Heading into the season, winning a WPIAL title was not on Deakyn DeHoet’s radar.
Fast forward to Saturday, and DeHoet won two PIAA titles while simultaneously becoming the fastest runner in the state.
DeHoet continued his meteoric rise by winning gold medals in the Class 2A 100- and 200-meter dashes at the PIAA track and field championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.
“I left it all on the track. I can confidently say that,” said DeHoet, a senior who competes for Beth-Center because his school, Jefferson-Morgan, doesn’t field a team.
The WPIAL champion in both events, DeHoet ran the No. 1 time in the 100 and tied for the top time in the 200 in Friday’s preliminary heats, and he was even better Saturday when he ran a blistering time of 10.51 seconds in the 100 and 21.29 in the 200.
“Being my senior year, it feels amazing to win two individual gold medals,” said DeHoet, a Cal (Pa.) football recruit who said he is considering running track in college as well.
Lincoln Cook of Palisades (10.87) was the runner-up in the 100 and Brookville’s Hayden Freeman (21.65) took second in the 200.
DeHoet is the first WPIAL boy to win a state title in the 100 since Aliquippa’s MJ Devonshire claimed Class 2A gold in 2019.
Oh, and DeHoet is the fastest kid in the state now, too, as his 100 time was faster than the Class 3A winner and his 200 time matched that of the Class 3A champion.
It’s been a quick ascent for DeHoet, who entered the season with PR’s of 10.95 and 22.28.
Said DeHoet, “At the beginning of the year, I knew I was going to be a little bit better because I’ve been doing band work and exercises to make you faster, but I didn’t expect that big of a drop in a year because most of the time it takes two, three years just to drop two-tenths of a second.”
WPIAL placewinners
Baldwin: Becca Gruntz, eighth, long jump.
Beaver: Bruce Sutter, fourth, 400
Belle Vernon: Ryan Kent, third, discus.
Beth-Center: Deakyn DeHoet, first, 100, and first, 200.
Charleroi: Braedin Lunger, sixth, 110 hurdles.
Chartiers Valley: Lilly Cochran, seventh, discus.
Deer Lakes: William Bagley, fourth, 300 hurdles.
Ellwood City: Lucas Bleakney, fourth, 3,200.
Franklin Regional: Jamie Kociela, first, high jump; Sean Cartwright, third, 110 hurdles and sixth, high jump.
Freeport: Mackenzie Magness, second, pole vault.
Geibel Catholic: Emma Larkin, third, 300 hurdles.
Greensburg Central Catholic: Jerry Davis, second, 400.
Hempfield: Jonathan Stetchock, fourth, 3,200; Madison Altman, sixth, 100 hurdles and seventh, 300 hurdles; Chesnee Smith, third, 800.
Indiana: Liam Templeton, sixth, 800.
Kiski Area: Braden Miller, sixth, 110 hurdles.
Laurel: Alexis Geiwitz, first, shot put; Sydney Tomczyk, seventh, pole vault; Kylie Ruperto, third, 200 and fourth, 400; Kevin Mahoney, second, shot put; Taylor Fuchs, seventh, shot put.
Moon: Rachel Stepp, seventh, 200 and second, 400.
Neighborhood Academy: Deayja Cain, third, 100 and eighth, 200.
Neshannock: Kaley Cubellis, fourth, 200 and third, 400.
North Allegheny: Audrey Maxwell, fourth, discus; Emma Neese, seventh, javelin.
North Catholic: Jack Steineman, fifth, 3,200; Audra Lazzara, sixth, 100 hurdles; Anna Lazzara, sixth, 100; Logan Schade, first, 400.
Norwin: Annie Czajkowski, sixth, 3,200;
Peters Township: Katie Froelich, first, 3,200.
Quaker Valley: Lucy Montagnese, sixth, 3,200; Evie Rosselli, fifth, pole vault and fifth, 100 hurdles; Jonah Montagnese, first, 3,200, and second, 800; Kieren Cain, fourth, 100 and third, 200; Rose Pocasangre, sixth, 300 hurdles; Mia Gartley, fourth, 800.
Riverside: Silas Reichart, fourth, triple jump.
Seneca Valley: Jordan Monteleone, third, high jump; Addie Weaver, third, javelin; Audrey Wolfe, sixth, javelin.
Sewickley Academy: Claire Karsman, fifth, 300 hurdles.
Shady Side Academy: Charlotte Barker, fourth, 3,200; Josephine Lenart, eighth, 3,200; Javon Johnston, first, triple jump.
Shaler: Jayla Antomachi, eighth, javelin.
Shenango: Zoe Bupp, third, shot put; Anna McKinley, fifth, shot put; Taylor Bulow, seventh, shot put; Giuliana Panella, fourth, 100.
South Fayette: Angela Zeng, third, 3,200; Delaney Schumaker, fifth, 100 hurdles and sixth, 300 hurdles.
Southmoreland: Megan Mehall, second, 800.
Trinity: Ella Sammel, second, high jump.
Upper St. Clair: Sadie Tomczyk, fourth, 100 and fifth, 200.
West Allegheny: Jonathan Newton, sixth, 400.
Winchester Thurston: Alexis Bansah, fourth, triple jump; Abigail Weinstein, eighth, 800.