The State College Area boys track and field team captured the AAA title for the first PIAA championship in program history on Saturday at Shippensburg University. The State High girls took second place.
The Little Lion boys, led by first-year head coach Steve Shisler, totaled 54 points to beat out Downingtown West, which finished with 53 points.
Saturday’s action was highlighted by a gold medal finish by the State College 4X800 relay team of Owen Wing, Nick Feffer, Tony Degleris and Alex Milligan, which won with a school record time of 7:37.25. Milligan also claimed the 1600 meter championship with a time of 4:10.17.
In day one competition on Friday, Little Lion senior Griffin Thompson won the pole vault title. On Saturday, a second place finish in the 4X400 relay, the final race of the championships, sealed the state title for State College.
On the girls side, State College took the team silver with 32 point, trailing first-place Cheltenham’s 48. Senior Veronika Karpenko led the way for the Lady Little Lions, picking up a silver in the long jump on Saturday with a mark of 18 feet, 8.25 inches. On Friday, Karpenko earned second in the triple jump.
2016 PIAA Championships | State College Area Medalists
Boys
Triple jump – Kellin Valentine – 7th
Pole vault – Griffin Thompson – 1st
4X800 – Owen Wing, Nick Feffer, Tony Degleris, Alex Milligan – 1st
100 meter – Tristan Daman – 4th
1600 meter – Alex Milligan – 1st
800 meter – Nick Feffer – 4th
800 meter – Tony Degleris – 8th
4X400 – Alex Milligan, Noah Oesterling,Tony Degleris, Noah Woods – 2nd
Long jump – Kellin Valentine – 6th
Girls
Triple jump – Veronika Karpenko – 2nd
1600 meter – Natasha Fedkina – 6th
4X100 – Haley Crawford, Taylor Givens, Rachel Wylie, Zoe Wicks – 6th
300 meter hurdles – Rachel Wylie – 4th
200 meter – Haley Crawford – 6th
Long jump – Veronika Karpenko – 2nd
Long jump – Taylor Givens – 7th
