TSTCA Meet #1 - Meet Preview
The teams of the TSTCA have been waiting patiently this winter for their first meet of the season. They'll head to Edinboro on Saturday for the first of four regular season meets.
GIRLS PREVIEW
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Brenna Cavanaugh of Bentworth will have a busy day to open up her season. She's the top seed in the 60 meters and the 60 meter hurdles. In the dash, Mount Lebanon's Molly Mangan and North Allegheny's Casey Burton will look to challenge Cavnaugh, while she'll be tested in the hurdles by Hempfield Area's Bailey Traczynski.
Upper Saint Clair's Jane Madson will be one to watch in the 200 meters, but look for Baldwin's Alina Stahl to give her a good run. That's not a matchup to miss on Saturday. In the 400 meters, look for Danielle Bryant of Pine-Richland. She dropped some solid times as an eighth grader last year. Now a freshman, she's worth keeping an eye on.
DISTANCE
Butler's Maggie Welty didn't race much in the fall, but the talented senior will look to start her indoor season off well. She's the top seed in the mile. In the 800 meters, look for Chartiers Valley's Kiki Thornton, who went 2:21 last spring in the event.
In the 3000 meters, Allison Small of Mount Lebanon enters as the top seed.
FIELD
Hempfield Area's Mackenna Orie has picked up a pair of wins on the season, one in her own gym and another in Maryland. At Hempfield, she threw a career best of 40-5, so look for her to try and improve upon that and her PA#2 spot.
The shot put is loaded with talent, though. Butler's Jena Reinheimer, Penn Hills' Lillia Allen, and Punxsutawney's Sam Dyson are all entered, so it could come down to who brings their 'A' game to Edinboro on Saturday.
Cavanaugh, who will headline the dash and hurdles, is also the top seed in the long jump. She took home the state title last winter with a career-best leap of 19-7.25. Can she approach that kind of jump on Saturday (the state lead is 19-2).
Molly DeBone of Hempfield Area is the top seed in both the triple jump and the pole vault, so she'll be looking to bring home a pair of victories. In the pole vault, she opened up her season at a home invite by jumping a PA#5 11-9.
BOYS PREVIEW
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Saturday will mark the season debut of Ayden Owens of North Allegheny. We've talked a lot about fellow PA decathlon standout Kyle Garland and deservedly so, but remember that Owens is the defending champion in the decathlon at New Balance Nationals Outdoor from this past summer. He's also the reigning state champ in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles.
Owens is entered in both the 400 meters and 60-meter hurdles, as well as the pole vault. Owens is the top seed in both. In the 60-meter hurdles, Owens, a USC recruit, enters as the defending indoor state runner-up. After his huge season in the high hurdles outdoors, Owens should be in line for a big time on Saturday. His PR of 8.08 could go down with a clean race.
Looking to challenge Owens in the 400 is West Mifflin's Ziggy Patterson, a talented quarter miler.
We'll see the indoor debut of James Krandel of Bethel Park. The senior went 10.82 in her first track season this past spring and took sixth at states. He'll look to convert that into some big indoor times. He'll be challenged by Penn Hills' Alex Trower, who ran strong at Pittsburgh Central Catholic last season.
DISTANCE
A big matchup is coming in the 3000 meters on Saturday. Winchester Thurston's Tristan Forsythe will make his season debut in the event, coming off an XC season that saw him capture the 1A state title in Hershey. But looking to take him down is North Allegheny's Daniel McGoey, who had a breakthrough XC season that included a third place finish at states in 3A.
Noah Beveridge of Butler will return to the track as well. The state runner-up in 3A XC is entered in the 800 meters has an outdoor best of 1:57 in the event.
Damon Gall of Canon-McMillan will look for a big indoor debut in the mile. He went 4:36 last season and will be one to watch in an open field.
FIELD
South Fayette's Sam Mastro will lead the field of shot putters into Saturday. He's at PA#5 in the event after the first Hempfield meet of the season. Mastro will look for a throw that can help him make a move even high in the standings.
Jaden Rouse of Penn Hills will be the one to beat in the triple jump. He just missed a state medal last indoor season, so he'll be on a mission this winter. Look for a big start from him. His Penn Hills teammate Emmanuel Mitchell will be the favorite in the high jump. Mitchell cleared 6-5 last winter and 6-6 in the spring.
The pole vault will be a good competition with the top seeds being Jono Pelusi of North Allegheny and Nick Lachut of Baldwin. Both have come a long way since last season and should make a nice climb in the state rankings when Saturday is over with. In the long jump, McDowell's Nate Davison will square off with Baldwin's Brendan O'Malley for the victory.