Coach Tom Moul hopes the success of the indoor track season bodes well as outdoor competition nears.
“We’ve been working hard this winter in indoor,” he said. “As far as the spring season is concerned, we hope to parlay some of the success we’ve had into some good performances in outdoor.”
Something else coach Moul would like to see for the upcoming outdoor season is a few more PIAA qualifiers than the team had in 2023, when Claire Conti qualified in the discus, and Anna Troutman qualified in the 100-meter hurdles. Claire also broke the school’s indoor shot put record in 2023 with a throw of 33’2”.
“State qualifiers – that’s the ultimate goal. We also have goals to medal at states, then medal at WPIALs, and then on down the line. We had some decent success last year. We’re in a rough section. Just being competitive with some of the teams in our section is always a goal, as is maximizing the number of individuals at WPIALs and states getting medals.”
Claire, a sophomore, and Anna Troutman, a senior, will be key team members this season.
Coach Moul expects big things from others, including a group of juniors, such as sprinter Alyssa Quackenbush, Maya DiPasquale (who competes in the 400 and 800 meters), Anna Kintner (who will be a long and triple jumper), and distance runner Sarah Michalak. Senior hurdler Isabella Barbour and junior Gianna Tavolario are also expected to contribute. Alyssa set a school record during the indoor season with a 61.43 in the 400.
On the boys side, coach Moul is looking toward senior thrower Mason Miles, who medaled last year at WPIALs after suffering a torn ACL in football that kept him from the 2022-23 indoor season.
“I was super proud of him,” coach Moul said of Miles. “He had been injured. He was just coming back in April, so he really didn’t even get into any sort of form to throw competitively until then. Being able to get a medal at WPIALs was a huge accomplishment for him. As a sophomore, he made it to states (in the shot put). He’s super excited to be healthy and wants to get beyond what he was a couple of years ago.”
Distance runner senior Rowan Gwin also had a very successful cross country season in 2023, earning WPIAL and PIAA medals.
“He got injured right at the end of the track season last year,” coach Moul said. “He ran at WPIALs, but he had a torn hip flexor. That kind of hampered him. He’s looking to having a solid outdoor season.”
The Appalachian State recruit set a couple of school records during the indoor season.
Then again, the entire cross country team had a successful season, so coach Moul hopes that bodes well for his distance runners on the track team.
Junior David Black earned a WPIAL medal in cross country. Sophomore Michael Costello just missed winning a WPIAL medal. Michael was not on the outdoor track team in 2023, choosing instead to play lacrosse. Juniors Nicholas Clump and Ethan Vaughan also add talent to the Foxes’ distance runners. Ethan also missed part of the cross country season due to injury.
Junior Aidan Ortz will run the 400 meters after qualifying for the WPIAL meet in that event in 2023.
“He’s hoping to get back there and better,” coach Moul said of Aidan.
Many of these team members excelled indoors this season.
At the indoor state meet at Penn State, Rowan placed 8th in the 3000 meters and 12th in the mile, setting a school record, clocking in at 4:18.79. Mason placed fourth in the shot put, breaking his own school record with a throw of 56’3.5″. Anna Troutman placed sixth in the high jump. Rowan also qualified for the state indoor meet in the mile and 3000 meters.
At the regional meet at Edinboro before states, Anna Troutman took gold in the high jump and seventh in the hurdles, Miles placed second in the shotput, and Anna Kintner seventh in the long jump. Also, the 4×800 relay team of Sarah, sophomores Zelia Herald and Marin Airik, and Maya placed seventh.
The Foxes reside in the ultra-competitive WPIAL Class 3A, Section 3, which features perennial powerhouses such as Butler Area, North Allegheny, and Seneca Valley.
“We just always want to equip ourselves well when we’re going against them,” coach Moul said.
The coach also knows the importance of staying healthy for the Foxes to have success on the track.
“This is really a good group,” he said. “I don’t have any issues with the work ethic of this team. We also have good leadership on this team. The kids that are upperclassmen have performed at a pretty high level for a couple of years and are hard workers.”