Down to the wire
Butler boys win last event to top NH


By John Enrietto
Eagle Sports Editor


BUTLER TWP - Bobby Ridley was hurting, but he didn't want to hurt his team.
So the Butler senior ignored a painful leg cramp and ran the third leg of the 1,600-meter relay Tuesday for the Golden Tornado boys track team.
Ridley joined Casey Piper, Doug Moran and anchor leg John Strutt to win the event - the last of the day - that gave Butler (2-0) a 79-71 triumph over North Hills.
The Tornado girls (2-0) completed a Butler sweep with an 88-62 triumph.
The boys meet came down to that final relay.
"Bobby told me about three minutes before that event that he wasn't sure he could run," said Butler boys coach Rick Schontz. "The trainer said he'd do what he could to get him ready, but to have someone else ready to step in just in case.
"Next thing I know, Bobby takes the track and he ran an incredible split."
Butler's dual meet win avenged a 76-74 loss at North Hills last year - another meet that came down to the final event - that cost the Tornado a WPIAL playoff spot.
A loss Tuesday might have resulted in the same thing.
"Right after I ran the 400, I felt a cramp in my lower back that shot right down my leg," Ridley said. "I've felt twinges before, but nothing like that.
"The trainer put me on the table and tried working it out. He said if I wanted to run, it was OK. If I felt 85 percent, he said to go for it.
"If the event wasn't deciding the meet, I doubt I would have run," Ridley admitted.
"He fought through it and did it for the team," Schontz said. "That was remarkable."
Moran got Butler the lead on the second leg and Ridley extended it for Strutt.
"That made it a lot easier for me," Strutt said. "Hearing the people who were here yelling and cheering when I was coming down the stretch - that gives you such an adrenaline rush."
Butler won the boys meet despite North Hills (1-1) finishing first in 10 of the 18 events.
"Our teams match up really well with each other," North Hills coach Tom Baier said. "This was good competition, clean competition. All of these kids get along with each other.
"This meet will help both teams down the road."
Matt Timko, Josh Eddy, Brad Hill and Mike Rainey-Wiles were all double-winners for the Indians. Butler had no double winners.
The Tornado ran without top sprinters Aaron Pinto and Luke Renwick. Pinto is out for the year after undergoing hip surgery and Renwick has a hamstring pull.
"I knew this would be a tight one," Schontz said. "When I scored the meet going in, I had us winning by six or seven points. But things change during the course of a meet.
"Our depth was big. That was key to the win."
The Tornado won two of the three relay events and had 20 second and third-place finishes to North Hills' 13.
Depth and youth keyed the Tornado girls' victory. Tara Maxwell was Butler's lone double-winner, claiming the shot put and discus.
"We talked in the locker room before the meet and I told the girls we had to rely on our depth to win," said Butler girls coach Rod Harris. "And I told the freshmen and sophomores we needed contributions from them."
They got plenty. Freshman Amanda Malecky won the 400 meters and anchored a pair of winning relays. Freshman Lindsey Day placed third in the 100 hurdles and long jump while freshman Krista Scott was third in the triple jump.
Sophomores Hannah Rekich, Jess Vernon, Amy Achesinski and Tess Crispin all had second-place finishes for Butler.
"Abby Herritt ran the open 800 for the first time ever and won it," Harris said. "Sarah Thiebaud, Tara Maxwell, Kendall Butch Emily Chiappini - they're our consistent point producers. They lead by example.
"North Hills has a lot of talent. We needed a total team effort to beat them and that's what we got."
Butler competes at Shaler Thursday.
Boys
Butler 79, North Hills 71
Running events
110-meter high hurdles:
1-Matt Timko (NH) 15.8 seconds;
100-meter dash:
1-Brad Hill (NH) 11.1;
1,600-meter run:
1-Josh Eddy (NH) 4:32.2;
400-meter run:
1-Doug Moran (B) 52.4;
300-meter intermediate hurdles:
1-Matt Timko (NH) 42.3;
800-meter run:
1-John Strutt (B) 2:02.2;
200-meter dash:
1-Brad Hill (NH) 23.0;
3,200-meter run:
1-Josh Eddy (NH) 9:55.9
Relay events
3,200-meter:
1-Butler (Ian Ha;ley, Brian Wiley, Corey Haley, Wade Grubbs) 8:56.7;
400-meter:
1-North Hills (Hill, Rainey-Woiles, Reith, Quinerly) 44.9;
1,600-meter:
1-Butler (Casey Piper, Doug Moran, Bobby Ridley, John Strutt) 3:34.9
Field events
Shot put:
1-Nolan Brink (B) 44 feet-6 inches;
Discus:
1-Josh Wachter (B) 124-4;
Javelin:
1-Jr. Dunn (B) 175-0;
Pole Vault:
1-Mike Calabria (NH) 12-0;
High jump:
1-Mike Rainey-Wiles (NH) 6-0;
Long jump:
1-Mike Rainey-Wiles (NH) 20-7½ ;
Triple jump:
1-Ryan Banner (B) 40-7¾
Girls
Butler 88, North Hills 62
Running events
100-meter high hurdles:
1-Staci Boretsky (NH) 16.2 seconds;
100-meter dash:
1-Kelly Hilderbrand (B) 13.0;
1,600-meter run:
1-Janielle Hunt (NH) 5:35;
400-meter run:
1-Amanda Malecky (B) 1:01.9;
300-meter low hurdles:
1-Staci Boretsky (NH) 48.5;
800-meter run:
1-Anbby Herritt (B) 2:30;
200-meter dash:
1-Marie Sydlik (NH) 28.1;
3,200-meter run:
1-Janielle Hunt (NH) 12:27.6
Relay events
3,200-meter:
1-Butler (Tess Crispin, Kate DeGeorge, Amanda Bresnehan, Amanda Malecky) 10:20.2;
400-meter:
1-North Hills (Murphy, Sydlik, Harrison, Harding) 52.8;
1600-meter:
1-Butler (Abby Herritt, Tess Crispin, Kate DeGeorge, Amanda Malecky) 4:21.0
Field events
Shot put:
1-Tara Maxwell (B) 36-7;
Discus:
1-Tara Maxwell (B) 122-4;
Javelin:
1-Manjerovic (NH) 112-8;
Pole Vault:
1-Emily Chiappini (B) 10-0;
High jump:
1-Kendall Butch (B) 5-2;
Long jump:
1-Sarah Thiebaud (B) 16-8¾;
Triple jump:
1-Diane Kress (NH) 35-10¼