Ten track and field athletes have weathered the storms of the season and earned qualification for the WPIAL Championships, which will be held Thursday, May 14, at Slippery Rock University.
Leading the group is senior Brady McCarthy, who, a few weeks ago in a dual meet against Trinity, broke a 33-year-old school record in the pole vault with a clearance of 13 feet, 10 inches. At last week’s Last Chance Meet, he raised the bar yet again, breaking his own school record with a vault of 14 feet. Brady is currently seeded 10th and will look to either hit the state qualifying standard of 14 feet, 3 inches or finish among the top four in the event.
Also at the helm is senior Autumn Flowers, who glides over hurdles like a skipping stone across water. She has placed in the top four of the 100-meter hurdles at every invitational this season and already surpassed the state qualifying standard with her season-best time of 14.94, set at Trinity a few weeks ago. Autumn sits No. 2 on Bethel’s all-time list, currently owns the fifth-fastest time in the WPIAL field, and ranks among the top 10 seniors in the state. She’ll now look to officially lock in her spot at states.
Also competing in the 100-meter hurdles is freshman Taylor Bruckner. Taylor has placed in the top eight at every invitational this season and is currently the No. 1-ranked freshman in the WPIAL and No. 2-ranked freshman in the state. She also sits No. 4 on Bethel’s all-time list and will look to shave one-tenth of a second off her time to meet the state qualifying standard of 15.4.
The girls 4x800-meter relay team has consistently been among the top eight teams at invitationals throughout the season. Juniors Elaine Flaherty and Iyonna Sloan, sophomore Jenna Benlock, and freshman Molly McGrath make up the quartet, with sophomore Charlize Richards serving as the alternate.
Sloan, who also serves as a defenseman on the girls lacrosse team, will compete in the girls 400-meter dash as well. She currently owns a top-10 time in the WPIAL in the event.
Junior Francesca Balkovec will compete in both the girls pole vault and triple jump. She has been a force in both events all season, consistently placing at invitationals. Francesca ranks among the top 20 pole vaulters in the state as a junior, sits second on Bethel’s all-time list in the triple jump, and ranks 10th all-time in the pole vault.
Sophomore Fiona O’Neill has turned in an impressive season in both the shot put and discus, placing at every invitational this year. She ranks 10th in the state among sophomores in the discus and owns the eighth-farthest throw in the WPIAL field. Fiona also ranks fifth on Bethel’s all-time list in the discus and sixth in the shot put.
Good luck to all of our athletes as they compete on one of the biggest stages of the season and showcase the incredible talent, determination, and pride of Bethel Park track and field!