(Photo: Rose Kuchera in action! Photo Credit: Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter)
This article was written and released by Joe Tuscano of the Observer-Reporter. Please click here for the original article.
CANONSBURG – On a rainy raw day, Rose Kuchera had a hot effort.
The junior from Canon-McMillan High School became only the second female track athlete to surpass 40 feet in the triple jump.
Her first effort in the event went for 40-9, six feet longer than teammate Elisabeth Franczyk’s second place effort of 34-8 in the Washington-Greene County Coaches Track & Field Meet Saturday afternoon.
The jump was just off the WPIAL mark set by South Park’s Nikita Lewis, who leapt 41-2.5 in 1998. The WPIAL’s Class 2A mark is 39-4.75, set by Union’s Cameron Lewis in 2009. Kuchera’s effort set the meet record.
“It was a big goal of mine coming into this meet,” said Kuchera. “My last PR was a 39-9 but today I jumped 40-9 so I beat my previous PR by a foot.”
Kuchera won the long jump with a 19-06.25 effort and the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.54. Those victories, plus her participation on the Big Macs 400-meter relay, which finished first made her the Field MVP in the girls meet.
Kuchera won the triple jump and 100-meter hurdles and finished third in the 400-meter relay and fifth in the long jump at the WPIAL Class AAA Track & Field Championships at Slippery Rock University last year.
At the PIAA championships at Shippensburg University, Kuchera started in lane 7 in the Class 3A 100-meter hurdles but turned that into one of her best efforts of the season.
Kuchera finished second in the event, turning in a time of 14.75. Teghan Sydnor of Strath Haven won the event in 14.71.
Kuchera said her most recent success might have come because of the site of Saturday’s event.
“I don’t know if I’m a bad-weather jumper,” she said. “I know that I got a good warmup and it’s really nice to get the home-field advantage.”
Kuchera hit the big jump on her first of four attempts. Her second jump was 38, third was 39 and fourth was 40.
“It was the goal,” said Kuchera. “I didn’t know if it would happen with the weather but it was definitely the goal.”
Angelina Massey, a junior from Ringgold, was named the Combined MVP after finishing tied for first place in the 200-meter dash with Bennett Pidro of Canon-McMillan, taking second place in the 100, winning the 400 and finishing third in the high jump.
“Bennett and I battle back and forth,” said Massey. “I don’t mind the weather. I don’t like the hot weather. I don’t necessarily like the rain and the wind but it’s OK.”
Pidro doesn’t like the wind but the cool temperatures are fine. She won the 100 in 12.54.
“As soon as the wind picks up, I’m not happy about it,” Pidro said. “I don’t pay that much attention to it in the sprints.”
Kaylee Foringer of Trinity won the Track MVP with second-place finishes in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 runs.
“I’m a little sore because I had a meet two days ago,” said Foringer, a junior. “My expectations are to go to WPIALs and try very hard to move on to states.”
Meagan McKenna (2:24.55) of Peters Township won the 800 and 1,600. Grace Senneway (11:31.42) of Peters Township took first in the 3,200.
Franczyk crossed first in the 300 hurdles and Canon-McMillan swept the relays. Kaitlyn Devine of Peters Township won the high jump and teammate Tessa Hazzard took the pole vault.
Maggie Clair of C-M won the shot put. Burgettstown’s Miley Constant was first in the discus and Peyton Mermom did the same in the javelin.
Canon-McMillan dominated the team standings with 200.5, 67.5 more than Peters Township. Burgettstown won the Class 2A battle with 66.5 points.