Beth-Center’s DeHoet doubles up on state gold
SHIPPENSBURG – Deakyn DeHoet left the PIAA Track and Field Championships last year with a goal to improve.
On Saturday he was leaving “on cloud 9.”
That’s because he realized a dream by becoming a state champion and left no doubt that he’s the fastest high school sprinter in the state.
DeHoet, who runs for Beth-Center, won the PIAA Class 2A 100- and 200-meter titles Saturday at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.
His time of 10.51 was faster than the 100 champion in Class 3A, Blue Mountain’s Chase Guers, who finished at 10.61.
“It feels amazing honestly,” DeHoet said. “It’s like I’m on Cloud 9 and nothing else matters.
“I just knew I needed to do my best and being here pushed me to be my best. The nerves and adrenaline are going and that just helps.”
Though he was representing a Washington County school in Beth-Center, DeHoet is the first sprinter from Greene County to win a state title. He’s a senior at Jefferson-Morgan.
He’ll continue his athletic career by playing football in college at PennWest California and may run track there as well.
DeHoet is the third state champion to represent Beth-Center, joining Pete Zaharoff and Walter White.
Zarahoff (1965) and White (1968) both won the pole vault.
DeHoet was fifth in the 100 last year and didn’t qualify in the 200.
He blew away the field by nearly four tenths of a second over runner-up Lincoln Cook of Palisades. The defending champion, Mercyhurst Prep’s Vincent Feliciano, finished in fifth place.
“I wanted to win the state championship, but I didn’t expect to get a 10.51,” DeHoet said.
Saturday’s dreary, wet and cold conditions were not ideal for sprinters, but DeHoet powered through.
“In cold weather you just have to get warm and stay warm,” DeHoet said. “That’s the biggest thing to do in this type of weather. I made sure to stay warm and everything and got a new PR.”
DeHoet entered the day tied with Brookeville’s Hayden Freeman for the best preliminary time, but he posted a personal best 21.29 to Freeman’s 21.69.
He finished with an equal fastest time to the Class 3A 200 champ.
“I was probably going 75-percent the whole way (Friday) in the prelim and ran a 22 flat, so that gave me confidence,” DeHoet said. “I knew I could give more to get a faster time.”
Belle Vernon’s Ryan Kent finished his weekend with a second state medal by securing third place in the discus with a throw 170-9. He was fifth in the shot put on Friday.
They are his first two state medals for track to go along with the two he’s won in football.
Kent is a Shippensburg recruit and though he wanted a gold medal, he was satisfied to finish his high school career on the podium twice.
“A medal from states is always good,” Kent said. “To say you finished third and fifth in the states is pretty cool. It’s also cool to do it at my future facilities. High school ends and now it’s time to start college and this (Shippensburg) is my home now.”
Charleroi’s Braedin Lunger won a state medal as a freshman by finishing sixth in the long jump and now he’s added one in the 110 hurdles.
Lunger, a junior, placed sixth Saturday with a time of 14.87.
“It feels amazing. I’m just trying to make the town proud. It’s a rainy day, but you just got to go out and compete and run the best that you can.”
Lunger placed second at WPIALs to Waynesburg’s Nate Ricciuti, but edged him out in a heat race Friday to qualify for the state finals.
“I had ankle surgery, so all season I’ve been hitting my trail leg (on the hurdle) and (Friday) and Saturday I actually lifted up my trail leg, so that made a big difference,” Lunger said. “I just went from there.”
Trinity’s Braden Berdar narrowly missed his first state medal in the long jump, finishing ninth at 22-2. His best jump was his first attempt.