Peters Township freshman phenom Katie Froelich has loudly announced her presence as one of the state’s top distance runners this year.
Making her WPIAL championship debut Thursday, Froelich certainly lived up to the hype.
Froelich ran to titles in the Class 3A 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs in the meet held at Slippery Rock University.
“I really wanted it, so I went out and tried to do what I could. It means a lot,” said Froelich, who won the mile at the state indoor championships.
Froelich edged out rival Angela Zeng of South Fayette at indoors, and she did twice again Thursday as Zeng was the runner-up in both races. Froelich ran the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 53.10 seconds and the 3,200 in 10:15.64. Zeng finished with times of 4:54.27 and 10:21.19.
“It’s more like a friendly rivalry,” Froelich said of her and Zeng, a sophomore. “We say hi before meets and tell each other good luck. It’s more fun than mean, I guess.”
Froelich’s twin sister, Ally, joined her on the medal podium as Ally placed fourth in the 1,600 courtesy of a time of 5:05.33. Last year’s champion, West Allegheny’s Grace Fritzman, was sixth (5:11.38).
Freeport junior Mackenzie Magness reached a magnificent feat as she won the Class 2A pole vault for the third year in a row. Magness won by a wide margin, with her vault of 12 feet being a foot better than runner-up Evie Rosselli of Quaker Valley.
Magness, who also finished fifth in the long jump, is the first girl to three-peat in the pole vault since Hempfield’s Larissa Debich won three consecutive titles from 2010-12.
South Fayette senior Delaney Schumaker had so much fun doubling in the Class 3A hurdles last year that she decided to do it again this year.
A Pitt recruit, Schumaker won the 100 hurdles in 14.27 seconds and the 300 in 43.67, this after running winning times of 14.45 and 43.13 last year.
“I would say the 300 is my best, but I love the 100s and I love that I get to run both of them,” she said.
The 14.27 in the 100 hurdles was not only a personal best, but only seven runners in WPIAL history have gone faster, according to track historian Jim Faiella. The time allowed Schumaker to beat runner-up Madison Altman of Hempfield (14.80)
Schumaker then topped Altman (43.95) and Mt. Lebanon’s Lily Cramer (44.18) in the 300 hurdles. Those three all rank among the top 17 in the race in WPIAL history, with Schumaker sitting at No. 6.
Geibel Catholic senior Emma Larkin won the Class 2A 300 hurdles with a winning time of 45.25. Larkin was a 2,000-point scorer in basketball and was named first-team all-state this past season.
Moon sophomore Rachel Stepp won a second straight Class 3A title in the 400 and also captured a title in the 200.
Stepp’s time of 24.21 in the 200 was a PR and only seven girls in WPIAL history have run faster. Stepp beat out Upper St. Clair’s Sadie Tomczyk (24.33), denying Tomczyk’s bid for a second consecutive double in the 100 and 200. Tomczyk did win a second straight title in the 100, running a time of 12.02. Upper St. Clair has won a title in the event five times in six years.
Stepp then won the 400 by more than 2 ½ seconds. Her winning time was 54.93. Stepp ranks No. 3 in WPIAL history in that race.
The meet still included a 100-200 double, though, with Neighborhood Academy sophomore Deayja Cain winning both races in Class 2A. She became the first girl from her school to win a WPIAL track and field gold medal.
Cain ran the 100 in 12.07 and the 200 in 24.90.
“I definitely wanted to get on top of the podium this year,” said Cain, who placed fourth in the 100 as a freshman.
North Allegheny senior Taylor Neese won the Class 3A shot put for the second year in a row. Her heave of 39-11 claimed her the victory by nearly 3 feet. Senior teammate Audrey Maxwell finished third.
Alexis Bansah was another repeat winner. Bansah, a junior at Winchester Thurston, was again a titlist in the Class 2A triple jump. Bansah (38-9 ½) topped runner-up Lily Liotta of Burrell by close to 3 feet. Bansah set a meet record last season when she went 40-2.
The tallest girl at the meet was golden again. Quaker Valley senior Mimi Thiero, who is 6-foot-4 and a Maryland basketball recruit, soared to the Class 2A high jump title for the second consecutive season. Thiero’s winning leap was 5-4 after she went 5-8 a season ago.
“I’m super excited,” she said. “Last year of doing track, so I really just wanted to leave it all out there.”
Anna McKinley, a junior at Shenango, has now won WPIAL Class 2A titles in all three throwing events, this after blowing away the field in the javelin. McKinley’s throw of 137-6 was a personal best and won by nearly 25 feet.
McKinley one the shot put title in 2024 and the discus title last season.
Shenango swept the throws Thursday, with senior Zoe Bupp winning the shot put and sophomore Taylor Bulow the discus.