Aria Messner is back to lead a large group of seniors, who coach Joe Struckus is hoping will make the Pittston Area girls track and field team into a contender this season.
“This team has 17 seniors on it,” Lady Patriots coach Joe Struckus said, “so, right there, we have a lot of experience. A lot of them are four-year seniors, so they’ve been through the trials and tribulations.
“Their first season was the COVID year, so here we are three years later.”
Messner has been through her own trials and tribulations. She won three District 2 Class 3A gold medals last season when it appeared that the only thing preventing her from maxing out with a fourth gold medal was an error made by an official running the long jump event.
Then, injuries suffered in an accident between the District 2 meet and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships prevented Messner from competing and likely contending for multiple state medals.
Messner won the 100-meter dash, 400 relay and high jump last season along with her controversial second-place finish in the long jump at districts. She also won titles in the first-ever WVC Championship Meet in both the long jump and 100.
There is plenty of support for Messner.
Seniors Ali Butcher, Jenna Grieco and Messner are back after forming three-fourths of the 400 relay team that gave Pittston Area its fifth straight district title in the event. Grieco was fifth in the 100 dash and also helped the 1600 relay team score points at districts.
Rowan Lazevnick was part of teams that finished in the top eight in the district in the 1600 and 3200 relays last year. She will join Butcher and some youngsters in perhaps strengthening Pittston Area in the 400 dash and 1600 relay this year.
Freshmen Bella Dessoye, a state qualifier in cross country, and Cami Karp could provide addition options in the 1600 and 3200 relays where other veterans also return.
Seniors Molly Fetchko, Milania Serino and Maddie Jakubowski and sophomore Olivea Scalese are others who could help in the distance or middle distance races. Scalese is already a two-time state qualifiers in cross country.
Jakubowski, Gianna DiPietropaolo and Jaden Jadus are all seniors with experience in the hurdles where sophomore Leah Drozdinski could also be a factor.
Sadie Gregory, a senior, was seventh in the district in the triple jump.
Paige Bittman found early success in the high jump as a freshman before being sidelined by injury. Annika Lien, another sophomore, adds promise as a long and triple jumper.
Senior javelin thrower Kaitlin Chernouskas and sophomore pole vaulter Elinor Schardien each return after placing 10th in the district last season.
Abigail Chernouskas, another senior, is back from injury to join the throwing group, which also includes senior Nora Philbin and junior javelin thrower Jessica Sorokas.
“After that, a lot of our throwers are young, but we’re hoping by the end of the season, they will have developed to where we have a nice crew of jumpers,” Struckus said.
Other seniors on the team are Avery Antal, Sarah Hansen, Vanessa Maslowski, Taryn O’Malley and Isabella Owen.
The Lady Patriots were 3-3 in WVC Division 1 last season behind Dallas, Crestwood and Hazleton Area, the same three teams Struckus figures they will need to find a way to conquer if they are going to move up in the standings this year. They were in the top one-third of the field at the District 2 meet, placing sixth of 18 teams in Class 3A.
