Ethan Beers

SLIPPERY ROCK — Youngsville High School is not going down quietly.

A day after both its softball and baseball teams secured berths for the PIAA District 10 playoffs, junior Ethan Beers qualified for state competition with his performances at the District 10 Class AA Track & Field Championships Saturday at Slippery Rock University.

Beers finished second in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 3 inches as well as second in the triple jump clearing 44 feet, 0.25 inches — both good enough to qualify for this weekend’s PIAA Class AA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University.

Beers’ distance in the long jump broke a longstanding school record, previously held by Paul Yucha, who reached 22 feet, 1 inch in 1970.

Beers also medaled in the high jump competition, finishing seventh. The top eight finishers in each competition received medals with the top two (as well as those meeting state qualifying standards) advancing to the PIAA meet.

While Beers will be the lone county representative to compete at the Class AA state meet, he was far from the county’s only medal winner on Saturday.

Eagles sophomore Chase Myers won a pair of medals with her performances in the 110 hurdles as well as the high jump. Myers was sixth in the 110 hurdles finishing in 16.23 seconds as well as sixth in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 11 inches. Myers rounded out his day with a top-10 finish in the 300 hurdles.

Youngsville freshman Aiden Eger earned his first D10 medal by finishing seventh in the javelin. The impressive freshman’s best throw of the day covered 148 feet, 4 inches.

Eisenhower’s boys and girls track & field teams also had plenty of medal winners sprinkled throughout the day. Those standouts included Joe Gigliotti who was a two-time medal winner by claiming fifth in the 1600 (4:38.77) and seventh in the 3200 (10:15.66).

Teammate Joe Mistretta was sixth in the 800 with a finishing time of 2:05.71 while Marissa Gourley claimed seventh in the 100 hurdles (17.35) and Rosalie Rondeau was seventh in the long jump (16 feet, 2.75 inches). Rondeau’s busy day also included an 11th in both the 200 and triple jump as well as a 15th in the 100 while Gourley was also 17th in the 300 hurdles.

Rounding out the county’s medal winners was Eisenhower’s 4×800 relay team of Laney Belcher, Izzy Grosch, Emily Grosch and Peyton Kellogg, who finished seventh with a run of 10:37.27.

Also competing for the Eagles on Saturday was sophomore Ollie Boozer who had strong performances in the high jump (ninth) and triple jump (13th).

The Knights also got strong outings from Emily Grosch (ninth, 800), Belcher (10th, 400), Bryceton Wilkins (16th, high jump), Easton Fitzgerald (17th, 400) and JE Unida (18th, triple jump). Ike’s girls 4×400 relay team of Leah Morrison, Lainey Font, Belcher and Emily Grosch was 10th while the 4×100 relay team of Font, Gourley, Morrison and Belcher was 11th.