NA’s Owens wins three events for second consecutive year

team. Not bad for someone who didn’t start running track until last year, and runs for a school that doesn’t have a track.

“He was going around here today saying he’s Secretariat and he’s going to win the triple crown,” Aliquippa coach Sherman McBride said with a laugh.

Aliquippa’s 400 relay team won for the fifth consecutive year and the 12th time since 2004.

Besides Devonshire, the team consisted of Quantavius Smith, Davion Harris and Avante McKenzie. Devonshire is being recruited heavily in football as a defensive back. He said Ohio State, Indiana and West Virginia are his top schools right now.

Tomlin came back after the 100 and won the 300 hurdles with a time of 38.6.

Two records for Owens

While one of Devonshire’s three gold medals came from a relay, North Allegheny senior Ayden Owens won three Class 3A individual events for the second consecutive year. Two in record times.

Owens put on a terrific performance, setting championship meet records in both hurdles events, winning the 110s in 13.68 and the 300s in 36.65.

He also won the long jump with a leap of 24 feet, ½ inch. And on top of that, he anchored North Allegheny’s 1,600 relay-team to a firstplace finish.

“That’s all I thought about coming in here was records in both hurdles,” said Owens. “I knew I couldn’t get the record in the long jump, but that was a [personal best].”

Owens is one of the few athletes in WPIAL history to win both hurdles events in the largest classification in back-to-back years. He is a Southern California recruit who will compete in the decathlon at USC.

Pole vault record

You set a record, but it still doesn’t measure up to your best.

That was the story of Waynesburg pole vaulter Will Behm, who set a Class 2A record by clearing 1410. But Behm cleared 15-0 earlier this season.

“Obviously, I’m happy with the record, but reviewing my jumps, my technique wasn’t that good,” said Behm. “So I didn’t match my best.”

But Behm has improved greatly from a year ago when he cleared only 12-6 at the WPIAL championships.

Willing his way

Seneca Valley senior Will Behm had personal bests in three different Class 3A events, and won two. He finished first in the javelin (1939) and discus (189-0) and second in the shot put (53-6¾).

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I’ve been a freshman,” said Gehm. “I’ve been in the shadow of Jordan Geist and some other really good throwers [in past years]. It’s amazing to come out on top and show that I’m a champion and that I put in all that work.”

Other highlights

• McKeesport’s Terron Taylor was a big scorer in basketball, and now he’s a WPIAL champ in the high jump. Taylor stands 6 feet 5, but he went two inches higher to win the 3A high jump at 6-7. He only started track and field a year ago and his previous best was 6-4.

• Speaking of a standout in another sport who won a title, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic’s Joe Kearney won the 2A long jump (228). He led the entire WPIAL in goals scored last soccer season.

• These Longjohns are quite the long jumpers. North Hills sophomore Elaina Longjohn won the 3A triple jump (37-3½) and was fourth in the long jump (18-2¼), while her senior brother, Drew, was fourth in the triple jump (43-2¾).