Freeport Boys Track

Call them the Triumvirate of Track, 2004 Edition. The Alle-Kiski version of the Triple Crown--almost. Of course, that only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Nevertheless, three high school track teams this spring from the Alle-Kiski area finished their season with a bit of flourish, on a strong note--and that is an understatement. The Freeport boys, the Kiski Area boys, and the Freeport girls all put the lid on an incredible season by winding up in the WPIAL finals.

The Yellow Jacket Sweep

"Our goal is always to win the section, get to playoffs--anything can happen," said Bill Dillen, Freeport's coach. His Yellow Jackets' boys' team ran away with the WPIAL championship last year, and lost 14 seniors; who knew what would happen this year? What happened was the Jackets put together another undefeated season, to go back-to-back with last year's undefeated season. "We had some adversity during the year with illnesses and other things," said Dillen. But "the kids stepped up and everybody did a good job." The Yellow Jackets have not lost a section meet since 2001 and now have a three-peat as section champs.

The crowning touch to the whole 2004 season all came down to the last event in the WPIAL finals, the pole vault. The meet had run neck and neck the entire meet. But the Jackets took first and second in the pole vault to win the meet and AA WPIAL championship, 75 1/2 to 74 1/2 over Southmoreland.

Kiski Area Boys Track

Dillen said "We are a very focused team. We got a chance to defend our championship and did that. It was a total team effort…everybody competed as a team--that was why we won it." It is the first time a Freeport track team has won back-to-back WPIAL track championships. The '57-'58 Yellow Jackets' baseball squad was the last Freeport team to win back-to-back championships.

The Cavaliers' Charge

It was another tight race in the charge for the AAA WPIAL championship by the Kiski Area boys. It, too, went neck-and-neck the entire meet, and it too was down-to-the-wire at the pole vaults. It could have easily gone either way. It didn't go the right way for the Cavs. "Super team, super kids on the team," said Cavalier Coach Bill Karazsia. The meet had been highlighted by a relay race when one of the regulars went down with illness and a replacement had to step in. Doug Francart came in at the last minute to run the first leg and gave the Cavs a solid lead.

But at the last quarter-lap, a runner from another school pulled a few feet ahead of Kiski's Luke Duriancik, then another runner started to pass him up, just yards from the finish line. From a distance, it looked like as he went across the line, Duriancik stumbled and fell. Really, instead, Duriancik lept towards the finish line, diving to the ground and passing the tape to rip victory out of the hands and feet of the nearest two competitors. Kiski walked away with the win thanks to the aggressive competitiveness of the squad.

Freeport Girls' Track

Shawn Laughlin boldly and fearlessly went where he had not gone before in the pole vaults, attempting to give the Cavs the crown. He even raised the bar by six inches on his previous best record of 11" feet. Pittsburgh Central Catholic's pole vaulter raised his own personal best too, however, and the Cavs came up two points short for the meet, 76-74. The Kiski Cavaliers finished their season as AAA WPIAL Runner-Ups. Be sure to see video clips and an interview with some of the Cavs' squad and coach at http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/748 Photos of the meet may be found here: http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/gallery/Sports/Track/2003%20-