Super seniors
Uniontown鈥檚 Syner, Geibel鈥檚 Larkin earn track MVPs at FCCA meet
Ethan Syner and Emma Larkin were victorious in two events on Friday in the Fayette County Coaches Association (FCCA) Track & Field Championships at Uniontown鈥檚 Bill Power Stadium, but the two seniors were more inspired by their performances in the races they finished second.
Syner, a state medalist in cross country for the Red Raiders, would never confuse himself with a sprinter, but he was step-for-step with Connellsville鈥檚 Jake Pritts on the final straightaway in the 1,600-meter run. Pritts edged Syner in a photo finish with a time of 4:40.27, which beat Syner by two-tenths of a second.
Larkin, who is known in most circles for her basketball prowess after setting the Fayette County career scoring record and helping Geibel Catholic reach the WPIAL Class A championship game this year, has had a solid last four seasons in track & field, including placing at last year鈥檚 state meet in the 300 hurdles and 400-meter dash.
Larkin tried her hand at the more traditional sprinting events on Friday, and despite finishing second in the 100 and 200-meter dashes to Laurel Highlands鈥� Diondra Brown, the Belmont Abbey College commit for basketball set a PR (personal record) in the finals of the 200 with a time of 26.40. Larkin finished the 100 in 12.73. She broke her PR in the semifinals of the 100 with a time of 12.66.
Brown won the 100 in a PR of 12.35. She had a season-best of 25.82 in the 200.
Syner won the 3,200 in 10:35.68 and ran the anchor leg of the winning 3,200 relay team with Matthew Page, Ezra Batovsky and Logan Davis. The quartet combined to run the eight laps in 9:09.73.
Larkin broke her season PR in the 400 with a winning time of 58.24. She won the 300 hurdles in 46.55, which breaks her own FCCA record of 46.62 that was set two years ago.
The efforts of Larkin and Syner earned the pair MVP honors for events on the track. Larkin, who was also the overall MVP for the girls, scored a total of 36 points. Syner scored 20 陆 points, as the number of points (10) on a winning relay team is divided by four. All individual winners received 10 points.
When Pritts began his push on the bell lap in the 1,600, the Falcon sophomore started to distance himself from Syner, but the 2025 FCCA boys cross country champion found an extra gear, as he and Pritts went elbow-to-elbow for position down the final 100 towards the finish line.
鈥淎 lot of people, even the officials, said I won, but you can鈥檛 lie with technology, so if it said he won, then he won,鈥� Syner said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not mad. We had a really good race and I PR鈥檇. I kind of held back in the first 200 of the last lap and tried to catch him on the last 200, but I didn鈥檛 really start kicking until the last 90 meters. We had to move over to the other lanes because we were passing some people (runners who were lapped). It threw me off a little, but I just gave it everything I had.鈥�
Larkin, who despite not having a love affair with track & field, will not let herself take a backseat to the competition, regardless of the size of the field and quality of her opponents.
鈥淚 have been playing softball this year, which has been a little rough, but it is relaxing,鈥� Larkin said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 find track relaxing at all, however, as I鈥檝e said many times, when I get to the starting line, my competitive nature takes over and I tell myself that I will not get last, and I always strive for first, second or third.鈥�
Larkin knew the abilities of Brown in the 100 and 200, and took consolation in being right with one of the top sprinters in the area.
鈥淒iondra is a beast, so I knew all the races against her were going to be tough,鈥� Larkin said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 classify myself as a sprinter, even though I have done well at sprints. I pretty much go wherever I am told. I have competed in some jumping events, but I won鈥檛 do any throwing events. That鈥檚 where I draw the line.鈥�
Syner had mixed emotions when discussing the final time he competed at Bill Power Stadium. He is looking forward to the WPIAL Class 3A team championships on Tuesday at Baldwin. Syner and his Uniontown teammates will also compete in the Baldwin Invitational on Friday.
鈥淚 am going to miss it (competing at Bill Power Stadium),鈥� Syner said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not my favorite track, but it鈥檚 still home. To be the MVP is the cherry on top of everything that happened today. I didn鈥檛 come in looking to win the MVP. I just wanted to win to win, and let the rest take care of itself.鈥�
The Red Raiders won the boys team championship with 146 points. Connellsville was second with 124 and Brownsville finished third with 90.
Uniontown鈥檚 Dante Rugola won the 800 in a PR of 2:10.62. Batovsky was second after breaking his PR in a time of 2:11.20. The sophomore鈥檚 finish was rare because he had to run the first of two heats, which normally doesn鈥檛 translate into a top-three finish. Page was third in 2:12.18 for a Red Raider sweep.
Uniontown鈥檚 Zyon Hopes cleared 6-0 to win the high jump. Hopes鈥� height was a PR. He finished second in the 100-meter dash to Brownsville鈥檚 Levi Grogan, who won the race in a PR of 11.19. Hopes set his PR in the 100, too, with a time of 11.41.
The Red Raiders鈥� David Settles won the 110 hurdles in 16.10.
Grogan was a member of the Falcons鈥� 400-relay team that was victorious in 44.28. Brownsville won the 1,600 relay in 3:36.61.
Cam Phillips, Max Dieudonne and Cam Wellington joined Grogan on the 4脳100. Geoffry Douglas, Silas Patterson, Grojan and Phillips made up the quartet in the 4脳400.
Wellington broke his PR in winning the 200 in 23.14.
Frazier freshman Kevin Etling won the 300 hurdles in a PR of 44.30.
Connellsville鈥檚 Daniel Geary topped the field in the 400. He broke his PR in crossing the finish line in 54.59.
Brown鈥檚 performance, along with first-place finishes from Bella Baker, Sahayla Dues and Neela Hill, helped the Mustangs to the team title with 135 points. Belle Vernon was second with 106 and the Red Raiders were third (95).
Dues won the 100 hurdles in a time of 15.05, which broke a record that has stood for 26 years. The previous mark was held by Laurel Highlands鈥� Melanie Cluss, who had the mark at 15.4 in 2000.
Baker won the 800 and 1,600 in times of 2:25.73 and 5:25.42.
Hill tied Brownsville鈥檚 Aijanae Foster for the title in the high jump, as both cleared 5-4.
Baker, Brown and Dues were joined by Taylor Schwertfeger in winning the 1,600 relay in 4:19.91
The host team had a pair of victories in the 400 and 3,200 relays. Lyric McLee, Londyn Harris, Azhiyah Belt and Leighana Cicconi won the 400 relay in 52.89, while the team of Addison Caruso, Charley Murtha, Paisley Murtha and Hannah Foster topped the field in 10:33.87.
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Lily Walsh won the 3,200 in 12:56.44.