WPIAL AA Track Champs: Burrell Boys State Qualifiers, Front, R-L: Jordan Pisano, Ryan Walsh, Caleb Dunn, Will Jones. Back, R-L: Mike Hudzick, Stephen Carney, Michael "Stanley" Keryeski, Tyler Henderson, Matt Ference.

The Undaunteds. The Outstandings. The Dazzlings. The Extraordinarys. And even in some cases, The Unbeatables.

No matter how you phrase it, this Spring many Alle-Kiski high school athletes rose beyond the ordinary, whether in seasons of disappointment or seasons of honor. They are the Exceptionals, and Alle-Kiski Today is proud to bring you this Spring roll call of area standouts:

The Unsurpassed: The Burrell Boys' Track Team took it to their opponents this spring, compiling a 15-0 undefeated regular-season record! Coached by Bob Kariotis, Rich Thome, and Frank Phelps, the blazin' Bucs captured Latrobe's 2005 AA Westmoreland County Coaches Association Meet crown.

And not only did Burrell beat every team they met, they also ran away with the WPIAL AA Championship Trophy! You can't beat that for great! The 2005 edition of Burrell Speedsters continue a tradition of greatness that goes back decades.

In the local AA culmination of the year, the WPIAL Individual Track and Field Tournaments, the Boys of Burrell also distinguished themselves, advanced to the State Tournaments and likely will have taken some medals by the time you read this. Jordan Pisano, Tyler Henderson, Caleb Dunn, and Steve Carney raced to third place in the 4x400m relay.

Mike Keryeski snared third place in the 800m and yet one more time pulverized the school record in the event. Keryeski, Will Jones, Matt Ference, and Ryan Walsh also knabbed fifth place WPIAL honors in the 4x800m relay, and set a new school record to boot.

Other Bucs landed WPIAL medals but did not advance to the States. Senior Bob Johnson hurled his way to sixth place in the javelin, while Josh Menhart landed in sixth place in the 300-meter hurdles. Meet the members of the Bucs' WPIAL champs in the video interview here: http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1410

The 9-2 Lady Bucs of Burrell also surpassed many others as they took Section Runner-Up. During the regular season, Jen Kalkstein eclipsed the old school record in the 400m, and as almost-always at Burrell, the Lightenin' Lady Bucs zipped through the WPIALs at breakneck speed.

Burrell Girls' Track Section Champs and State Qualifiers

WPIAL medallists who endeavored to hand-off PIAA gold to their coaches at the end of May were many: Jen Kalkstein, Kristen Szypulski, Cassie Mojoca, and Sue Kalkstein rocketed their way to second-place WPIAL silver in the 4x400m relay.

Niki Vokes, Szypulski and the Kalksteins ripped around the track to more second-place silver in the 4x100m relay. Szypulski also medalled in another event, speeding to fourth place in the 200m dash. Have a visit with some of these state qualifiers from Burrell in the video interview at: http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1416

The Girls of Greased Lightening also took WPIAL medals in other events, but weren't State qualifiers.

Cassie Majocha grabbed eighth place in the 300m hurdles. Kacy Anderson landed eighth place in the triple and high jumps, with Sue Kalstein inching ahead of her to take seventh place in the triple jump.

The Unmatched: Pacing Coach George Webb's Valley Vikings track team this year were WPIAL medallists Mycaiah Clemons, Toney Clemons and Nicole Shannon.

Senior Mycaiah Clemons not only took first-place gold at the WPIAL AAA Individuals, but she also established a new record in the WPIAL in the 100m hurdles. Clemons also finished fifth to medal in the 200m dash.

Her brother, sophomore Toney Clemons, struck pure gold in the long jump as he soared more than 20 feet to win first place in the WPIAL AA finals. Clemons, also a standout football player, ran with the 400m relay squad who took sixth place. He also medalled in the 110m hurdles with a third-place finish.

The Vikings' Nicole Shannon went beyond anything she'd done in her career at the WPIAL Championships. Shannon ripped a javelin through the air for over 188 feet to land third place medal.

Burrell's Jen Kalkstein

But Shannon and the Clemons weren't the only unmatched athletes at Valley High School this Spring.

The Vikings' Tennis squad had an unmatched regular season as Coaches Dave Hartzell and Dave Zamperani took the team to a perfect, undefeated 12-0 record and a section title.

The Vikings finished the season in the WPIAL AA Semifinals with a 14-3 record. Seniors Chris Brennan, Jonathan Stuck, Zach Latour, juniors Derek Gabrish, Scott Spencer and sophomore Patrick Brennan led the team to an incredible year.

The Unbeatables: Throughout Freeport's rich athletic heritage, the prowess of its athletes has been unstoppable. But in recent years the Yellow Jackets' track program has been at the forefront of "unbeatability", capturing numerous titles and accolades.

Running point for this program for the past four years has been Lacey Cochran. Cochran, now a senior, recently grabbed her fourth WPIAL AA crown in the 400m. That's four gold medals in the same event. Sweet.

"It's been a joy coaching her," Freeport Coach Bill Dillen says, "Her record speaks for itself with four straight WPIAL titles."

Her record also speaks for itself in the 200m dash first-place WPIAL finish (for the second year in a row), the third-place medal as a part of the 1600m relay, and the PIAA AA gold she won last year. This year, she took third in the PIAA meet.

Cochran, also the owner of a 4.7 grade average, is headed to Bowling Green on a full scholarship. She talks about these remarkable achievements in the video interview at: http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1418

Freeport Track's Lacey Cochran

Also unstoppable on the track was the boys' 3200m relay squad, composed of seniors Shane Sarver, Ian Kaminski, junior Brendan Reilly, and sophomore Mike DeLibero.

"The boys have worked very hard this year," said Dillen. It paid off. The relay snatched WPIAL gold in the Championships in May. These young men explain it in the video interview found here: http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1414

Kiel Conjack also medaled in the 300 hurdles, with a third-place finish. And Sarver finished third as well in the 1,600m and 3,200m. Conjack and the 3200m relay also qualified for the States.

The Fantastics: Coach Mark Krynicki's track team has a strong stable of runners that has to make Fox Chapel High School proud. Leading the Foxes' pack were juniors Molly Linhart and junior Tom Tonti, and freshman Rachel Humphrey.

Humphrey turned heads at the WPIAL Championships, breaking across the finish line for a second-place medal in the 3200m in this her first year of high school. Molly Linhart tore up a school record at Fox Chapel taking fifth place in the Championships in the 800m. And Tom Tonti captured sixth in the WPIAL in the 400m.

The Foxes' Track squad didn't have the only athletes who were great this Spring. Several players on the softball, baseball and tennis teams also had strong seasons.

Softball Coach Shane Billings and Assistant Coach Larry Sutton worked with a team that included Jessika Smith, a junior catcher hitting .392 and leading the team in RBIs with 10. Three-year starter Terry Zivic pitched 121 strikeouts with a 2.18 era. Zivic, also a junior is part of a whole team of juniors that return to the Foxes next year.

Meanwhile, Fox Chapel Baseball Coach John Broderick's team was led by senior Brett Horowitz this spring. He pitched his way to a 5-3 record, including two shutouts in row in two consecutive starts against Kiski and Butler.

Freeport's WPIAL Gold-Medal 3200m Relay Squad: (L-R) Brandon Reilly, Shane Sarver, Ian Kaminski, Mike Delibero

And Tennis Coach Dave Prevost's squad was anchored by first and second singles, Drew Rogers and Evan Verbofsky.

"Both had excellent seasons… Drew as our captain and #1 singles players added a good deal of leadership to the team. Being that we are in one of those "rebuilding years", having graduated four starters, Drew helped the team rise to the occasion and make it to playoffs, tied for second place in the section. He will be attending, and playing, at Mary Washington University in the fall," says Prevost.

"Evan, our #2 singles player was another outstanding player and prospect for the future, and is currently a sophomore. Evan will raise the bar for singles next year. Evan and Drew took second place in the section doubles tournament and competed in the WPIAL doubles tournament." The Foxes Boys' Tennis Team finished 12 and 5 overall, and 7-3 in the section.

The Impressives: They ran away with a 7-0 regular season record. They were the Heritage Conference Meet Champions. They also were the 2005 Indiana County Champions.

Who is this remarkable crew?

None other than the Saltsburg High School Trojans Track Squad, coached by head coaches Jim Berkey and Alana Heinle and assistant coaches Jim Meighan and Melissa Milanak.

The Trojans, who compete in a different PIAA section from the WPIAL, also secured fifth place at the District 6 AA meet in a field of 31 schools.

Leading the striking charge were the 1600m and 3200m relay teams, who were Indiana Co. champs, Heritage Conference champs and District 6 champs. They qualified for states in both events and established a new school record in the 1600m relay.

Saltsburg's Champion Boys's Track Team

The 1600m-relay team is made up of seniors Chris Corridoni, Chris Herdman; junior Evan Taylor and sophomore Matt Moore.

The 3200m-relay team is composed of Herdman, Taylor, Moore and Brian Lupyan.

Equally impressive were other Saltsburg athletes in track and field.

Javelin-throwing senior Justin Snyder hurled his way to the Indiana County title as well as the Heritage Conference title. Snyder nailed a second-place finish in the javelin at the District 6 finals, and also qualified for the state meet.

Niki Nagg, the Indiana County Champion in the high jump, tied Saltsburg's school record. And senior Janelle Reed wrapped an eighth-place finish in the discus in the District 6 finals.

Be sure to check out the video interview with three of the standouts (Niki Nagg, Chris Corridoni and Brian Lupyan) from this standout team at: http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1420

Several of the girls on the Lady Trojans' softball squad, coached by veteran Coach Debbie Shirley, had notable seasons.

Senior catcher Donna Stewart batted .447 and led the team with 17 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

Saltsburg's Brian Lupyen, Niki Nagg and Chris Cordone

Senior pitcher and shortstop Stephanie Busi hit .317, had 12 RBIs, and led the Lady Trojans with 13 stolen bases.

Freshman first baseman Brandy Muffie hit .352 with 12 stolen bases, while freshman Carli Duncan hit .340 with 11 stolen bases and 10 RBIs.

The Excellents: Several individuals from Kiski Area's Track teams, coached by Bill Karaszia and Tom Berzonsky, worked their way to outstanding seasons this Spring.

Alex Bue came back from a near-loss in the high jump to claim second place in the WPIAL AAA Championships. The Cavaliers' Patrick Arabia, a senior, ran the 800m in 1:58:14; it was good enough for a third-place medal finish in the WPIALs. Arabia also medalled as part of the 3200m relay that took fourth.

Exceptional is the only way to describe the efforts put in by Lauren Golembiewski and Leah Ulizio.

Ulizio, a sophomore and former distance runner, stepped into javelin-thowing for the first time this year, and took fourth in the WPIAL championships. Senior Golimbeski grabbed sixth places in shot put and discus. Both girls continued on to States.

The Lady Cavs softball team, coached by Diane Haney, had a great season. Section champs in a brand new, unknown section, the Cavalier Ladies went 11-5 overall and 8-2 in the section and made the playoffs. It was the first title since 2000 or so.

"With a new quad-A section, new teams, and not knowing the teams and having to figure them out," Haney says, "I'm really proud of the way the players came back after early losses in section. They pulled together really well to get the section title."

Saltsburg's Donna Stewart

In an outstanding effort, senior Derek Fallecker led the Kiski Area Baseball team with a .407 batting average as Coach Jack Jewart's Cavs made the playoffs again this year, despite a new, rough-and-tumble section. Fallecker, a pitcher, was also the team leader in RBIs with 16.

The Finest: From out of nowhere they came. Unexpectedly, first-year Head Coach Carl Vollmer's Plum High School Mustangs rode to an incredible 16-3 regular season finish and a playoff berth.

Phil Mains led the squad in hitting at .474, with 11 stolen bases and 11 RBIs. Brian Churilla batted .447, stole 12 bases and led the team with 6 doubles. Pitcher Matt Kachurik batted .388 and had a 5-1 pitching record with a .90 era, while pitcher Mike Mckee led the team in RBIs with 17, and batted .378.

There were some remarkable goings-on at the softball corral of the Lady Mustangs. First-year Plum Head Coach Jay Marston's team finished tied for second place in the section, and made the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Four of the girls had out-of-the-ordinary stats. Alexa Yamnitzky had an out-of-the-park batting average with a .536, and scored 14 runs and had 17 RBIs. Shannon Bradburn had 17 runs and 19 stolen bases.

Ali Carr hit .370, knocking in 10 RBIs. Senior Erin McGrath hit .375 and knocked in 13 RBIs. Be sure to watch an interview with Erin here: http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1393

The Runnin' Mustangs Track team had significant accomplishments as Plum sophomore Justin James captured a WPIAL third-place finish in the long jump. And Jackie Youra leapt to fourth place in the high jump at the WPIALs. Youra, a sophomore, tied Plum's school record.

*The Tops: "He shows hard work pays off," says Springdale Track Coach Wes Hicks, talking about senior Colin Dugan. Dugan, who broke Pine-Richland's record in the shot-put, this Spring won his second WPIAL AA shot put title. He also took eighth place at the PIAAs last year.

Saltsburg's Stephanie Busi

He wasn't the only one whose hard work earned them a place in Springdale's heart.

Amanda King, a junior, had serious stomach problems that hospitalized her earlier in the year. "But," Hicks says, "she came back."

King went on to run in the 4x1 and 4x4 relays, and also grab seventh place in the WPIALs.

Calling her "a team leader," the coach says he is "looking for greater things ahead, because I see what is on the team…they work hard." Meet Amanda for yourself in the video interview at: http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1407

Track is not all that is tops at Springdale this Spring. Baseball Coach Ray Davis had a bevy of high-powered players that sparked the Dynamos to the playoffs. The strong showing this season began with a quartet of sluggers all batting over 400.

Catcher Wayne Mundekis, a junior, led batters in hitting and had 13 stolen bases, while senior pitcher Brandon Thurber not only batted over 400 but also finished with a very low ERA. Thurber was selected also to play in the WPIAL All-Star game.

You can watch an interview with Wayne here at: http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1399 and an interview with Brandon here at: http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1395

Freshman shortstop Mike Devine and junior third baseman Mike Landers rounded out the rest of the Over-400 Club. The other tops on the Dynamos included junior Cory Hartwick, a pitcher with a 6-2 record, a 1.54 ERA and 50 strikeouts; and sophomore Beau Citrone who led the team with 22 RBIs.

Saltsburg's Carlie Duncan

The Tremendous: Highlands Softball Coach Mike Zendarski has to be pleased with the terrific season his girls had this year. Co-champs of the section, 16-3 at press time and headed into the WPIAL quarterfinals—the Lady Golden Rams were led by two seniors.

Katey Munshower, a pitcher, batted .424 and led the team with 20 RBIs, while pitching 150 strikeouts and a 1.01 ERA on her way to a 5-3 record. Shortstop Chelsey Grabigel led the team in batting with a .432 average, and 15 RBIs.

The Golden Rams Tennis team, coached by Shelly Brown, also had a outstanding season. Brown's boys went 13-5 overall and finished 10-2 in section play, with the losses both coming by slim margins at the hands of undefeated eventual section champ Valley.

The Highlands squad made their way to the WPIAL Team Quarterfinals before falling. Senior Andrew Chick made the WPIAL singles tournament and both Chick and junior David Costello advanced to the WPIAL doubles tournament.

There were other Highlands athletes who made exceptional marks this spring. Rams Track Coach Chet Foster saw a sophomore and a newcomer to his squad break school records.

Freshman Cassandra Walker established a new school record in the 400m, and sophomore Lindsey Pugh shattered the Highlands record in the 3200m. Cassandra tells you all about it in the video interview with her at: http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1412

Other noteworthy points highpoints in Highlands track this season included Adam Crawford, who placed in the 100m and 200m in every single meet, including invitationals like Pine-Richland, Mars and Tri-State.

And in a tremendous display of greatness, the girls 4x1 relay squad gave up their hard-won eighth-place spot to give the Penn Hills squad a chance in the PIAAs.

Saltsburg's Brandy Mufflie

The Penn Hills team, a highly-regarded talented team stumbled on a hand-off during their relay, and dropped out of going to the States. But several schools ahead of them gave up their places voluntarily so Penn Hills could go, knowing the opportunities Penn Hills has to do well at States.

The Highlands relay team's actions helped guarantee a spot for Penn Hills. The Lady Golden Rams relay is made up of Cassandra Walker, Kasara Nee, Brittany Howell, and Kylie Moucheron.

Highlands Rams pitcher Mark Errico pitched his way to a 4-2 record and a 1.043 ERA, a bright spot in an otherwise tough season for the baseball team.

The Dazzling: Leechburg Softball Coach Jim Oberdorf's team has risen to the occasion this Spring, just like every year, and sparked some brilliant play to produce a razzle-dazzle season. At press time, the squad is 15-3, and has just finished second in the WPIAL (after falling in extra innings in the championship game) to advance to the State Tournaments, where they have now fought their way to the second round.

It is the 17th year in the WPIAL playoffs in a row for Leechburg. Oberdorf's team, currently ranked third in the state, has a number of bright stars that are power-hitters.

Sophomore Karlie Fisher is batting around .478; senior pitcher Emily Sprankle, sophomore pitcher Emily Batiz, junior Maggie Jones, junior Haley Bradbury and junior Marissa Tira are all batting over .350; and junior second baseman Allison Shepler is hitting .300. See an interview with Emily Sprankle at: http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1391

The Deluxe: At Apollo-Ridge, Coach Matt Curci's squad was highlighted by Chris Stuart's pole vault, which shattered the school record, and by Lauren Reilly, who tied the school record in the 400m, and by Rachelle Gentile who surpassed the old school record for the 300m hurdles.

The Extraordinary: Coach Rich Griser's Riverview Raiders Baseball team for the fifth time made the section playoffs this Spring. After losing nearly 12 seniors last season, two Raiders stepped up to the plate to take care of business, literally.

Sophomore Dave Kaye compiled a 7-3 pitching record, incredibly is second among the WPIAL leaders in strikeouts in with 93, and more amazingly is batting .526. Dave talks about his season this year in the video interview at: http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1426

Senior Sean Truby is at the head of Raider batting with a .549 average, and led the team with 25 RBIs and in stolen bases. Truby has also been named to the WPIAL All-Stars as an alternate for DH and 3B. See Sean's video here at: http://www.allekiskitoday.com/webcasts/1397

Riverview Track Coach Dave Illnicki had some out-of-the-ordinary feats on his team this year.

Freshman Katie Gallaher cracked the school's long jump and triple jump records that were set, respectively, back in 1982 and 1999. Junior Maggie Lucci tied the school record in the triple jump with Gallaher. Sophomore Blair Anderson soared to a new school record in the pole vault to pass the old record set in 2001.

And senior Ellen Hyland, freshman Jillian Altman, junior Rachel Walker, and junior Rachel Yuhas established a new school record in the 400m relay, eclipsing the old record set in 1975 by .4 of one point.