May 12, 2016 6 min read

WEST MIFFLIN – All Jordan Smith planned was to attempt one throw. It didn’t matter that it forced the Canon-McMillan senior to watch other javelin throwers use all of their attempts Thursday at the WPIAL Class AAA Individual Track & Field Southern Qualifier at West Mifflin High School.

Smith didn’t have much of a choice.

One throw is difficult as it is with an elbow injury that has made the ultra-competitive Smith, who is one of the WPIAL’s top javelin throwers, settle for just good.

If the one throw that brought a shooting pain in his left elbow was enough to qualify him for the WPIAL Individual Championships, then Smith was content to watch from the sideline.

His first throw soared 161-9 – the third-best throw of the day – to send him to the championships next Thursday at Baldwin.

He also set a personal-best in the discus by five feet to take fourth, giving himself a shot at reaching the state meet in two events.

A season that has not gone according to plan finally worked out as Smith and his throwing coach Lance Vallee planned for a throw of at least 150 feet on the first attempt. Smith would scratch the rest of his attempts unless there was a chance he could finish outside the top eight, who advance to the WPIAL meet.

Though he was happy to advance, Smith admits watching another competitior win the event is tough to stomach, which he couldn’t stand in a dual meet against Peters Township this year.

“Once I saw (Doug Halo) from Peters throw 139 that day, I threw one time and hurt myself real bad,” Smith recalled. “It was a big mistake, but it’s tough seeing other people win. I hate to lose, but I did what I had to today.”

In a non-section tri-meet at Chartiers Valley March 24, Smith set a personal-best with a throw of 186 feet. Less than a week later, a throw at practice brought a sharp pain to his left elbow. He was diagnosed him with a strained ligament.

Smith couldn’t throw the javelin. The frustration turned to disappointment with the realization that his dream to reach the PIAA Championships might be unrealistic. He barely practiced the javelin in the following weeks – only competing in dual meets when the Big Macs needed points in the event.

“(Canon-McMillan head coach Mark Galley) told me that if you can’t throw, don’t throw, but I feel like if my team needs me I have to at least do one throw to get us some points,” Smith said. “I’ve always been a team player. I wanted to win the section and I wanted to get into the playoffs. I’d do anything for the team.”

He’ll also do anything to qualify for the PIAA meet. Suddenly, it looks like that might be in the discus. With most of his practice time dediated to the event, Smith set a personal-best by five feet Thursday and reached the state qualifying standard.

He finally learned how to get the proper spin on the disc, which led to his third-place finish with a throw of 128-8. Though Smith will likely need more than one throw to advance past the WPIAL Championships, he and Vallee are pleased with the progress made. The goal of a school record in the javelin might prove elusive.

“There’s no doubt in my mind he would have had a legitimate shot at it, if not gotten it,” Vallee said. “That’s the nature of sports. You can’t count on tomorrow. It’s very disappointing because he’s a good kid and you’d want nothing better than for him to see that success.”

Smith no longer thinks about what if. Instead, he’s focusing on one last javelin throw and improving his performance in the discus.

“It was frustrating the first few days, but I realized I can’t worry too much about it,” Smith said. “It’s my last year and I’ll throw anything to make it to states.”

Peters Township senior Caroline Curran tried the hurdles as a seventh grader when she decided they were unlike the other track events. There were many falls, many hurdles hit and it took years to truly hone the craft, but Curran will enter next the WPIAL Championships as one of the top seeds.

Curran finished first in the 100 hurdles with a personal-best of 15.08 and second in the 300 hurdles behind South Fayette’s Tori Valachovic with a time of 47.42.

“During my race, I knew it was one of the best I’ve ever ran,” Curran said of the 100 hurdles. “I could just feel how fast I was going. I honestly didn’t see myself taking first or second today with all the great competition here. I hoped to qualify, but I stayed confident.”

Peters Township’s Chloe Grzyb was first in the 1,600-meter run, Hannah Falcione placed first in the long jump and second in the triple jump, and Nick Wolk won the 3,3200 meters.

South Fayette had another impressive showing at the qualifier but it was the Lions’ football players who stood out.

Junior Mikey Speca, who was a threat all over the field for South Fayette last fall, took third in the 100 dash with a personal-best of 11.19. Head coach Scott Litwinovich, who re-joined the Lions’ football staff this fall with the plan to draw more athletes to the track team, was floored to see Speca – a first-year track competitor – come within 0.09 of first place.

“Knocking 0.30 off your (personal-best) is crazy,” Litwinovich said. “I didn’t know he was that fast. He’s enjoying it and I think he’s seeing just how successful he can be. A couple of our other football players are like that.”

Junior Ryhan Culberson, the Lions’ standout tight end, qualified in the long jump and narrowly missed in the 300 hurdles. Junior Luke Meindl, a defensive back, was first in the triple jump (43-7½).

Junior offensive lineman Thayer Phillips qualified in the shot put, discus and javelin.

Trinty junior Ashon Burgess is looking like a hurdler bound for Shippensburg after another strong showing.

Burgess was third in the 110 hurdles with a personal-best of 15.51 and took second in the 300 hurdles.

“I was motivated and kept pushing,” Burgess said. “I wanted to keep up with the kids I thought might be better than me and my time in the 110’s showed that. Knowing I only have two years left is motivation. I want to do my best.”