Barr set high for McGuffey athlete
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Rose Kuchera of Canon-McMillan clears the final obstacle in her way to a gold medal during the 100-meter hurdles. The sophomore won the WPIAL title in 15.25.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Clara Barr of McGuffey clears the final hurdle during the 100-meter event during the WPIAL Class 2A Track and Field Championships held at Slippery Rock University.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Zoe Poe of South Fayette sprints ahead of the North Allegheny duo after taking the hand-off from Lily Columbo during the third leg of the 3,200-meter relay. The Tigers overtook the Lions and won the gold though with a time of 9:34.73. South Fayette took the silver with a 9:35.71 mark.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Olivia Renk takes the baton from Amanda Marquis and bolts down the track during the final leg of the 400-meter relay. The duo, along with Dea Monz and Melana Schumaker, combined to give South Fayette the victory in the event in 48.45.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Grace Howard of South Fayette won the gold medal in the high jump during the WPIAL Track and Field Championships.
SLIPPERY ROCK – One of the hardest things for any track athlete to do is pare down his or her events, especially in the postseason.
Even the most talented track athlete will find it hard running events back-to-back.
That’s why Clara Barr is smiling today. The senior from McGuffey was a two-time individual champion at the WPIAL Track & Field Championships on a rainy Wednesday at Slippery Rock University.
Barr was a two-time champion but competed in four events. She won the long jump with a 17-0 3/4 effort and the 100 hurdles in a very good 15:56.
So guess what two events she will concentrate on at the PIAA Track & Field Championships Memorial Day weekend at Shippensburg University.
“I’ve learned to play to my strengths,” said Barr. “My dad gave me some good advice. He said that I should see how I feel, that I’ve been there before and you know what it is like.”
Barr said she give her body the star treatment before competitions.
“You cannot overdo it,” she said. “Definitely, giving your body a chance to recover is really important.”
Rose Kuchera of Canon-McMillan made her last attempt in the Class 3A triple jump count. She hit 37-4 1/2, about two feet off the school record but good enough for the gold.
“I was ranked 2 or 3 and I didn’t expect this,” Kuchera said of the win. “I did a 38-2 at one of the meets this place.”
Kuchera followed that up with a win in the Class 3A 100 hurdles. She was also on the 400 relay team that finished first and the 1,600 relay team, which did not.
“I’d like to run all four events,” Kuchera said. “But I’ll run the 100 hurdles, the triple jump and the 4-by-100 relay.”
The South Fayette 3,200-meter relay team of Emily Sinton, Zoe Poe, Lily Colombo and Lauren Iagnemma took the silver medal with a time of 9:35.71, about one second off the pace of winner North Allegheny.
The 400 relay team for the Lions took first place with a time of 48.45. The foursome consisted of Dea Monz, Melana Schumaker, Amanda Marquis and Olivia Renk.
Canon-McMillan’s team of Bryce Dean, Kuchera, Abigail Mitrik and Bennett Pidro tuned in a 48.8, good enough for third place.
Grace Howard of South Fayette took first in the high jump (5-3) and was fourth in the Class AAA 100 hurdles.
“My personal record is 5-6,” said Howard. “It was a tough day to jump with all the rain. I was happy where I finished but I thought I could’ve done better.”
Olivia Renk of South Fayette finished third in the sprints. Melana Schumaker won the pole vault in Class 3A, clearing 11-9.
“My best is 12-4,” said Schumaker. “I just tried to stay calm. I just relaxed and took it one jump at a time.”
That strategy worked in the Long jump, where Schumaker took third.
Other individual qualifiers included Kayla Brose of Chartiers-Houston, who took fourth in the Class 2A 300 hurdles; Elizabeth Franczyk of Canon-McMillan, who was third in the Class 3A 3000 hurdles; Ella Neil of California, who was fifth in the high jump; Raney Staub of Fort Cherry. who was third in the 800 run; Ava Menzies of Fort Cherry, who was third in the Class 2A 100 dash; Gianna Anderson of Belle Vernon, who was fourth in the Class 3A triple jump; and Eden Williamson of Trinity, who tied for fourth in the high jump in Class AAA.