D9and10Sports/Yourdailylocal is counting down what we believe are the Top 25 moments/games/performances of the 2021-22 high school sports season in District 9 and District 10. The countdown is powered by Hunter’s Station Golf Course just outside of Tionesta
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Five athletes from District 9 and District 10 were good as gold at the PIAA track and field championships.
Four athletes – Union/A-C Valley’s Baylee Blauser and Hayden Smith, Fort LeBoeuf’s Audrey Friedman, and Hickory’s Luca Bertolasio all took home gold medals in Class 2A field events – Blauser and Bertolasio in the long jump, Friedman in the javelin and Smith in the high jump.
They were joined by Redbank Valley’s Mylee Harmon on Day 2 of the championships, as the freshman won the 400-meter dash.
Smith cleared 6-5 in the high jump as District 9 and 10 athletes took gold and silver, as Seneca’s Vincent Rupp cleared 6-4 to take second.
In the girls’ long jump, Blauser proved why she was the top seed, leaping 18-6 ¾. That was enough to edge Minersville’s Devin Hubler, who went 18-4 ¾.
This was the first season of the Union/A-C Valley co-op in track and field.
Friedman, meanwhile, came in as the favorite and delivered. Her winning throw measured 142-9. Again District 10 and District 9 went 1-2, as Union/A-C Valley’s Evelyn Bliss, who came into the finals seeded ninth out of nine, uncorked a throw of 140-11.
Bertolasio, meanwhile, had quite the journey. After competing for Hickory in their District 10 Class 3A baseball semifinal game against Franklin at Slippery Rock University on the day before, he arrived at Shippensburg late the night before the competition
He had a leap of 23-11, which was good enough to win by over a foot. Justice Shoats of Holy Redeemer was second at 22-9.
Harmon, meanwhile, won in a race that came right down to the wire, as she beat Montoursville Lily Saul (57.31) and another freshman, Laurel’s Tori Atkins (57.41).
