Change of pace for a top sprinter
One of the top sprinters in the state didn’t spend any of her time buzzing around a track this winter.
Instead, she focused on a sport that is played at a much slower pace.
Maddie Raymond was having a ball playing bocce.
Raymond, a senior at South Park, is a member of the school’s Unified Bocce team. South Park is one of 10 local school districts that sponsors the sport, which in conjunction with the Special Olympics brings together students with and without disabilities to build teamwork and friendships while learning and competing in the sport.
“She’s a good bocce player, too,” said Jeff Hufnagel, South Park’s bocce coach. “I said she’s the fastest bocce player in the league, and nobody even knows it.”
Hufnagelcertainly knows. He was the longtime track coach at South Park before giving it up after the 2019 season. Raymond was one of the first students Hufnagel approached about joining the bocce team when he formed it last winter.
“We started it last year,” Raymond said. “This year we made it to the bocce championship, which is similar to WPIAL’s. We’ve become a circle of friends, and it’s been really nice to be a part of.”
It has been a change of pace for Raymond, who will see her pace pick up considerably in the upcoming months as she looks to add to her WPIAL gold medal count and perhaps even add a PIAA gold or two to her collection.
In a perfect world, Raymond would be trying to “double” in the WPIAL Class 2A sprints for the fourth year in a row. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling the 2020 season, Raymond will have to settle for doing it three times. She took home WPIAL titles in the 100- and 200-meter dashes her freshman and sophomore seasons.
“It feels great because the last time I ran was states my sophomore year,” she said. “To be back out there is exciting. I can’t wait to see what happens this season.”
Raymond did run at New Balance Outdoor Nationals in June of 2019, but that’s the last time she has competed in a meet. Due to shutdowns caused by COVID-19, South Park has not competed in a meet yet this season, but the Eagles are hoping to get in their first one next week.
Second-year coach Sean Strauman,a former assistant under Hufnagel, is encouraged by what he has seen out of Raymond in practices.
“She’s super hungry to keep winning and she’s very competitive,” Strauman said. “She’s doing well. She fits in the system we use at South Park really well. I know she’s excited to get things going. She’s one of the leaders on the team and she’s been working hard.”
Raymond holds school records in both the 100 and 200. She boasts PRs of 12.01 in the 100 and 25.16 in the 200. That 100 time came at WPIAL’s her sophomore season and the 200 at WPIAL’s her freshman season.
Winning PIAA gold for the first time is one of Raymond’s biggest goals. She was close her sophomore season, finishing second in the 100 and third in the 200. Both of those races were won by Girard College’s Thelma Davies, who now runsat LSU.
Raymond will have lots of competition in the WPIAL alone. Among the other top
sprinters in Class 2A are Mohawk’s Hannah McDanel, Neshannock’s Neleh Nogay and Winchester Thurston’s Nya Nicholson.
“I want to [run sub-12 in the 100],” Raymond said. “I was close during states and WPIAL’s, but fell short of it. I want to go back and win a WPIAL title and hopefully bring home a gold at states.”
Raymond will be attending college close to home, as she signed to run at Robert Morris. Her sisters, Marissa and Cassie, both played soccer for the Colonials.
Butler
One meet. Two school records.
Butler junior Guinness Brown wasted little time making a big impact on the 2021 season.
Brown broke long-standing records in the 100 and 200 in a season-opening dual meet at Pine-Richland. He ran a 10.72 in the 100 and 21.65 in the 200. The 100 mark had been set by Nick Chiappini in 1999 and the 200 record set by Tom Cowoski had stood since 1967.
South Hills Classic
The first big invitational of the season is April 10 when the annual South Hills Classic takes place at West Mifflin. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the meet will be divided into two parts. Girls events will begin at 9:15 a.m. and boys events at 3:15.
Among the schools that have registered to attend are Baldwin, Penn Hills, Riverside, Aliquippa, Cathedral Prep and Wilmington.
A week later, West Mifflin will host the Tri-State Track Coaches Association Championships.