Heavy graduation losses will lead to many new faces figuring into the lineups for the Pittston Area track and field teams a year after the Lady Patriots placed third and the Patriots were seventh out of 19 teams in District 2 Class 3A.
“The name of the game is that we have a lot of kids to choose from, but a lot of inexperience, too,” boys coach Jason Mills said. “That’s going to be our philosophy this year. We’ve got a lot to learn.
“But, we’re 60 kids. So, we have a lot to choose from.”
Girls coach Joe Struckus provided a similar description.
“We’re a very young team,” he said. “It’s a lot of new faces; a lot of going back to basics; a lot of finding leadership. Right now, that’s what we’re dealing with.”
Pittston Area was stronger in invitationals than as a dual meet team a year ago when it went 1-5 in Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 boys and 3-3 in Division 1 girls.
Boys
Jalen Moore and Lucas Lopresto return to lead the team.
Moore was second in the 200 and third in the 400 at the district championships last season when Lopresto, as a freshman, took fourth in the triple jump.
“We’re expecting big things out of Jalen,” Mills said of Moore, who plans to continue his athletic and academic careers at East Stroudsburg University.
Lopresto has the ability to help in many areas, including the sprints.
John Casper, who is working his way back from injury, gives the Patriots another experienced sprinter.
Danny Girman will lead the hurdling group, which otherwise features a lot of newcomers.
Mills said middle distance and distance could be one of the team’s strengths.
Brady Tucker, Jake Mead and Caden Boettger, three of the four members of the district championship 3200 relay team, return along with Franklin Garcia.
Tim Baez is an experienced jumper and Albert Schardien leads the way in the pole vault where some new athletes are giving the difficult event a test run.
The jumps are another area filled with newcomers.
“We’re seeing some good things there,” Mills said, “but until they do it in a meet, it’s going to be a little challenging.”
There is depth among the throwers.
Gunnar Zaladonis is in the shot put with Chance Radziewicz back in the shot put and discus.
Lopresto throws the javelin.
Nate Ridgely is another discus/javelin option. Freshman Santino Capitano who has already earned varsity time as the football team’s quarterback, is another javelin thrower.
Nico Cielo throws the discus, Colin Smith is part of the throwing group and Brody Spindler is back after two years away from the sport.
Girls
Pittston Area must find a way to replace jumper and sprinter Aria Messner, who accounted for six gold and two silver medals at districts the past two seasons.
Jenna Grieco, another part of a championship 400-meter relay team and an individual district sprint medalist, also graduated.
The Lady Patriots will rely on Ali Butcher and Annika Lien, the two other members of that relay, to lead the sprint group. Lien also spends time in the long jump and triple jump.
“They have big shoes to fill,” Struckus said.
Freshman Emily Savakinas has experience in the hurdles from junior high.
Bella Dessoye was seventh in the district in the 800 last season, but all the other middle distance runners are new.
Dessoye could run anything from the 400, because of her speed, to the 3200 because of her success as a cross country runner.
Elinor Schardien was sixth in the district in the pole vault last season. She will need to add events, probably as a long and triple jumper, but also as an option for the 400 relay.
Paige Bittman took fifth in District 2 in the high jump.
Grace Callahan, a midseason addition last year, is back in the shot put and discus while Jessica Soroka could be the top javelin thrower.
Freshman Nadia Rawhouser has shown promise in the 400 and could be an addition to the relay lineups.
