Cranberry's 3200 relay didn't make it back to the medal stand on a dreary Saturday morning at Shippensburg, finishing 10th in this year's race, but sophomore Darien Wenner made her way back and as the rain poured down, accepted the sixth-place medal in the pole vault.

Meanwhile, it was another disappointment for Franklin junior weight man Logan Knight, who was deprived of a medal for the second straight year -- and fourth event -- this time, when he was beaten out for eighth place in the 3A discus on someone else's final throw.

The Berries took the bronze last year in the relay, but a second straight in that event was not to be. Elena Ishman, Navy Perry, Wenner and Beatrice Kolesar finished 10th in 9:50.89 -- a time that was close to their best this season. Top-seeded Hughesville did not disappoint, winning the race in 9:23.39.

While all this was going on, Wenner was competing in the pole vault, and doing very well after finishing seventh last season.

Wenner got off to a rocky start, failing to clear 9-6 on her first try, but made her next jump -- and then the next two on her first attempts when she had to leave for the relay. She was facing 11 feet at the time. When she returned, she cleared it on her first attempt, and by that time only six people were left in the competition. But Wenner missed her three tries at 11-6, her school record height. 

Meanwhile, the big girls/guns, led by Grove City's Aleah Morganti, were taking over the event, working on the 12-foot barrier when Wenner was eliminated. Morganti cleared 13 feet to win the gold.

Kolesar was in the open 3200 two hours before the relay. She was seeking her second straight medal after taking sixth last year. Oil City's Corabel Shiley was also in the race, but neither local runner did as well as they did last spring -- place-wise or time-wise.

Kolesar ran 11:04.42 for ninth place -- just out of the money since the top eight medal. She ran a school record 10:58.44 when she medaled last season.

Shiley finished 19th in 11:49.03, some 30 seconds off the time she ran at states in 2025 when she was 12th. It was also 37 seconds off her school record. Maybe the rain had something to do with all this. It was not pleasant out there.

But it didn't seem to hamper Baylee Espinosa of Lewisburg, who repeated as champion. Her time was 10:33.05, which was better than her top seed (10:39.06.)

Knight's bid for medal foiled again

Knight was clinging to eighth place, and the final medal spot, by six inches over Drew Hopper of Carlisle, 159-5-158-11. His sixth and final throw spun just 149-10. (He had a chance to extend his lead right there, but would have had to be close to his best throw ever, as it turned out.) Up came Hopper who answered with 164-11 to overtake Knight.

Knight's 159-5 came on his fourth throw after two fouls. He opened at 158-8. Knight broke the school record on May 16 with a 167-7, but that only would have been good enough for fifth place in this state meet.

Grove City's DeLathian Boanes was second with a 172-4 see-ya-later throw before he takes his football and track talents to Slippery Rock. The champion, Grayson Pittman of Avon Grove, threw 187-11 on his first try and then proceeded to rack up five straight fouls.

Knight also finished ninth last year in the shot, but did nothing in the discus. This season it was just the opposite. So, back to the drawing board for  his senior campaign.

Wenner 11th in 800 at 1:57.07

Neither Dalton Wenner nor Rilee Matalino medaled in the 2A 800, but both gave good accounts of themselves. Wenner, who broke the Cranberry record in the District 9 meet, ran 1:57.07 for 11th place. His splits were 57.73/59.35. Matalino, Oil City sophomore, was clocked in 2:00.36 for 23rd. Blake Glass of Ft. LeBoeuf was the winner in 1:53.08.

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