PIAA District 2 Track & Field Championships – Day One Recap
By: Nate Johns | Sportzwire | May 12, 2025 | Photo courtesy Bradley Dieffenbacher
It was a beautiful day on May 12 at Scranton Memorial Stadium, perfect for the first day of the PIAA District 2 Track and Field Championships. While the weather has led to questions about when Day Two will take place, the first day had some undeniably fantastic finishes and results. Here are the team standings and the highlights:
AA Boys Team Standings (7 events scored)
Mid Valley – 49.25
Dunmore – 35
Elk Lake – 32
Susquehanna – 30
Lakeland – 22
Mid Valley finished the day with seven Spartans on the podium, headlined by Gavin Rapoch winning gold in the Javelin with a throw of 163-03.00 to qualify for states, and Jakob Lesher winning the High Jump with a height of 6-03.00. Lesher qualified for states along with Dunmore high jumpers Josh Dudick and Carter Sload. They will be joined by their Dunmore teammate Cole Fangio, who qualified for states with a time of 41.00 seconds in the 300 Meter Hurdles.
In the 3,200 Meter Dash, Kendel Jones of Elk Lake won gold and qualified for states with a time of 9:27.16. Avery Ronchi of Lackawanna Trail and Mid Valley’s Matthew Repecki also qualified for states.
In the Discus, Hayden Mundrake took first place and qualified for states with a throw of 149-10.00. Brayden Rose made states by winning the Long Jump with a distance of 21-05.75. The last AA state qualifier was the Lake-Lehman Boys 4x800 Relay team of Stephen Martin, Nicco Diana, Finn Cronin, and Bodhi Cronin, who won the race with a time of 8:08.65.
AA Girls Team Standings (7 events scored)
Lakeland – 60.50
Lake-Lehman – 41.50
Western Wayne – 32.50
Mid Valley – 28
Elk Lake – 26
The Lady Chiefs got out to a big lead thanks to first-place performances from high jumper Naomi Rude, who qualified for states with a jump of 5-00.00, and javelin thrower and 300 Meter Hurdler Kaylyn Davis. Davis qualified for states with her throw of 128-01.00 and also in the 300 Meter Hurdles with a time of 47.06 seconds. She came in second to Natalie Talluto, who won with a time of 45.49 seconds to also qualify for states. Talluto will also run in the finals for the 100 Meter Dash and 100 Meter Hurdles on Day Two.
Gianna Tewksbury qualified for states in the Discus Throw with a mark of 124-01.00. Sophia Lenza of Lake-Lehman qualified for states with a first-place finish in the Long Jump with a distance of 16-08.00. The Black Knights’ 4x800 Relay team also qualified for states and won gold with a time of 9:50.58. Annika Von Ahnen won the 3,200 Meter Dash and qualified for states with a time of 11:43.21.
AAA Boys Team Standings (6 events scored)
Hazleton – 30
Crestwood – 24
Wyoming Area – 23
T4. Scranton – 22
T4. Abington Heights – 22
The Hazleton Area Cougars started off with two gold medals and state-qualifying finishes from their 4x800 Relay team of Owen Pollock, Franklin Ritz, Gavin Adams, and Christian Matos. They were joined by teammate Kevin Lucas, who won the Triple Jump with a jump of 45-08.25. Cole West of North Pocono also qualified for states with a triple jump of 40-07.50.
Tommy Fiorelli of Valley View qualified for states by winning gold in the Shot Put with a throw of 52-01.00. For the home team Scranton, Jhaven Sims-Pagan took first place in the 300 Meter Hurdles and qualified for states with a time of 40.61 seconds.
In the 3,200 Meter Dash, Mason Staude punched his ticket to Shippensburg with a time of 9:51.14—more than 15 seconds ahead of second place. The Cougars closed out Day One with a first-place finish and state qualification from pole vaulter Darren Seiwell, who cleared 13-09.00.
AAA Girls Team Standings (6 events scored)
Dallas – 43
Abington Heights – 39.33
Delaware Valley – 28
Wyoming Area – 26
Crestwood – 21.33
The Lady Mountaineers had three gold medalists and state qualifiers on Day One. Morgan Langdon took first in the Shot Put with a throw of 38-00.00, Madison Hedglin won the 3,200 Meter Dash with a time of 10:44.58, and Julia Natitus won the 300 Meter Hurdles in 43.00. She will be joined at states by Wyoming Area’s Ella McKernan, who finished second in 46.12.
Hedglin will see some familiar faces at states, including Katie Kozich of Crestwood and Anna Pucilowski, who qualified with times of 10:55.93 and 10:58.62, respectively. Abington Heights will also send their gold medal-winning 4x800 Relay team of Marguerite Coleman, Erin Bartell, Reese Morgan, and Calli Gillboy, who finished with a time of 9:29.45.
The Triple Jump saw four participants qualify for states: gold medalist Nevaeh Baran of Nanticoke with a jump of 40-04.00, Tomara Seid of Abington Heights with 38-08.50, Taylor Gashi from Wyoming Area with 37-05.00, and Sophia Shults of Hazleton with 36-10.00. Seid also qualified for states in the Pole Vault with a mark of 12-00.00 but finished second behind gold medalist Liliana Coe of Delaware Valley, who also cleared 12-00.00 but had fewer misses to claim first place.
Day Two is currently scheduled for May 13 at 3:00 PM at Scranton Memorial Stadium.
