Butler's boys track and field team turned in a season for the ages last spring. The Golden Tornado claimed WPIAL Class 3A titles in eight different events, cruising to the district team championship in the process.

At the state meet in late May, CJ Singleton won PIAA gold in the 3,200-meter run and Butler was recognized as the best boys team in Pennsylvania after earning eight total medals.

"Our boys also won the state indoor title over the winter, which is very tough to do because schools are not divided into classes," said Butler boys head coach Mike Seybert. "You're going up against all of the top teams and athletes from across the state.

"Our guys weren't just talented. They were focused and confident that they were going to get it done and that made the coaching aspect of it that much more enjoyable. It was a fun ride."

During the spring season, school records and personal-best efforts were earned by a bevy of Butler athletes, both on the boys and girls teams. Great talent was obviously on both rosters, but a dedicated and knowledgeable coaching staff was always near, ready to congratulate each athlete for his or her achievements; or provide constructive criticism aimed at helping them reach their goals.

Aspects of coaching

John Williams, current Butler girls head coach, knows jumping events like the back of his hand. He won a WPIAL title in the boys triple jump in 1979 while at Mohawk High School and except for a five-year stint earlier this century, has been coaching jumpers at Butler since 1987.

Track and field, in short, has been a huge part of his life, but he's learned a different vernacular to get his point across.

Williams offered an example.

"A lot of the jumpers we have, especially on the girls side, have a background in gymnastics," he said. "The first few steps in both sports are very similar. In jumps, it's called bounding, but in gymnastics, they're called deer runs.

"I learned a lot of the gymnastics terminology and that helped it click better for them."

The way athletes train, specifically for the triple jump, has changed since Williams was honing his craft.

"The basic concepts are the same, but a lot of the training techniques have changed. Back when I jumped, we were doing full jumps in practice. Now, we do it in increments...the first stage, which is called the hop, the second stage, called the step, and so on. We might put in some standing jumps during practice, but you don't want to have the kids doing full jumps in the days leading up to a competition. You want them to be excited to jump on the day of the meet when they stick that uniform on."

Megan Baggetta, an incoming senior for Butler, broke the school record in the triple jump twice last spring, finishing the season at 39 feet, ¾ inch, the second-best effort in county history.

"Breaking the school record was one of my goals when I joined the team as a freshman," she said. "It seemed ambitious, but I've worked really hard and John Williams is a really good coach, so it makes sense.

"He competed in the event and has been coaching for so long, he's able to break it down and explain it so that people can understand it."

Sometimes an athlete's talent warrants a change in events.

Lucas Slear, who graduated from Butler in June, seemed a perfect fit for the 800 run earlier in his scholastic career.

"I competed in the 4x400 relay at an indoor meet at Edinboro University my sophomore year," he said. "I did pretty well and that's when I realized I could have the opportunity to run the open 400."

His chance to do that in the spring of 2020 was foiled when the season was canceled due to COVID-19, but he returned as a junior the next year, determined to open some eyes.

"We had a meet down at Shaler in the snow and Lucas was running the 400," said Seybert, who also coaches middle distance. "He was right there with Brayden Young, one of our top sprinters. We knew he was fast, but that's when we found out just how fast he was."

Slear's top time as a senior in the 400 was 49.92. He also was on relay teams that posted very strong times of 42.51 and 3:18.39 in the 4x100 and 4x400, respectively. The latter time broke the school record.

Coaching involves a lot more than simply tweaking an athlete's technique or coming up with an effective training schedule. How a coach relates to athletes can have a major impact on efforts in practices and competitions.

"Some kids have a thicker skin than others, so you have to have a different approach between them," said Rick Davanzati, Butler's distance running coach and head coach of Golden Tornado cross country. "But no matter what your talent level is, if you're willing to be there and put in the work, you're worthy of my time."

The bond between athletes is often discussed, but Slear said it doesn't stop there with Butler.

"The coaches feed off the chemistry between the athletes, but it's also important for them to have chemistry with us. They did that and it was a big reason why we had as much success as we did."

Positive Impact

Davanzati was a distance runner at Butler before graduating in 1974.

"I was a shy and introverted kid," he said. "When I was growing up, I'd walk the halls at school with my head down. People thought I was stuck-up because I didn't talk to anybody. But running gave me something to work at and open myself up to."

He joined the coaching staff at Butler as a volunteer in 1978 while still in college and has been a mainstay at the school ever since.

"My parents (Rick and Lois), always taught me to give back," Davanzati added. "That's what I'm doing when I coach and I treat the runners on the team like they're my adopted kids. That's the way I look at them."

Seybert is another Butler grad (1980). After running for the Tornado, he competed at Duquesne University.

"Being part of relays helped show me how my effort affected the other guys. I knew there had to be dedication when it came to my diet and sleep.

"I also learned that a coach can't put too much pressure on kids. I saw coaches who did that and it took athletes out of their comfort zone. We just want our kids to do their best. You can coach them and train them, but then just let them go out and see what happens."

Camaraderie

All of the coaches who helped with the spring season also coached Butler during the indoor season; and many of them have been doing it for a long time.

Spending that much time together, they have formed strong relationships with each other.

"We often go out to eat with each other, talk about how practice or a meet went," said Seybert. "The communication and the fun we have, that's what makes this staff so good."

"We're all like family," said Jeff Renwick, who coaches the hurdle events. "Everybody is in it for the right reasons and we look forward to seeing each other.

"Mike Seybert is the most enthusiastic person I know and John Williams is as solid as they come. They're the anchors of the team."

Following are members of the Butler High School Track and Field coaching staff:

Mike Seybert (head boys, middle distance), John Williams (head girls, jumps), Bill Elliott (shot/discus), Jackson Williams (javelin), Jeff Renwick (hurdles), Fred Pinto (sprints), Jerry McGarrah (pole vault), Rick Davanzati (distance), Colton Nist (assistant sprints/hurdles), Tyler Roudybush (assistant jumps).