Beatrice Kolesar did her thing – dominate the distances– but it was the boys who stole the show for Cranberry at the District 9 2A track meet Friday at Brookville High School.

While Kolesar reeled off firsts in the 3200 relay, 1600 and open 3200, the Cranberry received the following outstanding/astounding performances from the boys:

• In making his case for local Athlete of the First Half of the 21st Century, Dalton Wenner won the 800 in 1:56.92. That’s something you don’t see every day from a state champion wrestler – or any wrestler.  It is something you might see from a state champion half-miler. At the very least it’s apparently the new Cranberry school record, breaking the 1:57.26 Morgan Huegel ran in 2011.

Wenner later anchored the Berries to an apparent school record 3:28.92 in the 1600 relay​ behind Cole Findlay, Landon Baker and Blake Marchinke. But racing in some pretty fast company (Clarion, 3:25.56, Brookville and Karns City), they finished fourth.

• But Shane Clark! 

Shane Clark came out of nowhere practically and won the javelin. And he just didn’t win – he threw the spear 176-2 – a Pa. Top 50 distance. ​

Clark’s performance is something when one considers he was consistently in the 140s as a junior, never even touching 150.

He did break into the 150s this spring, but even as late as early this month he was still there. 

Then he began to take a giant step forward, breaking into the 160s and eventually reaching 167, which was good enough to get the third seed for districts.

But at districts he really blossomed. He was in the 170s on four of his first five throws before fouling on the sixth. His third toss turned out to be the winner and had him sitting in first place.

All he had to do is wait and see if A-C Valley/Union’s Hayden Bliss could do better.  Bliss posted 175-11 on his fourth throw, but that was it.

Clark wore the crown.

• Findlay placed second to Brookville superstar Hayden Freeman in the high jump, clearing 6-1. Freeman not only jumped 6-3, but ran a swift 10.68 in the 100 and 21.48 in the 200. Findlay was also second in the long jump with a personal best 22-23/4. His partner in crime in hoops, Marchinke, was third in the 400 in a personal record 51.8. 

While all this was going on, Kolesar and mates were doing their thing. First, she anchored the 3200 relay behind Elena Ishman, Navy Perry and Darien Wenner to another title. Their time of 9:47.11 16 was 16 seconds better than runner-up Elk County Catholic – and in case you’re wondering, about 10 seconds off the school record set last season.

A little while later, Kolesar ran the 1600 in 5:17.1, another 16 seconds better than the runner-up. She finished off her day by running 11:20.02 for first in the 3200. This time she was 54 seconds better than the runner-up.

Wenner, meanwhile, did her pole vaulting before running the 400. She was the top seed in both but settled for second in one and third in the other. After passing on the first couple heights, she cleared 9-6, two feet shorter than her school record, but good for second place. Her third-place time in the 400, 60.25, was a personal record. She finished the day with a third in the open 800 in 2:27.93.

With Madison Shaffer (javelin) and Perry (pole vault) adding sixths, the Cranberry girls were runners-up in the team standings to Elk CC, 62.5-52. 

Despite all the heroic efforts, the boys were a distant fourth to powerful Brookville, which totaled 151 points, 82 ahead of second place Central Clarion. ACValley/Union was third and the Berries were fourth with 44. Caleb Sparks was fifth in the shot and sophomore Daniel McCain added a sixth in the 3200.