PIAA track championships: North Catholic 4x100 girls relay wins gold; Butler boys relays ends with 2 medals
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Freeport's Michael Braun, front, runs out near the front of the pack in the Class 2A boys 3,200-meter race Saturday, May 24, 2025, during the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. Jason Malmont/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport's Michael Braun runs in the Class 2A boys 3,200-meter race Saturday, May 24, 2025, during the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. Jason Malmont/Special to the Eagle
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Seneca Valley's Jordan Monteleone clears the bar in the Class 3A girls high jump Saturday, May 24, 2025, during the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. Jason Malmont/Special to the Eagle
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Seneca Valley's Audrey Wolfe competes in the Class 3A girls javelin Saturday, May 24, 2025, during the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. Jason Malmont/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport's Mackenzie Magness clears the bar in the Class 2A girls pole vault Saturday, May 24, 2025, during the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. Jason Malmont/Special to the Eagle
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North Catholic’s girls 4x100 relay team, from left: Anna Lazzara, Audra Lazzara, Seava Cresta and Daphne Flerl. The quartet won Class 2A gold Saturday, May 24, 2025, during the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. Derek Pyda/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Mackenzie Magness smiles after winning gold in the Class 2A girls pole vault during the PIAA Track and Field Championships on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at Shippensburg University. Derek Pyda/Butler Eagle
SHIPPENSBURG — Seava Cresta remembers something North Catholic head track and field coach Terry Fisher said to her and Daphne Flerl over three years ago.
“He told us that we would win a state championship one day,” said Cresta, who proved her coach right Saturday afternoon at the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University.
Seniors Cresta and Flerl teamed with sophomores Audra Lazzara and Anna Lazzara to finish the 4x100 relay in a school-record time of 48.06 seconds, good for a Class 2A state title in the event.
Annville-Cleona was second at 48.46.
Cresta wasn’t sure until recently that she would be able to go for the gold with her teammates.
“I tore my hamstring in the last meet of the indoor season,” she said. “I was told I would have to wait until May to start running again, but I pushed really hard to come back sooner. We had a meet in April against Shenango. My PR in the 100 is 12.39, and I went 12.42. That’s when I knew I was back.”
Cresta and Flerl had to sacrifice taking part in the graduation ceremony at North Catholic, which was held Friday. The duo was busy helping North place first in a preliminary race for the 4x100 relay.
“I was sad to miss it, but standing here as a state champion, it was worth it,” Flerl said. “We’ve been working for this for four years.”
Flerl and Cresta were also part of North’s 4x400 relay that placed fourth in the state later Saturday. The team also included Ella Eiler and Alexa Stoltz.
Audra Lazzara earned an individual medal when she finished runner-up in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.10.
She did not qualify for states in any event last year.
“She had the ability to run these times as a freshman, but the bright lights kinda got to her,” North hurdles coach Dewitt Hudson said. “She’s grown since then and now has a lot of confidence in her own abilities.”
Butler’s boys placed sixth in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
Though they proved they belonged on the medal podium, there was one noticeable difference between them and their competitors. In both relays, the other seven teams running in the championship heat are from the eastern side of the state.
“The population out this way is much greater than where we’re from,” Butler head coach Mike Seybert said. “More people means more competition, and teams out east treat the indoor season just as seriously as they do the outdoor season.
“We try to set the bar high, and it’s our goal to get here and compete with those schools.”
The 4x100 team was Logan Ekas, Kevin Shriver, Grayden Brown and Chris Rubcic. The 4x400 squad included Regan Peth, Aaron Stebick, Jace Gratzmiller and Carter Ekas.
“It’s a battle just to get here and then to make the final,” Butler sprint coach Fred Pinto said. “It’s a long season, and for these guys to accomplish what they did, I’m so proud of them.”
Medaling on the girls side were Seneca Valley’s Jordan Monteleone (fourth in high jump) and Mars’ Morgan Duker (eighth in 400).
2025 PIAA Track and Field Championships Results
(Butler County area medalists)
Class 3A
Boys
4x100 relay: 6-Butler (L.Ekas, K.Shriver, G.Brown, C.Rubcic) 42.53
4x400 relay: 6-Butler (R.Peth, A.Stebick, J.Gratzmiller, C.Ekas) 3:20.23
Girls
400 dash: 8-Morgan Duker (Mars) 58.73
High jump: 4-Jordan Monteleone (Seneca Valley) 5-6
Class 2A
Boys
3,200 run: 2-Michael Braun (Freeport) 9:05.82
Pole vault: 2-Ashton Grossman (Moniteau) 14-6; 5-Alex Wilson (KC) 14-0
Girls
100 hurdles: 2-Audra Lazzara (North Catholic) 15.10
4x100 relay: 1-North Catholic (Au.Lazzara, S.Cresta, D.Flerl, An.Lazzara) 48.06
4x400 relay: 4-North Catholic (D.Flerl, S.Cresta, E.Eiler, A.Stoltz) 4:02.27
Pole vault: 1-Mackenzie Magness (Freeport) 12-0
