The Class-AA District 6 Track and Field championships take place today at Altoona’s Mansion Park. From all indications, the two local schools could come home with a large number of qualifiers for the PIAA state meet at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium, on May 26-27. The top three in each event, as well as those who reach the PIAA qualifying standard advance to the state meet.
All seeds for the district meet have been determined by standards set by the participants in track and field meets during the season.
Tyrone senior Emily Ingle, the top seed in both the 800 (2:18.94) and 1600 (5:03.04) and third seed in the 3200 (11:45.24), and Bellwood-Antis junior Brandon Pruznak, top seed in the 400 (51.36), second seed in the 200 (22.82) and a member of the Blue Devils’ 1600 relay that is seeded second (3:31.72) are the top seeds among the local competitors, but both will be joined by many teammates eager to perform.
Tyrone junior Liz Tepsic is seeded second in the girls triple jump (35-1) and third in the 100 IM hurdles (16.04) and Lady Eagle freshman sensation Kayla Patton is the third seed in the 400 (1:01.14).
The Tyrone boys 400 relay team of Johnny Franco, Leonard Wilson, Tyler Gillmen and Trey Brockett have the third seed (45.14), and Brockett has the Eagles highest individual seed, with a second seed in the triple jump (44-1).
Joining Pruznak for the Bellwood-Antis boys will be Ben Hatch, who was the second seed in the 800 (1:59.00) and third seed in the 400 (52.86), as well as being a member of the B-A 1600 relay joining Pruznak, Adam Mueller and Dustin Harris. Ricky Shawley is tied for the top seed in the pole vault (12-6) with Michael Brant of Westmont-Hilltop, and Brandon Humphreys is the third seed in the long jump (21-5 1/2).
Ashley Mueller is the first seed for the Bellwood-Antis girls in the 300 low hurdles (49.57) and the Lady Blue Devils also have the third seed in both the 400 (51.64) and 1600 (4:14.21) relays. Lauren Carter, Erica Greene, Lauren Leap and Mueller have been running the 400 relay and the 1600 relay has been composed of Leap, Kelly Killinger, Carter and Chelsea Wilson.
The District 6-AA meet will get underway at 3:30 p.m. today, with the first heats in running events, while the field events will begin at 4 p.m. Most of the track finals will be run after 6 p.m.
