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Adraya Baxter shines in Butler track and field wins over Fox Chapel, North Hills

BUTLER TWP — Adraya Baxter competed in the hurdles for the Butler girls track and field team a year ago. She finished in the top five in the Butler County area in both the 100 and 300 events by season’s end, but knew she was capable of more.

Stricken with Lyme disease in the summer of 2023, Baxter felt she was just starting to get back to her normal self on the track as a junior.

“I ran indoor that winter, but it was very tough trying to get the cardio back up and staying conditioned,” said Baxter, now a senior. “I definitely wasn’t my strongest at WPIALs last year.”

Related Article: PIAA track and field season preview 2025: Meet the top 12 girls athletes to watch in Butler County
Butler's Adraya Baxter competes in the hurdles during a track and field tri-meet with North Hills and Fox Chapel at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Fatigue and body aches are often symptoms that accompany Lyme disease, but after an illness-free indoor season this winter, Baxter is not taking for granted what a healthy spring may provide her.

She won both the 100 and 300 hurdle events Thursday as the Golden Tornado hosted and defeated Fox Chapel (100-50) and North Hills (113-37). Her times were 16.39 seconds and 47.5, respectively.

“She ran some really good times last year,” Butler coach John Williams said. “We’re excited about what she’s doing early on here ... 47.5 in the 300 is very good for late March. Her times say that the 300 is her best event. That’s her race.”

Related Article: PIAA track and field season preview 2025: Meet the top 12 boys athletes to watch in Butler County Related Article: Neubert: Free shorts at North Park Short Run among spring running schedule’s highlights

Recently committed to attend and compete at St. Francis (Pa.) University, Baxter said now that the pressure of choosing a college is behind her, she can focus on her last season of high school track.

“I just want to have fun, get on the podium at WPIALs and hopefully place in the top three,” she said. “I want to have the kind of senior season that I can be happy with.”

Thanks to sophomore Thaddeus Mago, the hurdles also belonged to the Tornado on the boys side. He won the 110s with a time of 16.6 and the 300 with a finish of 42.93.

Butler’s boys defeated North Hills (105-45) and Fox Chapel (133-17).

“The headwind was really bad today,” Mago said. “I’ve been dealing with a sore hamstring over the last month, but it felt better today.

Butler's Adraya Baxter competes in hurdles during a track and field tri-meet with North Hills and Fox Chapel at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

“I’ve been spending time working on my technique, though the 300 is based more on physical strength.”

Mago is one of a number of hurdlers who could make noise for Butler this spring. Teammate Eli Campbell finished just one-hundredth of a second behind Mago in the 110 event on Thursday and Brady Dumbaugh was third. In the 300, Dumbaugh was runner-up and Campbell third.

Mago and Campbell are sophomores and Dumbaugh is a freshman.

“They’re all turning in good times for young kids,” said Butler coach Mike Seybert. “Thaddeus is crushing it. He’s working hard.”

Both Butler teams improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in section meets. The Golden Tornado will host Pine-Richland and Shaler on Wednesday.

Boys

Butler 133, Fox Chapel 17

Butler 105, North Hills 45

3,200 relay: Butler (Ethan Thomas, Shae Sintz, Zachary Slear, Logan Rogers) 8:37.8; 110 hurdles: Thaddeus Mago (B) 16.6; 100 dash: Kevin Shriver (B) 11.23; 1,600 run: Vaughn (FC) 4:29.71; 400 run: Carter Ekas (B) 52.42; 400 relay: Butler (Grayden Brown, Kevin Shriver, Jace Gratzmiller, Chris Rubcic) 42.97; 300 hurdles: Thaddeus Mago (B) 42.93; 800 run: Dixon (NH) 2:02.08; 200 dash: Jace Gratzmiller (B) 23.16; 3,200 run: Black (FC) 9:43.6; 1,600 relay: Butler (Grayden Brown, Isaac Miller, Zachary Slear, Jace Gratzmiller) 3:30.56

Shot put: Leland Anderson (B) 43-1; Discus: North Hills; Javelin: Nicco Baggetta (B) 171-3; High jump: Walker (NH) 5-9; Long jump: Ayden Andrews (B) 20-10.5; Triple jump: Eli Campbell (B) 41-0.5; Pole vault: Jason Wick (B) 12-6

Girls

Butler 100, Fox Chapel 50

Butler 113, North Hills 37

3,200 relay: Butler (Macie McLister, Makayla McLister, Avery Sintz, Madi McGarrah) 10:12.8; 100 hurdles: Adraya Baxter (B) 16.39; 100 dash: Aubrey Rock (B) 13.26; 1,600 run: DiPasquale (FC) 5:29.93; 400 run: Weber (FC) 1:03.14; 400 relay: Butler (Rylie Blystone, Aubrey Rock, Ari Morrow, Rylee Jack) 52.01; 300 hurdles: Adraya Baxter 47.5; 800 run: Madi McGarrah (B) 2:26.28; 200 dash: Quackenbush (FC) 27.2; 3,200 run: Ressler (FC) 11:57.41; 1,600 relay: Butler (Lyla Bowden, Madi McGarrah, Adraya Baxter, Jordan Ryan) 4:19.56

Shot put: Conti (FC) 34-11; Discus: Conti (FC) 122-8.5; Javelin: Schall (NH) 110-2; High jump: Raina Lewandowski (B) 5-1; Long jump: Aubrey Rock (B) 17-1; Triple jump: Ava DeLorenzo (B) 34-7.5; Pole vault: Halle Swidzinski (B) 10-0

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