Last but certainly not least for Upper St. Clair senior

Tri-State Sports & News Service

There’s just something about that final jump that lights a fire under Harvey Kane.

The latest flame allowed the kid who grew up in California to end his high school career as a Pennsylvania state champion.

Kane, a senior at Upper St. Clair, leaped to the PIAA Class 3A title in the long jump Saturday at Shippensburg University. After five attempts, Kane’s best mark was 22-3, which would have been good enough for fourth place. But Kane had one final attempt and he made the most of it by soaring 23-¼ to become Upper St. Clair’s first PIAA gold medalist since Rob Rankin won the shot put in 2004.

It wasn’t the first time Kane used a big final jump to win a state title. He did the same at this year’s indoor championships.

“For some reason, pressure helps me,” Kane said. “I’m not sure what it is. I always jump well my last jump, too, for whatever reason. Both indoor and outdoor it was my final jump that won it.”

Kane and his family resided in a suburb of Sacramento, Calif., before moving to Upper St. Clair after his sophomore year at Jesuit High School. Kane was the runner-up in the long jump at the WPIAL championships in both his junior and senior seasons. He also placed third in the high jump this season.

“It’s been an amazing journey. I’ve just been practicing every season and it just clicked recently for the high jump and long jump,” said Kane, who will compete at Duquesne next season.

WPIAL champ picks prom

Courtney Phoennik said the PIAA championships were in the back of her mind all season, as in if she qualified, would she go? Her decision might have surprised some, especially considering she was a WPIAL champion.

Phoennik, a senior at South Fayette, won the WPIAL Class 3A triple jump championship two weeks ago. Phoennik, though, did not compete at the PIAA championships — she instead chose to attend South Fayette’s prom. Preliminaries in the triple jump were held Friday afternoon and the prom took place that night. South Fayette High School is about a three-hour drive from Shippensburg University.

“It was a really tough choice,” Phoennik said. “I was thinking about it all season and how they are on the same day. And every year people from South Fayette have to pick one or the other. Some people try to do both. I didn’t think I’d be able to do both with the triple jump being in the afternoon. What ended up making the decision was that I know I’m not jumping in college and I didn’t want to miss out on being with my friends at the prom.”

Phoennik will be attending the University of Dayton, but will not compete in track and field.

Forsythe wins PIAA gold

Winchester Thurston junior Tristan Forsythe thought he was on his way to winning his first state title last fall, but he let a late lead slip away before finishing third at the PIAA Class 1A cross country championships. Forsythe got a bit of redemption Saturday.

Forsythe claimed the title in the Class 2A 1,600 by running an impressive time of 4:12.46. The time was a personal best and helped him become the first Winchester Thurston boy to win a PIAA track and field gold medal. Former girls star Cassie Richards won five gold medals from 19992001. Forsythe won a WPIAL title a week earlier.

“It was really just an up and down season,” Forsythe said, “but I got on the starting line at states and I knew that if I gave everything I had that hopefully my fitness would be there and I wouldbe able to get it done.”

Kalin earns high marks

Pine-Richland’s Amanda Kalin was already considered one of the WPIAL’s best athletes through her excellence in basketball and soccer. What she accomplished in just her first year of running track only further proved how special of a talent Kalin is.

Kalin ran a time of 2:10.09 in the 800 at the PIAA Class 3A championships. No WPIAL girl has ran a faster time … ever. Kalin broke a mark previously held by Shaler graduate Brianna Schwartz (2:10.15). As good as Kalin’s time was, it didn’t earn her a gold medal. She finished fourth after placing second at the WPIAL championships. Kalin was the Class 6A state player of the year in basketball her senior season and will play that sport at Duquesne.