PIAA Track & Field Championships

Shippensburg, PA - May 23, 2026: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) held their high school state track and field championships Friday and Saturday at Seth Grove Stadium on the campus of Shippensburg University. This year, athletes had to persevere through two days of cold and rainy weather in their quest for gold.

The 101st running of the championships saw more than 3,100 student-athletes from approximately 375 boys and girls teams, along with 9 unified teams, compete for class AA and AAA team titles, as well as individual medals. The top eight finishers in each event were awarded medals.

Shenango Area High School, out of District XII, edged out second place Hughesville 40-39 to win the AA girls team championship. The Wildcats’ Anna McKinley took first place in the javelin and they placed athletes in the 100 meter dash, the 4x100 relay, the shot put, and the discus.

District XI’s Catasauqua High School faired the best in AA girls. They placed 13th overall.

Quaker Valley High School, also out of District XII, claimed the AA boys championship behind Jonah Montagnese who won both the 1600 and 3200 meter runs. He also placed 2nd in the 800 meter run. The Quakers also placed athletes in the 4x800 relay, the 100 meter dash, and the 200 meter dash.

District XI’s Palisades High School faired the best in AA boys. They placed 7th overall.

JP McCaskey High School, out of District III, claimed the AAA girls championship behind Vivian Salerno who won the 800 meter run. The Red Tornado also won the 4x100 relay and placed athletes in the 4x800 relay, the 100 meter dash, and the 200 meter dash.

District XI’s Easton Area High School faired the best in AAA girls. They placed 25th overall.

LaSalle College High School, out of District XII, edged second place Grove City 33-32.5 to win the AAA boys championship behind James Mahoney who won the 400 meter dash. The Explorers also won the 4x400 relay and placed athletes in the 4x800 relay, the 1600 meter run, and the 200m meter dash.

District XI’s Blue Mountain High School faired the best in AAA boys. They placed 9th overall.

Kaddel Howard from District III’s Cedar Crest High School created a buzz going into the championships. She entered the 400 meter dash with a seed time of 51.48 and many officials and fans were wondering if she would add to Pennsylavania’s long-history of setting a National Record. Howard was also vying to become a 4-time PIAA champion. She entered the weekend as the top seed in the 200 meter dash as well but an injury led her to drop out of that event so she could focus on the 400. It was apparent in the 400 finals that she was not 100%. She ran a 54.56 to win the event and become a four-time champion but was holding her leg afterward. Howard will be attending the University of Florida in the fall in order to continue her academic and athletic career.

District XI had nine athletes take home gold medals, one individual and two relay teams.

Blue Mountain High School’s Chase Guers won gold in the AAA boys 100 meter dash. He ran a 10.52 in prelims on Friday and a 10.61 in finals on Saturday. He also placed 2nd in the 200 meter dash. The junior for the Eagles said after his win in the 100: “You gotta just focus on your lane, you can’t run with people, you gotta run your lane. I felt good, I saw out of the corner of my eye, I saw the one guy, but then I just focused back on my lane, wait, I have it. I got too excited before the line, I might have celebrated before the line but it was a great feeling, it was a goal all season and there are no words to describe it.”

District XI’s Palisades High School won gold in the AA boys 4x100 meter relay. The team of Silas Day, Ashton Fitzgerald, Greyson George, and Lincoln Cook won in a time of 42.82. They were the top seed entering the event and they came to compete and live up to that seed.

Cook of Palisades High School, a junior, was the 11th seed in the boys AA 100 meter dash with a time of 10.92. He ran a 10.91 in prelims Friday and a 10.87 in finals Saturday to place 2nd. He also anchored the 4x100 meter relay team which won gold, earning two medals at a tough state meet.

District XI’s Catausaqua High School won gold in the AA boys 4x400 meter relay. The team of Cadeo Estronza, Franklin Pujos, Josiah Lafond, and Hamaad Jenkins won in a time of 3:23.27.

After the win, the team had this to say about their performance: “We knew with all juniors coming back, it was going to be a book to be written. We dropped eight seconds. It was tiring waiting around but it didn’t really affect us, we came, we warmed up, and we did what we had to do.”

Hamaad Jenkins of Catasauqua High School, who anchored the 4x400 team, also placed 6th in the boys AA 200 meter dash with a time of 22.25.

District XI sent sixteen athletes to states in the 100 meter dash and another sixteen athletes qualified in the 300 meter hurdles. The two events represented the most athletes from District XI in any event. Several of the 100 meter dash sprinters advanced and went on to medal while none of the hurdlers advanced to the second day.

Catasauqua’s Hailey Jenkins entered the weekend as the top seed in the girls AA 100 meter dash with a time of 12.04. She ran a 11.93 Friday in prelims and a 11.93 in finals on Saturday to finish in 2nd place. Jenkins also finished in 2nd place in the 200 meter dash with a time of 24.76. The ever cheerful Jenkins talked to KSE about her experience: “I wanted to come in here getting gold but this is my highest place finish in the 100. There is a lot of satisfaction that I competed at states.”

After the 200 meter dash, Hailey Jenkins said: “It really meant a lot to finish both my events in 2nd place. I hadn’t medaled in the past so that was a big goal. I’m proud of myself. I had to stay focused mentally and give 100%, and if I gave 100%, I’ll be proud of myself no matter what. I am very religious so before my races I like to pray and get strength from God and I like having a smile on my face even when I’m stressing before my events.”

The classy Hailey Jenkins, thanked her primary challenger the last three years, Piper Hoprich, Wellsboro Area High School, who pushed her to obtain personal best records in both the 100 and 200 events. Jenkins called Hoprich such a humble person. But, based on what KSE has experienced with Jenkins, always having a smile on her face and being professional with everyone she meets, she is no slouch as well in the humility department. Jenkins plans on competing in basketball in college and thanked her mom for that day way back when she encouraged her to go out for track.

The Notre Dame Green Pond High School boys AA 4x400 meter relay team, consisting of Alexander Pirog, Jonathan Striba, Dante Azzolina, and Alex Clark placed 6th. They ran a 3:27.35 in finals on Saturday.

Clark of Notre Dame Green Pond High School, a senior, wasn’t the top seed in the boys AA 100 meter dash with a time of 10.78 but the 3rd seeded Clark ran a 10.90 in prelims Friday and a 10.88 in finals on Saturday to finish in 3rd place. Clark was also the 3rd seed in the 200 meter dash with a time of 21.56. He ran a 22.15 on Saturday in finals to place 5th in the 200. The impressive speedster earned three PIAA state medals.

Parkland High School’s Radnor Rowlands was a double medal winner. He ran a 10.72 in the prelims of the AAA 100 meter dash on Friday and ran a 10.77 on Saturday to finish in 5th place overall. Rowlands also finished in 3rd place in the 200 meter dash with a time of 21.64. The junior said he was very happy what he did overall despite the weather conditions. He prepares for each race like it’s his last while trying to stay healthy.

Pottsville High School’s Alexa Giuffre-Cuculletto was a double medal winner. She qualified in four AAA events, a phenomenal feat. The senior competed in the long and triple jumps as well as the 100 and 300 hurdles. Her highest seed was in the triple jump as the fourth seed with a District jump of 38’-7”. She finished 5th in the long jump (18-8.50) and 5th in the triple jump (38-1.50). In her running events, she finished 10th overall in the 100 meter hurdles and 24th in the 300 meter hurdles. Competing in four events at states is not an easy task.

Similarly, the Easton Area High School girls placed in all three relay events, not an easy task to do on the state level. The 4x100 relay team entered as the 5th overall seed and they finished in 5th place. The 4x400 relay team entered as the 5th seed and they finished 7th. And the 4x800 relay team entered as the 4th seed and they finished in 5th place.

Minersville Area High School’s Maggie Hoffman-Long was a double medal winner. She placed 4th in the girls AA long jump (18-3) and 8th in the girls AA triple jump (36-10).

Emmaus High School senior Madelyn McCartney closed out her career with the Green Hornets. She placed 7th overall in the 3200 meter run with a time of 10:30.46. The senior also ran in the 1600 meter run. McCartney, a cross country state champion, ends a phenomenal career in both cross country and track. She qualified for states and ran in twelve seasons during her cross country and track career. She will be continuing her academic and athletic career at the University of Kentucky, a fine SEC track program.

McCartney said: “Obviously, these were not the most ideal weather conditions, but hey, it was my last one and I’m happy. I’m a little sad because it’s my last one but I’m proud of how I was able to stay healthy and make it to states all twelve seasons. I feel grateful to be able to compete and I am really excited to be pushed at Kentucky and in the SEC.”

Salisbury High School’s Steven Lozada was a double medal winner. He placed 5th in the boys AA triple jump (44-6) and seemed a little disappointed. He didn’t think the weather played a role and said to KSE after the triple jump: “I felt pretty good and confident going into warm ups. I didn’t jump what I really wanted to, I fouled my last two jumps, but overall a medal is a medal, 5th place, so I can’t be too mad. Pole Vault is my main event, I am pretty mad at myself so I am going to take it out on the runway in the pole vault.”

Both of Lozada’s events were Saturday afternoon so once he was finished with the triple jump, he had to run right over to the pole vault which was being held indoors due to the rain. He easily cleared his first two heights, 14 and 14-6, but then missed three in a row at 15. He took home the bronze medal in the pole vault and has a lot to be proud of with earning two AA state medals.

Kaley Seide of Parkland High School overcame an early season injury, worked hard to get back and she placed 4th in the girls AAA long jump (18-9.50). Seide commented: “First, I want to thank Jesus, because honestly it has been such a long road this year, I got injured, at Dieruff, my fourth meet, I pulled my hamstring, I was really nervous, I was really scared coming into it because I didn’t think I was going to do anything. I came back in the jumps because unfortunately I couldn’t come back in the 200 and the 100.”

A member of Parkland’s 4x100 relay team in 2025, which won a state championship, Seide missed the running events but said: “To even be here, to be fourth place, it’s so astonishing, I would have never thought being so down with myself.”

Anthony Otero of Liberty High School placed 7th in the AAA boys long jump (22-5.25). He took 8th place in the same event last year so he wanted to redeem himself more this year but he was happy to be taking home a medal. On the cold and rainy weather and how it affected the jumping surface, he said: “Honestly, I dealt with this all year and ever single time we had a meet like this, I didn’t do my best but it’s not an excuse because everyone has the same disadvantage.” Otero will be attending Shippensburg University in the fall and continuing his academic and athletic career for the Raiders.

Here are the additional District XI medalists:

The Emmaus High School boys AAA 4x100 meter relay team, consisting of Aiden Bayard, Nicholi Marsh, Rien George, and Kai Jefferson-Rushing placed 3rd. They ran a 41.87 in finals.

The Southern Lehigh High School boys 4x400 meter relay team, consisting of Milo Smith, Jack Pavis, Stanley Wempe, and Sean Steckert placed 8th. They ran a 3:29.63 in finals.

Liberty High School’s Elizabeth McClarin, a sophomore, was a qualifier in the 1600 and 800 meter runs. She finished in 7th place in the 800 with a time of 2:12.34.

Whitehall High School’s Edrien Lee ran a 12.23 in prelims on Friday but she pulled up with an injury Saturday in the finals and finished in 8th place overall (16.10).

Julia Grant of Stroudsburg High School placed 6th in the AAA girls 400 (57.24).

Natalie Ray of Freedom High School placed 8th in the AAA girls 400 (57.84).

Alex Pirog of Notre Dame Green Pond placed 6th in the boys AA 400 (50.42).

Silas Day of Palisades High School placed 6th in the boys AA discus (155-5).

Avery Miller of Minersville Area High School placed 8th in the girls AA javelin (118-3).

Ivan Laubach of East Stroudsburg South placed 5th in the boys AAA javelin (188-11).

Jared Ford of Allentown Central Catholic High School placed 8th in the boys AA high jump (6-2).

Ella Schweitzer of Notre Dame Green Pond High School placed 5th in the girls AAA high jump (5-3).

In the unified division, East Stroudsburg North took home their first team title.

Hailey Jenkins of Catasauqua High School (left) runs in the finals of the AA 100 meter dash on May 23, 2026 at Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA. Also in the photo is Josslyn Hancock (center) of Hickory High School and Piper Hoprich (right) of Wellsboro High School.