Settling for 2nd

By Mike Kilroy
Eagle Staff Writer

BUTLER TWP — Anthony Yurkovich had the jump of his life. Travis Reed was his usual, consistently good self and the 400-meter relay team sizzled to a win.
That still wasn't enough to give the Butler boys track and field team a section title.
North Allegheny, a longtime power, was just too deep in handing the Golden Tornado an 88-62 loss at Art Bernardi Stadium on a chilly and windy Thursday afternoon.
The two teams came into the meet unbeaten in the section.
“This was for the section championship,” said Butler boys track and field coach Rick Schontz. “Our goal every season is to go undefeated and win the team title. We had a lot of good meets and the kids have gotten much, much better. We'll see what happens from here.”
Butler (5-1) still advanced to the WPIAL team playoffs, which begin Wednesday.
“When we won the WPIAL title in 2007, we lost our last meet here,” Schontz said. “So, it can happen.”
Yurkovich was outstanding for the Golden Tornado Thursday.
He won the triple jump with a leap of 43 feet, 5½ inches, more than a foot better than his previous best and Butler County best effort.
Yurkovich also had a personal best 22-¾ in the long jump.
“We had some nice performances,” Schontz said. “Anthony Yurkovich had a big day in the triple jump and the long jump, both personal bests.”
Reed was also dominant, claiming victories in both the shot put and the discus and the 400 relay team of Canan Roskovski, Robert Budine, Tyler Roudybush and Jake Alston took home a first place with a time of 45.52 seconds.
The Butler girls also fell to North Allegheny, 87-63.
The loss knocked the Golden Tornado (4-2) out of the WPIAL team playoffs.
Kennedy Evans won the 100 hurdles and the long jump and Paige Allen claimed wins in the 100 and 200.
Ava Bonneti also won the shot and the discus to pace Butler.
The Golden Tornado, though, were swept in the relays.
“It's hard to win a meet when you don't in a relay,” said Butler girls track and field coach Annessa Steele.
Butler's fate came down to this meet: win and they shared the section title; lose and they were out of the playoffs.
Shaler finished second behind North Allegheny (6-0).
“That's the hard part about our section; we have such a strong section,” Steele said. “Shaler was runner-up in the WPIAL last year and NA year after year is tough. The three of us go back and forth every year. We have such dominant teams in the north and in this section, it's hard to be disappointed when the competition is so great. It's just never going to be easy to get through.”
Boys
North Allegheny 88, Butler 62
3,200 relay: North Allegheny 8:09.95; 110 hurdles: Isaac (NA) 15.49; 100 dash: Baum (NA) 11.30; 1,600 run: Love (NA) 4:32.54; 400 run: Baum (NA) 52.23; 400 relay: Butler (Canan Roskovski, Robert Budine, Tyler Roudybush, Jake Alston) 45.52; 300 hurdles: Isaac (NA) 41.27; 800 run: Luco (NA) 2:02.28; 200 dash: Sinetts (NA) 22.98; 3,200 run: Love (NA) N/A; 1,600 relay: North Allegheny 3:36.49
Shot put: Travis Reed (B) 47-9.5; Discus: Reed (B) 151-6; Javelin: Stephen Shoemaker (B) 161-0; High jump: NA; Long jump: Anthony Yurkovich (B) 22-0.75; Triple jump: Yurkovich (B) 43-5.5; Pole vault: NA 12-0
Girls
North Allegheny 87, Butler 63
3,200 relay: North Allegheny 10:30.4; 100 hurdles: Kennedy Evans (B) 16.85; 100 dash: Paige Allen (B) 12.76; 1,600 run: Davison (NA) 5:20.45; 400 run: Gambill (NA) 1:00.83; 400 relay: North Allegheny 51.83; 300 hurdles: Harvey (NA) 49.8; 800 run: Gambill (NA) 2:27.63; 200 dash: Allen (B) 26.62; 3,200 run: Davison (NA) 11:56.10; 1,600 relay: North Allegheny
Shot put: Ava Bonetti (B) 37-0; Discus: Bonetti (B) 123-5; Javelin: Leto (NA) 116-3; High jump: Julia Baxter (B) 5-4; Long jump: Evans (B) 16-2.5; Triple jump: Cavanaugh (NA) 34-7.5; Pole vault: Mancuso (NA) 10-6