SHIPPENSBURG — James Parenti proved a lot at the District 9 Track and Field Championships last week, claiming the Class AA discus title with a throw of 158 feet.

Even so, Moniteau's junior still showed up at the PIAA championship meet with a chip on his shoulder.

“I'm a newcomer here and still felt like I had to prove that I belonged,” said Parenti, who represented himself and the Warriors well with a 4th-place finish of 155 feet, 10 inches Friday at Shippensburg University. “It was a lot of great competition, as expected. I just couldn't get the big throw I needed.”

Parenti is chasing the school record in the discus, which is 158-1.

“My freshman year, I threw 100 feet, then 148 as a sophomore,” he said. “It's been a lot of hard work and showing myself that I can do this.”

Parenti has another year to improve and to prepare for another trip to Shippensburg. Moniteau throwing coach Ryan Protzman fully expects him to do both.

“In practice, if something is off, James will stick around until he gets it right,” said Protzman. “He's that kind of kid. He knows he has more in him.”

Also earning a medal for Moniteau was senior Cambrie Campbell in the girls javelin. She was fifth with a heave of 130-10.

Campbell had been here before and said she expected more of herself.

“I placed third in the state the last two years, reached 140 both times,” she said. “My technique was just a little off today.

“I can't complain, though, about getting to states and getting a medal.”

“Cambrie had one of the most off-days I've seen,” said Protzman. “For her to find a way to finish fifth in the state, it shows how competitive she is. She is tenacious, a beast. She is such a hard worker.”

As Butler's Jack Codispot put it, the pole vault “can be a scary event. You're flying through the air and you have to have confidence in yourself.”

The junior should have a lot of it after capping his 2018 season by tying for fifth in the state by vaulting 14-6 in the Class 3A boys competition.

He managed 15-1 on two occasions earlier this season.

Codispot first tried the pole vault in the seventh grade.

“After a while, I went back to the high jump, but tore the meniscus in my right knee,” he said. “The high jump became difficult after that, trying to get that lift, so I started vaulting again. That was in eighth grade.

“I was hoping to get third today and challenge the school record, which is 15-5. I'll come back next year and try to do better.”

Seneca Valley's Zach Gehm walked off the medal stand believing his eighth-place effort in the Class 3A boys shot put will lead to bigger and better things on Saturday.

“The discus and javelin, those are my best events,” Gehm said of the events in which he won WPIAL titles in last week. He is seeded first and second, respectively, in the state in those competitions this weekend.

As for his effort of 50-7 in the shot put, Gehm said, “I normally throw 49 or 50 in warm-ups and was doing that today, so I thought it could be a good day. Then the competition started and I just didn't hit much.”

Gehm, who achieved 53-6.75 to finish runner-up at districts in the event last week, was 15th in the shot put here last year. He did concede, “It's pretty good to get out of here with a medal.”

In preliminary action, the Butler and Seneca Valley boys 4x800 relay teams both advanced to the final 12, which will compete Saturday.

The Golden Tornado quartet of Brett Brady, Aden Dressler, Rob Hays and Doug Kostelansky had the day's fastest time at seven minutes, 59.02 seconds, which is Butler's second-best time this season.

“It's all about advancing to tomorrow,” said Butler distance coach Rick Davanzati. “The boys did that. Winning the heat was icing on the cake.”

Senior Noah Beveridge, a Syracuse University recruit who can be counted on for a sub-2 minute split in the event, is eligible to run the event Saturday.

“He's also running the 3,200 (individually), so we'll see how he feels,” said Davanzati. “He's versatile and has run a lot of events for us. It's why a lot of Division I schools were interested in him.”

Seneca Valley's Sam Owori, Luke Bellack, Andrew Balla and Seth Ketler ran a 7:59.91 in prelims.

“The goal today is to do enough to get through while expending the least amount of energy,” said SV distance coach Justin Dosch. “You have to save something for the finals.”

At the WPIAL Championships last week, Balla replaced an injured Alex Dixon and helped the Raiders win a district title with a time of 7:51.37. Dixon is still unable to go, but Ketler believes Balla is ready.

“He ran a 1:58 at WPIALs and I know he can do even better,” Ketler said. “He's definitely capable.”

Butler placed second to the Raiders at districts. The Butler County and section rivals undoubtedly influence each other's success.

“It's a very difficult section and it pushes us every day,” said Dosch, “but when you get out here, there's a lot of great teams. We obviously want to beat Butler, but we want to beat everybody.”

Following are other athletes who advanced from Friday's preliminary events.

Boys

Class AAA

1,600 run: Jonah Powell (GC); 300 hurdles: Jake Wolfrum (B); 800 run: Seth Ketler (SV)

Class AA

110 hurdles: Jake Patton (Mon); 400 relay: CWNC; 400 run: Hunter Jones (KC); 300 hurdles: Jake Patton (Mon)

Girls

Class AAA

800 run: Liz Simms (B); 1,600 relay: Butler; 3,200 relay: Butler

Class AA

100 hurdles: Emma Fox (ACV); 1,600 run: Rylee Kopchak (CWNC); 800 run: Sidney Shemanski (F), Abby Biddle (GC), Rylee Kopchak (CWNC)