{"id":189735,"date":"2026-05-12T02:42:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T02:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/189735\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T02:42:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T02:42:21","slug":"several-wvc-champs-repeat-on-day-1-of-districts-wilkes-barre-citizens-voice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/189735\/","title":{"rendered":"Several WVC champs repeat on Day 1 of districts \u2013 Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Wyoming<\/p>\n

Wyoming Area\u2019s Josh Murk competes in the shot put during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Lake-Lehman\u2019s<\/p>\n

Lake-Lehman\u2019s Delcia Biscotto competes in the javelin throw during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Dallas\u2019<\/p>\n

Dallas\u2019 Hunter Pitcavage competes in the shot put event during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Lakeland\u2019s<\/p>\n

Lakeland\u2019s Kaylyn Davis and Mid Valley\u2019s Natalie Talluto compete in the 300 meter hurdles during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Delaware<\/p>\n

Delaware Valley\u2019s Hailee Walzer competes in the pole vault during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Dunmore\u2019s<\/p>\n

Dunmore\u2019s Josh Dudick competes in the high jump during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Mid<\/p>\n

Mid Valley\u2019s Olivia Thomas competes in the long jump during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Lakeland\u2019s<\/p>\n

Lakeland\u2019s Kaylyn Davis competes in the javelin throw during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Western<\/p>\n

Western Wayne\u2019s Sadie Booths competes in the discus throw during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"North<\/p>\n

North Pocono\u2019s Jaden Mucha competes in the pole vault during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Lakeland\u2019s<\/p>\n

Lakeland\u2019s Evan Lonzinski competes in the javelin throw during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Lakeland\u2019s<\/p>\n

Lakeland\u2019s Rocco Spataro competes in the javelin throw during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Elk<\/p>\n

Elk Lake\u2019s Brody Crisman competes in the high jump during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Blue<\/p>\n

Blue Ridge\u2019s Chance Davis competes in the high jump during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Lackawanna<\/p>\n

Lackawanna Trail\u2019s Lila Ryon competes in the javelin throw during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Dunmore\u2019s<\/p>\n

Dunmore\u2019s Carter Sload competes in the high jump during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Dunmore\u2019s<\/p>\n

Dunmore\u2019s Weston Yannone and Western Wayne\u2019s Robert Carrelle compete in the 300 meter hurdles during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Western<\/p>\n

Western Wayne\u2019s Vincent Baldini competes in the the javelin throw during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Abington<\/p>\n

Abington Heights\u2019 Kianna Seid competes in the pole vault during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 19<\/p>\n

Wyoming Area\u2019s Josh Murk competes in the shot put during day one of the District 2 track championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Monday, May 11, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

SCRANTON \u2013 Stephen Martin knew there was going to be pressure.<\/p>\n

The Lake-Lehman 4\u00d7800 relay team was coming off a state bronze medal last season. Three of the four members \u2013 Martin, Finn Cronin and Bodhi Cronin \u2013 were all returning this year.<\/p>\n

That bulls-eye couldn\u2019t have been painted in brighter colors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of pressure, especially when the teams around you just keep getting better and better,\u201d Martin said. \u201cYou see all these times on social media, and you try your best not to look at them. You have to lock in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nevaeh Baran is one of the top Class 3A jumpers in the state. She holds the district record in the triple jump, and is a returning PIAA medalist in two events \u2013 a fourth in the triple and third in the long.<\/p>\n

The pressure doesn\u2019t phase her in the least.<\/p>\n

She embraces it with open arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the pressure of being on top, so it\u2019s nice to come home with a win,\u201d the Greater Nanticoke Area senior said.<\/p>\n

It was a good opening day of the District 2 Track and Field Championships at Scranton Veterans Memorial Stadium on Monday as the Wyoming Valley Conference brought home several gold medals.<\/p>\n

Crestwood and the two Lake-Lehman teams captured titles in the 3,200 relay, and Baran started her road back to Shippensburg by defending her triple-jump title.<\/p>\n

In all, seven athletes captured individual golds: Hazleton\u2019s Kevin Lucas (triple jump), Hanover Area\u2019s Symone Mims (shot put), Wyoming Area\u2019s Jenesa Sancho (300 hurdles) and Josh Mruk (shot put), Crestwood\u2019s Elijah Zeneski (300 hurdles) and Anson Jumper (pole vault) and Baran (triple jump). Lehman\u2019s Finn Cronin (300 hurdles), Dallas\u2019 Hunter Pitcavage (shot put) and Wyoming Area\u2019s Luke Kopetchny (triple jump) also hit the state-qualifying standards in their events to advance to the PIAA meet.<\/p>\n

The Crestwood boys are currently tied with Abington Heights at 33 points for the lead in the Class 3A race.<\/p>\n

The second day of the meet continues Tuesday in Scranton where Wilkes-Barre Area\u2019s Tim Leonard will take center stage. Coming off four gold medals at last week\u2019s WVC meet, the Wolfpack senior was tops in both the 100 and 200 prelims Monday, and is on the verge of breaking both district records.<\/p>\n

There are a lot of expectations on the Lehman 4\u00d7800 team, especially returning three out of four from last year\u2019s bronze medal squad.<\/p>\n

Judging by Monday\u2019s winning time of 8 minutes, 2.81 seconds, it\u2019s fair. The team\u2019s bronze medal run at Shippensburg was 8:04.30<\/p>\n

\u201cOur race felt very tactical. We were really planning on how we were going to execute this from the beginning of the year because we knew what we needed to do from year\u2019s past,\u201d Martin said. \u201cThat really helped us a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baran only jumped twice on Monday, popping off a 39-foot leap on her first attempt before hitting her mark of 39-11. Her leap was almost three feet further than Wyoming Area\u2019s Taylor Gashi, who was second with a 36-9 \u00bd.<\/p>\n

The Greater Nanticoke Area senior and Michigan State commit is back in action Tuesday where she\u2019s also the favorite in the long jump.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a lot of preparation, and my coaches really help me a lot with that. It needs to all come together on one day,\u201d she said. \u201cI only got two jumps in today, so hopefully, I can rest up and get some better jumps at states.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucas and Mims might have been the WVC\u2019s surprise champions.<\/p>\n

Mims was seeded sixth coming into the Class 3A shot put with a seed put of 32-6 \u00bd, but recorded her winning mark of 36-2 \u00bc on her first attempt \u2013 almost three feet further than Honesdale\u2019s Olivia Wood.<\/p>\n

It was the same for Hazleton\u2019s Lucas, who was pre-tournament sixth in the Class 3A triple jump, but hit his winning jump of 45-10 \u00be on his second try.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started my morning off thinking and believing that I was going to get first in the districts,\u201d Lucas said. \u201cI had a good warmup with my team, and everyone was telling me that I could do. I wanted to do this for myself and the team. This is special. It shows me I could do anything. I am doing this for everyone \u2014 my team, my family and the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the other WVC champs, it was a business-like performance.<\/p>\n

Both Sancho and Zeneski were favorites in their respective 300 hurdles races. Sancho pulled away in the final 100 from teammate Lucia Campenni and North Pocono\u2019s Elizabeth Moore to take gold with a time of 46.26, while Zeneski was two seconds faster than Tunkhannock\u2019s Callum Jerome and Dallas\u2019 Jason Dyrli.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a tough race. It was very tiring in the end, but I just had to push through it,\u201d Sancho said. \u201cThere was pressure, and I wanted to try and beat the record. I didn\u2019t, but that\u2019s OK. I did my best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mruk was constantly in the 50-foot range in all of his six throws, hitting the winning put of 54-4 \u00bc on his second attempt. Pitcavage\u2019s 52-9, nine inches further than the state-qualifying standard of 52-0, came on his third attempt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a little nervous leading up to it, the butterflies in the stomach, but I was confident. I didn\u2019t have my best week last week, but I was able to get through it and win the gold,\u201d Mruk said. \u201cAfter my throw last week, I worked way harder. Going into it, I felt really good, body-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Katie Kozich, the Citizens\u2019 Voice Female Cross Country Runner of the Year, she began her final district track meet with a gold in the 3,200 relay \u2013 teaming with Alyssa Leicht, Sophia Kwarcinski and Riley Ruch to beat out the Abington Heights team by 12 seconds.<\/p>\n

Kozich will also run in the 800 and 1,600 Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing into it, we were all really nervous, but we were practicing our handoffs yesterday. We did a lot of team huddles and deep breathing to calm the nerves,\u201d Kozich said. \u201cOne thing we did today was write \u2018FEO\u2019 on our legs, which stands for \u2018For Each Other.\u2019 And that\u2019s what we kept telling one another while we were running. It was a good reminder that we were doing this for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wyoming Area\u2019s Josh Murk competes in the shot put during day one of the District 2 track championships…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":189736,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[305,178,180,179,726],"class_list":["post-189735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-high-school-sports","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189735"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189735\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}