Knoch gets introduction to big track and field stage
PETERS TWP — Not too bad for some newbies.
Competing in the WPIAL Class 2A team championship meet Tuesday at Peters Township Middle School, Madison Hunt and Kara Fennell both finished tops in their events and Knoch’s girls track and field team made a push to be runner-up before narrowly winding up third.
The Knights were defeated by eventual title-winner Quaker Valley (100-50) and Winchester Thurston (77-73), but beat Derry (94-56).
Knoch coach Amy Formica saw the day as a positive learning experience for her squad, which became the first to reach the final in program history.
“We were fighting for second,” she said. “Last year, we made it to the playoffs for the first time for this group and this year we made it this far ... I think they’ll know now. They’ll know what to expect.
“It’s a step. I think they’ll be pumped for it. I think they’ll come back wanting more and they’ll know what we’re really shooting for at the end.”
Hunt, a junior, threw a personal-record of 39 feet, 4 inches in the shot put. Fennell’s mark of 17 feet, 3 inches tied Winchester Thurston’s DaShea Coch for best in the long jump.
Fennell set the Knights’ all-time program standards in both the long and triple jump events this go-round. She had a second-place effort in the latter Tuesday, as well.
Karlee Buterbaugh (javelin) and the 1,600-meter relay team were also runner-ups, while Allison Godot (300-meter hurdles), Grace Bogacz (800-meter run), Kamryn Burtner (high jump), Ciarra Osborne (pole vault), and the two other relay teams were third.
“Even on the bus ride over, we had girls who had to swap in for the two-mile and things like that,” Formica said. “We were tossing around different areas that people would be in. Again, we filled every single event, which was monumental for a team that’s not that big. It was a total team effort today.”
Throughout the season, Formica allowed her athletes to pencil themselves in for what events they’d like to compete in, rather than assign them tasks.
“It definitely gave us so much more opportunity to do whatever we needed to and whatever we felt like we could,” said Bogacz, a usual in the mile-run who tried her hand at the 800-meters and 400-meters. “I feel like it also gave us so much more motivation, because we got to pick what we wanted.”
The individual portion of the campaign remains, and those such as Bogacz, Buterbaugh, Fennell, Brooke Galcik, and the relay teams have work to do. Still, the collective effort is one that the Knights will cherish.
“It’s just amazing to see everybody’s teamwork,” said Bogacz, who ran 2:28.50 in the 800-meter run (personal record). “All of our hard work finally paid off. Even if we don’t come out on top, I think we’ve made it pretty far for what we worked for.”
If all goes to plan, the success will serve as a precedent for what’s to come.
“I just hope that they see that Knoch is capable of doing things like that,” Hunt said. “We weren’t before, but we are now.”
Quaker Valley 100, Knoch 50
Winchester Thurston 77, Knoch 73
Knoch 94, Derry 56
3,200 relay: Quaker Valley 9:47.30; 100 hurdles: Karto (QV) 16.92; 100 dash: Cochan (WC) 12.95; 1,600 run: Cain (QV) 5:29.83; 400 run: Brake-Hoffman (WT) 1:03.35; 400 relay: Quaker Valley 49.81; 300 hurdles: Johns (QV) 47.4; 800 run: Cain (QV) 2:21.40; 200 dash: Washington (QV) 27.16; 3,200 run: Montanaze (QV) 12:31.76; 1,600 relay: Winchester Thurston 4:13.52
Shot put: Maddie Hunt (K) 39-4; Discus: Pil (WT) 104-8; Javelin: Mazzoni (D) 132-0; High jump: Gartley (QV) 5-1; Long jump: Tie, Kara Fennell (K), Coch (WT) 17-3; Triple jump: Olawaiye (QV) 39-5.5; Pole vault: Minard (QV) 10-2
