Tornado track and field splits section meet with Shaler


 


 

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Butler's Paige Allen ahead of a Shalerrunner in the 100yd run at Butler on Tuesday. 
DAVE PRELOSKY/BUTLER EAGLE

 

 

 

BUTLER TWP — On Tuesday, the Butler boys track and field team got the performance they wanted. 
The
Butler girls track team, perhaps the performance they needed. 
The Tornado boys cruised to a 124-26 victory over Shaler while the girls team was edged by the Titans, 77-73, with the meet coming down to the final event, the pole vault. 
Becky Arturo won the event for
Butler by clearing 9-6, but Shaler took a second place that proved to be the difference. 
“I knew it would be close, but the bottom line was they came to compete,”
Butler girls coach Annessa Steele said. “In the long run, we needed this. Going through the section, we needed someone to kick our butt, to motivate us.” 
Paige Allen won the 100 (12.61) and 200 (26.11) and was a member of the winning 400 relay along with Lexis Frost, Kennedy Evans and Jasmine Bailey (50.58). 
Frost also won the 110 hurdles (16.06) and Bailey the 400 (59.2). 
“Those four are our go-to girls on the track,” Steele said. “Those four kids have done anything we've asked.” 
In the field,
Butler (2-1) did win four of the seven events, which also included Ava Bonetti in the shot put (34-2Z\x), Paige Rittelmann in the high jump (5-4) and Natalie Barkus in the javelin (114-1). 
“We needed Natalie to come up big in the javelin,” Steele said. “She threw what I asked her to. The Shaler coach asked me, ‘Where did she come from?'” 
In the boys meet, the Tornado (2-1) dominated the Titans, sweeping the top-three places in six of the seven field events and 10 of 18. They won 15 events overall. 
Junior Travis Reed won the shot put (48-4) and discus (147-1) to lead the field contingent, which outscored the Titans by a 59-4 margin. 
“Travis had a nice throw in the discus, his personal best,” said
Butler coach Rick Schontz. “He's really starting to mature.” 
Other double individual winners were Colin Williamson in the 100 hurdles (15.69) and 200 (23.4) and Mick Fennell in the 100 (11.65) and long jump (20-2½). 
Fennell also captured second in the 200 behind Williamson. 
The duo are senior members of the
Butler baseball team, taking part not only in their first meet of the year, but first in their varsity careers. 
“Today, they came up big,” Schontz said. “They came out for indoor to get in shape for baseball. They told me they liked it and said they'd like to come out in the spring. 
“I told them if the coach (baseball coach Todd Erdos) didn't mind, they could do it. Colin had a 15.6 and that's a good time this time of year, especially this time of year with no training. It's nice to have them on the team. They're great kids and great athletes,” Schontz added. 
Next up, the Tornado squads will take part in the Butler Invitational on April 13. 
Boys 
Butler 124, Shaler 26 
Track Events 
3,200-meter relay:
 Butler (Jordan Cratty, Matt Steighner, Jerome Kreible, Sean Rundle) 8:44.4; 110 hurdles: Colin Williamson (B) 15.69; 100 dash: Mickey Fennell (B) 11.65; 1,600 run: Shaler 4;40.8;400 dash: Hughes (S) 53.28; 400 relay: Butler (Demetrius Lockley, Canan Roskovski, Bobby Vernick, Bobby Burnick) 45.98; 300-meter hurdles: Carlos Sanchez (B) 43.44; 800-meter run: Geibel (B) 2:09.26; 200-meter dash: Colin Williamson (B) 23.4; 3,200-meter run: Shaler; 1,600-meter relay: Butler (Geibel, Matt Steighner, Sean Rundle, Darnell Benguche) 3:48.7 
Field Events 
High jump: 
Anthony Jurkovich (B) 5-8; Long jump: Mickey Fennell (B) 20-2.5; Triple jump: Spencer Murray (B) 42-1.5; Shot put: Travis Reed (B) 48-4; Discus: Travis Reed (B) 147-1; Javelin: Brandon reamer (B) 151-10; Pole vault: Josh DiPippa (B) 12-0 
Girls 
Shaler 77, Butler 73 
Track Events 
3,200-meter relay: 
Shaler 10:09.7; 100 hurdles: Lexis Frost (B) 16.06; 100 dash: Paige Allen (B) 12.61; 1,600 run: Shaler 5;36.4; 400 dash: Jasmine Bailey 59.2; 400 relay: Butler (Paige Allen, Lexis Frost, Kennedy Evans, Jasmine Bailey) 50.58; 300 hurdles: Shaler 47.59; 800 run: Shaler 2:27.2; 200 dash: Paige Allen (B) 26.11; 3,200 run: Shaler 12;14.0; 1,600 relay: Shaler 4;13.0 
Field Events 
High jump: 
Paige Rittelmann (B) 5-4; Long jump: Shaler 16-3.75; Triple jump: Shaler 34-11; Shot put: Ava Bonetti (B) 34-2.5; Discus: Shaler; Javelin: Natalie Barkus (B) 114-1; Pole vault: Becky Arturo (B) 9-6