[UPDATED: 5/2/23, 10:08 a.m. – The first round of the WPIAL TEAM Playoffs is postponed until Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 3:30PM.]
The Riverside Girls Track & Field Team has qualified for the 2023 WPIAL Class 2A Track & Field Championships that will begin Tuesday.
“This team is very unique in it’s ability to be adaptable and flexible,” says coach Deb Evans. “It is a very young team and a deep team. They have worked extremely hard collectively and they certainly work with the team concept.”
The Lady Panthers begin in a four team pod – Winchester Thurston, Greensburg C.C., Brownsville, and Riverside – that competes at Greensburg C.C. HS at 3:30 on May 2nd. A WPIAL 2A Champion will be crowed at the finals on Tuesday, May 9th at Peters Township High School.
Leading the charge will be Lexi Fluharty who most recently took first in the 3200m at the MAC Championships. She shattered the Riverside school record with her personal best time of 11:38. The previous record was held from 1998 by Renee Campbell with a time of 11:45.
“Throughout this year, she [Lexi] has supported her team and gone through endless efforts to assist in our wins and putting us in playoff positioning,” says Evans.
Fluharty is accompanied in her efforts by her co-runner, Brooke Wissinger, who also had her best performance in the 1600m at the MAC Championships with a time of 5:38 and in the 3200m with her best time of 12:14.
In the field, Riverside boasts an outstanding throwing team and team hurdle crew.
Carlee Crawford has been a stand out athlete since she started last year in the hunt for the shotput school record according to her head coach.
“Carlee is the captain of the team and is bringing up fine athletes behind her with Delana Fox and Olivia Reed who, while on the injured list, is able to throw disc.”
Coming up behind also is Carlee‘s younger sister Chloe, who is making nice marks according to Evans.
Two seniors leaving the Panthers after this season are Jordan Chesko and Kate Henderson.
“They are the queens of the jumps,” says Evans. “They have led us to several wins with their skills.”
Jordan has cleared 5-foot half inch in high jump and her triple jump of 34’3″ could head her off to individuals and states according to Evans.
Henderson has been an asset all year long scoring points and assisting and researching other teams and may continue on to individuals and states.
“They have been an asset to this team for four years and they will be missed but they were off to greater things,” adds Evans.
“[The team] comes outside their comfort zones to and give all they have in addition to their schoolwork, three aches and pains, through other activities, and and their jobs,” concludes Evans. “I commend them all.”
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