Lady Chucks track/field looks to build upon success from last year
PUNXSUTAWNEY — The Punxsutawney Lady Chucks track and field team will be in the District 9 AA classification again this season, with 22 teams in the classification.
In the past five years, the Lady Chucks have finished third or better at Districts, as they took second in 2021 behind Brookville, while also finishing second to Redbank Valley last year.
At the PIAA Championships, Punxsy sent eight athletes in 2021 and 10 in 2022, with three state medals in that two-year period.
Last year, as the team finished second at Districts, Punxsy had eight individuals and two relay teams that finished in the top six to factor into the team score. The team sent four individuals and one relay team to States, with one medal brought back.
“This year, with a strong core of returning letter winners combined with a small and unproven group of incoming girls, it should be nice to see the improvements they make as the season progresses,” said Punxsy coach John Snyder. “With the right attitude and work ethic, this group has the potential to improve upon what has been accomplished in the past two seasons.”
Starting in the distance events, the Lady Chucks will have Jordann Hicks, Emily McMahan, Hannah Surkala, Taylor Bair, Emily Bussard and Lydia Miller as returning letter winners.
Hicks was a member of the 4x800-meter relay team that took second at Districts and 13th at States last year. Also, she took third in the 800-meter run and was a member of the 4x400-meter relay team that took fourth.
This indoor track season, she was a TSTCA Championship medalist in the 800, where she placed fourth, while also being a member of the 4x400 relay team that set a new school record. Hicks finished the indoor season with a number-one time in the 4x400 relay, the second time in the mile, third in the 800, and third in the distance medley relay .
McMahan, a junior, was also a member of the 4x800-meter relay, while also finishing in seventh in the 800, just missing a medal on the podium at Districts.
Another member of the 4x800-meter relay team was Hannah Surkala, who took ninth in the 3,200meter run at Districts. During the indoor season at the TSTCA Championships, she was a member of the 4x800 relay that came in 11th.
Bair finished 11th in the 400-meter dash at Districts, and in the indoor season, she saw big improvements in the 400 and 800. She was also part of the record setting 4x400 relay team, while also taking 10th in the distance medley relay at the TSTCA Championships.
Miller was also a member of the 4x800 relay team at the TSTCA Championships, while Emily Bussard had a good indoor season.
“Despite not competing at Districts last spring as a freshman, both Emily and Lydia have had strong sophomore indoor seasons,” added Snyder.
Bussard had personal bests in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs during the indoor season, while also being part of the 10th-place distance medley relay and 4x800 relay teams at the TSTCA Championships.
Snyder added, “Making a return for their second season and looking to make improvements are Claire Skarbek and Jacinda Gigliotti. Also, Riley Miller will be in her first season of high school track and field, but she has had strong campaigns in cross country and indoor track this year, as she was a member of the record setting 4x400-meter relay team.”
In the sprints, hurdles and jumping events, returning letter winners include Olivia Bish, Danielle Griebel, Riley Doverspike, Samantha Griebel, Madison Momyer, Madison Rudolph and Abby Smith.
Bish was also a member of the 4x800 relay team at Districts last season, and in the 400, she took eighth. She was also a part of the 4x400 relay that finished in fourth.
As a junior, Danielle Griebel took 10th in the 400 and 13th in the 200-meter dash at Districts last season, and she also had good finishes during her freshman year as well. Samantha Griebel, as a freshman last year, took sixth in the high jump, while Doverspike was part of the 4x100-meter relay team that took eighth at Districts.
Despite not competing at Districts last spring as a freshmen, Madison Momyer has had a strong sophomore indoor season, of which she qualified individually in the triple jump for the TSTCA Championships and
File photos by Cody Powell/The Punxsutawney Spirit placed 11th.
“Both Madison Rudolph and Abby Smith were relay alternates a year ago, but have the opportunity to step up this season,” said Snyder. “Also, Megan Edney, Isabella Gigliotti and Abby McAdoo will all return with experience they hope to build upon this season.”
He added, “Isabella Bartlebaugh, Emma Burkett, Holly Deppen, Lilly Gigliotti, Kiah Greenawalt and Maggie Guidice are each out for their first season of outdoor track and field, with many of them having some junior high or indoor experience. Guidice was also a member on the record-setting indoor 4x400 relay team, as well as the third all-time indoor distance-medley relay team this winter.”
In the throws, Rebekah Miller, Jael Miller and Mary Grusky are all returning letter winners.
Rebekah is the returning shot put district champion, and she also placed ninth overall at States. During the indoor season, she took 14th overall in the shot put at the PTFCA State Championships.
Jael was the runner-up at Districts in the shot put, while also taking 12th in the discus and 13th in the javelin. At States, she took 11th in the shot put.
Grusky is the returning district champion in both the discus and the javelin, and she is the current school-record holder in the shot put. She is also a returning-state medalist in the javelin, of which she placed seventh. During the indoor season, she finished 13th overall in the shot put at the TSTCA Championships.
Over the summer, Grusky took part in the 15-16 division of the USATF National Youth Outdoor Championships held in New York City, where she had a throw of 140-03 in the javelin to take first in her age division.
“Also, Chalcie Gervasoni and Bella Kunselman both return with experience from last year and are looking to make an impact,” said Snyder. “Nova Shrecengost is in her first year of high school track and field with experience from junior high track and field.”
Snyder is joined by assistant coaches Ann Koppenhaver, Emily Waggoner, Krista Lowry and Tina Scully.
The Lady Chucks are set to open the 2023 season on the road to Armstrong High School in Kittanning next Thursday.