Greensburg Salem junior among top 800 runners in history
When Malia Anderson began her running career competing for a local YMCA when she was in kindergarten, she admits it wasn’t always fun.
“I used to cry I was so nervous,” Anderson said.
Years later, those tears and that anxiety have been replaced with smiles and first-place finishes … lots of them.
Anderson, a junior at Greensburg Salem, is already one of the fastest 800-meter runners in WPIAL history. She ran a 2:11.28 at last year’s PIAA Class 3A championships, best in school history and the ninth-fastest time ever by a WPIAL girl. Not bad for a sophomore. “I didn’t even expect to stick with the 800. I thought I would move up to the mile, so I was surprised when that happened,” Anderson said.
Anderson is off to an outstanding start to her junior season. She has already won titles at the Butler Invitational and Westmoreland County Coaches Association championships. She ran a seasonbest time of 2:16.49 at the Butler Invitational. Anderson will compete at the Pine-Richland Invitational on Friday.
This season, Anderson said one of her biggest goals is running faster than 2:10.00. No girl in WPIAL history has ever done it. Former Pine-Richland multi-sport star Amanda Kalin ran a 2:10.09 last season, which is the No. 1 mark all time.
Claiming WPIAL and PIAA titles would be sweet, as well.
“Yeah, that would be great. My dad and I have talked about that,” Anderson said.
Anderson placed third at the WPIAL championships last season after finishing seventh as a freshman. She went on to place sixth at the PIAA championships. Her top competition at WPIALs this season should be defending champion Maddie Salek of West Allegheny and Butler’s Liz Simms.
Gateway
For the second time in two weeks, a Gateway track and field athlete committed to a Division I football program while competing at an invitational.
Courtney Jackson, a 5-11 junior wide receiver, committed to Syracuse last Friday. Jackson said he informed a Syracuse coach of his attentions a few days earlier, but didn’t announce his commitment publicly until he fired out a tweet Friday while at the Mars Invitational. The move was similar to what teammate Jeremiah Josephs did at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association championships when he committed to Miami of Ohio.
Jackson is having an excellent track season. His speciality is the triple jump. He took home titles at the TSTCA championships and Mars Invitational. Jackson’s PR is 44 feet, 6 inches. Jackson placed seventh at last year’s WPIAL Class 3A championships.
“After being so close last season, my goal this season is to make it to states. If I have my best jump at WPIALs, I’ll get first place and make it to states,” said Jackson, who also hopes to compete in the long jump and 400 relay at WPIALs.
As for his football decision, Jackson said he chose Syracuse over West Virginia. As a junior, he had 96 catches for 1,916 yards and 27 touchdowns for a Gateway team that won the WPIAL Class 5A championship.
“I thought they treated me like a priority, like they really wanted me” Jackson said of Syracuse.
Another Gateway track athlete to keep an eye on is sophomore Nana Adusepoku, who won the 400 at the Mars Invitational. Jackson called Adusepoku the fastest member of the team, a bold statement considering football stars Jackson, Josephs, Travis Thompson and Derrick Davis are also on the team.
Penn Relays
Running at one of the most prestigious meets in the country, Upper St. Clair senior Savannah Shaw shined last Thursday, placing third in the mile at the Penn Relays. Shaw finished in 4:55.74 at the meet held at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
Shaw was one of several WPIAL athletes who took park in the event, which is the oldest and largest track and field meet in the United States. Seneca Valley’s Zach Gehm placed seventh in the discus, South Park’s Maura Huwalt eighth in the discus, Mt. Lebanon’s Molly Mangan 14th in the 400 hurdles, and Brownsville’s Gionna Quarzo 15th in the 3,000.
North Allegheny’s Ayden Owens had originally planned to compete in the 400 hurdles Saturday morning, but elected not to participate because North Allegheny’s prom was that night.