2024’s top sports stories in Butler County: Mason Martin, Slippery Rock track, Mars playoff runs and more
The sports year — or at least the tracks and hills of Butler County — was dominated by Butler’s Drew Griffith.
Deservedly so, the 2024 graduate, who just completed his freshman cross country season at Notre Dame, was the Butler Eagle’s top sports story in the county this year.
But there were plenty of other big stories: WPIAL champions, the return home of Karns City’s Mason Martin nearly 10 months after he collapsed on a football field, Olympic trial contenders and more.
By vote of the Eagle sports staff, here are the remaining top 15 sports stories in Butler County in 2024:
The Planets won their second WPIAL title before making their deepest ever run in the state tournament, losing to powerhouse Pope John Paul II 3-1 in the PIAA Class 3A championship match.
Cecilia Christy set the program’s single-season kill record, and much of the core will be back for another run in 2025.
The Rockets’ boys team became the second in the school’s history — joining the rifle team, which won its gold 56 years ago — to win a state title when it scored 41 points for the Class 2A crown.
Levi Prementine became a two-time state champ in the long jump and 300-meter hurdles, while Eli Anderson won bronze in the 110 hurdles and silver in the 300 hurdles.
Nearly nine months after collapsing during a football game and suffering a serious brain injury, Martin returned home in early June with his family. His story received national attention after he collapsed during the third quarter against Redbank Valley in September 2023.
The Planets’ streaks of WPIAL and PIAA championship appearances grew once more in the spring. Mars won WPIAL Class 2A gold for the eighth straight year, beating South Fayette 16-5.
The run continued in states, where the Planets made a fourth straight PIAA championship game, but lost for the second consecutive year to Marple Newtown, 11-9.
The Butler County-area was well-represented at the U.S. Olympic Trials this summer. While none made it to Paris for the Summer Games, Butler’s C.J. Singleton (Notre Dame) competed in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Knoch grad Jordan Geist (Arizona) finished fifth in the men’s hammer throw and Union product Evie Bliss (Bucknell) tied a PR to finish sixth in the women’s javelin.
Luke Lamb dominated the sprints in the pool this year, setting WPIAL and PIAA records on the way to golds in the 100-yard backstroke. He also won the 50 free in districts and states. This year he’s swimming for Mars as part of a co-op.
Tornado wrestling was in good hands last season. On the girls side, senior Ana Malovich finished second in the state at 118 pounds after winning the WPIAL title weeks earlier.
On the boys side, Santino Sloboda followed up his WPIAL gold with a state semifinal appearance. He’s since committed to wrestle at Pitt in two years.
Senior Michael Braun overcame a back injury in the fall to blitz to the WPIAL Class 2A cross country boys championship. His time of 15:18.9 was 22 seconds faster than anyone else and cemented the future Penn State distance runner as the area’s top runner.
Braun followed that up a week later in Hershey with a PIAA silver medal, crossing the finish line in 16:05. He still has the track and field season left before graduating.
Continuing the county’s aquatic dominance was Giona Lavorini, who won the state title in the PIAA Class 2A girls 100 breaststroke in 1:02.11. The Pitt commit won the WPIAL 100 breast title and finished third in the 200 individual medley.
The Raiders won their second WPIAL championship in three years in May in the most dramatic of fashions. Kylie Staudt grounded into the hole in right field to drive in the winning run in a 4-3, eight-inning classic over Norwin. Staudt was 4 for 4 at the plate that day.
SV was led by ace Lexie Hames, who had 265 strikeouts and was named the Butler Eagle’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 2023-24 school year.
The Butler boxing icon was finally inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame in October, a fitting honor for the 49-year-old who went 42-11 with 27 knockout wins.
“I kind of have to pinch myself,” Minto said in late October.
The Knoch product concluded her collegiate career with her and Juniata’s third straight NCAA Division III women’s volleyball title Dec. 7. She recorded 18 kills and had 12 digs in the win over Wisconsin-Whitewater, which went to five sets.
“This was the most fun season of my career,” Christy said a week later.
It took an 11-3 run in the final three minutes for the Warriors to claim their first District 9 championship, beating Brookville 58-57 in the 3A title game. Chason Rugg led Moniteau with 20 points, and Andrew Zepeda (18) made the final two buckets to secure the win.
Barely three months before what would have been his 27th season in charge, Carmody stepped down as the Planets’ boys basketball coach, ending one of the more accomplished coaching careers of this century.
Carmody, who was hired in 1998, won 408 games and led Mars to two WPIAL titles and two appearances in the PIAA championship game.
