Alaysia Bell
School: Kiski Area
Class: Sophomore
Sport: Track and field
Claim to fame: Bell placed second in the Class 3A girls triple jump with a distance of 38 feet, 7 inches at the PIAA track and field championships that took place May 22-23 at Shippensburg.
Let’s go back to the WPIAL championships at Slippery Rock on May 14 where you placed second in the triple jump with at the time a new personal best distance of 37-10.75. How happy were you to post that mark?
I was really happy because the weather at WPIALs was terrible. I had no clue I would do that well, posting second. It came out of nowhere.
You finished fifth in the long jump with a distance of 17-3.50. How disappointed were you in that distance, knowing you had posted over 18 earlier in the season?
I was pretty disappointed because I usually don’t jump that distance in long jump and I knew I could have made it to states had I jumped my best.
All in all, how would you rate your performance at WPIALs?
It was pretty decent. I know I could have done better in long jump, but overall, I was very excited to head to states for triple jump.
How did it feel to finish second in the triple jump at states?
I really wanted first place. The last few invites I had placed first in for the triple jump, so it was hard to place second. I had first, but the girl from Altoona beat me narrowly by two inches.
How were you feeling going into the day?
I went into the meet very confident because I was seeded first and predicted to win.
How did you mentally prepare?
I continued to pray and listened to music on the bus.
Reaching 38-7 is a new personal best and a new school record. What was your reaction when you jumped that distance?
I was so happy. Everyone in the crowd was happy, some were crying. I was so shocked that day. I was seeded 12th and it was assumed I wouldn’t make the finals. That last jump came out of nowhere.
How does it feel to hold two school records? (Bell holds the long jump record with a distance of 18-3).
It’s really cool, because now little girls can say, I want to beat her record. Seeing my name on the Kiski Area board for both events is really cool.
Being only a sophomore, there’s still time for you to increase those record distances. How eager are you to get back to it next year and see how far you can take these records?
I’m so ready because I know I can increase my jumping distances and see how far I can jump. I have two more years and if I believe in myself, I can go farther.
Earlier in the year you talked about how you wanted to work on your confidence this season. How confident do you feel now and where will that level be at as you look toward next year?
My confidence level has increased a lot from these last two meets because I have been placing very high.
What celebrity would you most like to meet?
I would really like to meet Lisa Leslie. She was a very good basketball player. I used to look up to her when I was little.
Last film you watched?
I just saw the Michael Jackson biopic. It was so good.
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Crab legs. I love seafood.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
My coach recently told me what my jumping stats were and said they were comparable to a Division I athlete. That makes me even more confident.
Is that something you are contemplating now? Being able to secure a track and field scholarship?
Yep, that’s something I really want to do.
What are you looking forward to most about summer?
Hanging out with my friends and getting closer with God.
William Bagley
School: Deer Lakes
Class: Senior
Sport: Track and field
Claim to fame: At the PIAA track and field championships that took place May 22-23 at Shippensburg, Bagley placed fourth in the Class 2A boys 300-meter hurdles with a time of 39.01 seconds.
What was your reaction to taking first in the 300-meter hurdles at the WPIAL championships May 14 at Slippery Rock in 39.88?
I was so surprised. I didn’t know I had that in me.
Then, after qualifying for states, you shaved 0.87 seconds off that WPIAL time and finished fourth. What were your thoughts and feelings seeing that time drop?
It was unbelievable. I was so happy to get that time. I was expecting a time drop, but nothing to that magnitude. I was expecting maybe a 39.50, but then I ran that time and was astonished. A new personal best for me.
Your coach, Brad Spence, said you ran in the eighth lane in that race, which can be difficult. What makes it so tough to run in that lane?
You have no idea how close the other people are to you because you are way at the front at the start. Sometimes you’ll end up gassing yourself too early just trying to stay ahead.
Do you ever fight the feeling to look around and see where the other racers are in relation to you?
Yeah, it was difficult to keep my head down and keep running because I was so nervous they were going to catch me.
Your mom (Lindsay Fortuna), who is the team’s hurdles coach, placed seventh in the same event back in 2003. How cool was it to place at states just as your mom had done?
It was awesome. My goal was not to get last and to do better than seventh place. I also wanted to beat her second-place finish at WPIALs and I accomplished that as well.
I also heard there was a bet going on between you and your mom that you could best her in placing. What spoils did the victor earn?
I wanted to visit my cousins in Michigan, so we went straight there after the meet.
You didn’t race hurdles until last year, when your mom became the hurdles coach. What is so difficult about mastering those hurdles and how beneficial was it to have the knowledge and experience that your mom taught you?
It was a lot easier to learn from her, because I knew her. The hardest part was starting out because going over the hurdles and not backing down before them, you have to break that mental block.
What were you hoping to work on, or focus on, coming into this season?
Endurance and form. I knew If I had those down, I would sport better times than I did last year.
What goals did you set for yourself prior to the season?
My main goal was to PR by at least a second and to win WPIALs and qualify for states.
Do you hold any school records?
Yes, just the 300 hurdles with the 39.01. It stood for 20 years at I think 40.78. We were really close in the 4-by-100 and 4-by-400 relays, but we came up short.
Do you participate in any other track and field events?
Mainly it was the 300 hurdles, the 4-by-100 and 4-by-400. But if the team needed me to run the 100-meter dash to score points, I would.
Do you participate in any other sports at Deer Lakes?
I used to play football and baseball, but this year I only focused on track.
What gets you in the zone prior to a meet?
The bus rides as a team gets me in the zone. Just being around my teammates gets me amped.
Favorite hobbies?
Right now, guitar. I got it for my birthday in January and I’ve been playing every day. I’m addicted to it.
What are you looking forward to most about summer?
Probably the little taste of adult life, see what it’s like working instead of going to school. I currently have a part-time job working for a local tree service that my stepdad and mom own and operate.
What are your plans after you graduate?
I’ll do a year of work and then I might go into the Air Force. Still trying to figure that out.
What advice would you want to leave your teammates before you leave?
Don’t be afraid to try other events. I didn’t try hurdles until last year and I wish I could have tried it freshman year because I could have had better times. You never know what you could be good at. My mom will always remind me that the driving force behind me going out for hurdles was beating her school record.