Three’s Company
Despite winning a state title in the Class 2A boys long jump during the first day of the PIAA Track and Field Championships last May, Slippery Rock High junior Levi Prementine entered Day Two believing he had unfinished business to take care of at Shippensburg University.
Also seeded high in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, Prementine had his sights set on more state gold.
"I wanted to win for myself, obviously, but even more than that, I wanted to win for the team,“ Prementine said. "We had a real shot at the state team championship.
"My drive to win was as strong as it was for the long jump."
The race that ensued produced one of the greatest results in the history of high school sports in Butler County.
Prementine won the 300 crown, breaking his own school record with a time of 38.19 seconds. Finishing in second place, just .06 seconds behind Prementine was Freeport senior Isaac Wetzel. Earning a bronze medal was another Slippery Rock junior, Eli Anderson with a time of 38.35, just .16 seconds off the pace set by his teammate.
The PIAA event includes the best athletes from all over the state. Butler County claiming the top three performances in any event is a feat that may never again be duplicated.
The collective effort has been chosen as the Butler Eagle's Sports Story of the Year.
Shortly after coming off the medal stand, Anderson gave his thoughts on being part of county history.
"It shows our area has some really good athletes and we're able to compete with the best in the state," he said.
Prementine had gotten off to bad starts in the event all season long.
"I think it's a mental thing," he said recently. "In my head, I'm thinking I don't want to push myself too hard at the beginning and leave myself with nothing the last part of the race. If you leave yourself with nothing at the end, you won't win."
But Prementine had been passed up by Wetzel and Montoursville's Josiah Schans. He estimates he was at least 10 meters off the lead with about 100 meters to go when he hit his final gear.
"Honestly, I thought I waited too long," said Prementine, "but I was able to pull it out at the end."
Wetzel still held a slim lead prior to the final hurdle. As he and Prementine approached the finish line, they were even before both lunged at the end and fell to the track.
"I started off super-strong," said Wetzel. "I still felt strong toward the end, but Levi had a really good finish."
The results from Shippensburg that day left a deep imprint in the annals of track and field in the area. Prementine's 38.19 is second-best on the Butler Eagle's All-Time Boys Track and Field Honor Roll. Wetzel's 38.25 is third and Anderson's 38.35 is fourth.
Wetzel graduated and is now playing soccer at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. Now seniors, Prementine and Anderson are back and hoping to lead Slippery Rock to a state team title this spring. The Rockets were runner-up last year, finishing just five points behind champion Danville.
