne Miller (83-10) finished 24th in the discus.

“It’s been a good experience,” Garnett said of the discus. “I’m excited for shot put (Saturday). I’m really happy I could do both.”

Last year, Garnett won the gold in the shot put with a throw of 45-5 ¾ on the second day of the event. She is seeded first in Saturday’s shot put competition with a 42-9 ¼.

As a sophomore during her first season of track in 2022, Garnett took home a bronze medal in the shot put.

Silver for Sleek: Conemaugh Township sophomore Baylee Sleek placed second in the Class 2A high jump with a 5-6. Sleek entered the event as the top seed after breaking the District 5 2A record with another jump of 5-6 last week.

River Valley senior Sara McConnell won the event with a 5-7.

“I definitely was stressed and very nervous coming into this and not knowing what to expect,” Sleek said.

“I’m a sophomore. I definitely wasn’t expecting to place what I did.”

Both Sleek and McConnell cleared 5-6 on their third attempts.

“I felt like a weight lifted off my shoulder when I got over that,” Sleek said.

McConnell hit 5-7 on her first try, and Sleek failed to clear on three attempts at the height.

“I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ Baylee is a good jumper, and she’s young,” said McConnell of watching Sleek attempt 5-7.

“And I knew she was coming off of two good weeks. I wasn’t counting her out. Even though I cleared 5-7, I was like, ‘She’s still in this. You never know what she can do.’

“And it was fun battling, but when she missed that, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. I just did this.’ and that was just super cool, super cool.”

United’s Maya Ressler (5-2) placed 11th, Bedford’s Katie McDevill (5-0) was 14th, Richland’s Addison Hirsch (4-10) was 20th and Bedford’s Grace Brallier (4-10) was 22nd.

Izzy advances: Conemaugh Township junior Izzy Slezak advanced out of both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash preliminaries and into Saturday’s finals.

Slezak posted the fourth-best preliminary time in the 200 with a 25.36. Other area runners in the 200 included Portage senior Cami Burkett (26.10, 13th preliminary) and Richland sophomore Addison Piscatello (27.24, 26th preliminary).

Slezak had the sixth-best preliminary run in the 100 with a 12.22.

Other area runners in the 100 prelminiaries included Somerset junior Kamryn Ross (12.60, 17th), Burkett (12.72, 21st), and Piscatello (12.91, 26th).

Youth movement: Four area underclassmen started the Class 2A girls portion of the meet in the 1600-meter run, with Somerset freshman Emily Fisher taking a spot on the medal stand. She ran a 5:11.54 to place eighth.

Two other area freshmen placed in the top 15, with Bedford’s Chloe May in 13th place (5:14.31) and Richland’s Natalia Mavridis finishing 15th (5:17.81). Central Cambria junior Alaina Sheehan placed 28th (5:39.53).

Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.