Penn-Trafford track and field coach Eric Reger knew winning Section 1-3A would be tough, but earning a third consecutive berth in the WPIAL boys team playoffs was a possibility.
The Warriors successfully achieved a berth in the postseason by defeating Hempfield, 80-70, to improve to 5-1 in the section. The loss came to first-place Norwin, 97.5-52.5. The Knights are favored to challenge for the WPIAL title.
Now the Warriors hope to reach the WPIAL finals for a second consecutive season. They finished fourth behind Butler, Norwin and North Allegheny last year.
The WPIAL team semifinals are set for April 29 and the finals are May 6. The WPIAL individual championships will be held May 14.
“Our goal this year was to defeat Norwin,” Reger said. “It did not happen. Norwin has an outstanding team. They’ve won the section title the last couple of years.”
The Warriors did win the 22nd Wildcat Invitational at Latrobe on April 11 with 83 points. North Allegheny was second with 65.5.
Leading the way for the Warriors was senior Jake McGhee, who won the 1,600- and 800-meter runs.
Ekoulus Lett won the 110-meter hurdles and finished second to his twin brother Aidon in the 300-meter hurdles.
Logan Kerstetter won the javelin (169 feet, 10 inches) and placed fourth in the discus (134-8).
Thomas Cheplick finished second in the 400 and seventh in the 200. Noah Geary placed fifth in the 400.
The boys won the 1,600-meter relay (Cheplick, Aidon Leet, Ekoulus Lett, McGhee) and finished sixth in the 400-meter relay (Brady Newell, Jesse Lisbon, Aidon Lett, Jacob McMurdy)
“We are probably a better team that last year’s,” Reger said. “It is really tough to compete against those teams, but we have enough talent to challenge them.”
Kerstetter has become the Warriors’ top competitor in all the throwing events: javelin, shot put and discus. He is the returning WPIAL javelin champion.
“Logan has worked on his strength and technique,” Reger said. “We’re expecting big things from him.”
The Warriors can also look to improve their times and marks at some big invitations in the next few weeks.
They competed at the Butler Invitational on April 17 and will be at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association meet April 24. There also is the Baldwin Invitational or the Pine-Richland Invitational on May 2 and the Last Chance Meet on May 8.
Penn-Trafford’s top girls finishers at the Lady Spartan Invitational, also held April 11 at Latrobe, were Eliyah McPherson, who took third in the javelin (103-10); Sarah Bernard, who placed seventh in the discus (97-7); and Hannah Weishaar, who placed eighth in the 800.
The girls 1,600-meter relay (Hannah Weishaar, Olivia Weishaar, Taryne Piconi, Anna Coy) placed third.
The mixed 1,600-meter relay (Noah Geary, Faith Whipple, Allison Krier, Ian Savering) placed second.