Jul 7, 2017 3 min read

Baldwin High School is a place A’Shon Burgess would like to forget and never go back to again.

Crossing the finish line at the WPIAL Track & Field Championships in mid-May with a time of 16.24 seconds, Burgess immediately knew he fell short again.

The four-year letter winner, and three-time team MVP, also knew that was the last chance he had to add to his decorated career at Trinity.

Despite falling seconds short of trips to Shippensburg University for the PIAA State Championships three times, it didn’t stop colleges from seeing Burgess’ potential and what he could add to their programs.

Letters from Lock Haven, Allegheny, Waynesburg and Alderson Broaddus – where Burgess originally committed to in February – were all showing interest in the 110- and 300-meter hurdler who helped lead the Hillers in many meets.

“High school was kind of hard with some of the things thrown at me,” he said. “Coming into my freshman year, I was just the primary 110 hurdler. We didn’t have anybody for the 300-meter hurdles, so I really didn’t have a choice but to run. I just figured it would make me better.”

Continuing to seek improvement was what Burgess did, despite having three different coaches during his high school career.

Burgess saw an opportunity for further improvement on a visit to the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, after he thought he already had the decision to become a Battler wrapped up.

In April, Burgess flipped his commitment from Alderson Broaddus to Pitt-Johnstown.

“I felt like it was overall a better campus atmosphere and education,” he said of UPJ. “One of the biggest differences was the training facilities. At Alderson Broaddus, they had to rely on getting time on a track of a local high school. UPJ had the equipment, training facilities and a great coaching staff where I can be successful.”

Another selling point came from a sit-down with Pitt-Johnstown Track & Field coach Carl Keifer, who began his 34-year coaching career at the university as an assistant. Burgess said Keifer showed him the growth of the program since he took over in 2013.

“He’s a great guy,” Burgess said. “I could tell that he had a good knowledge of the sport and had a plan in place of improving the program going forward.”

One of the events Burgess could always look forward to was the Washington-Greene County Coaches Track Meet where he was a seven-time medal winner. He won a gold medal in the 300-meter hurdles his junior year, along with capturing two first-place finishes in the hurdles at this year’s event at Canon-McMillan.

Burgess will compete in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles at Pitt-Johnstown.

“I want to be the best that I can be over the next four years,” he said. “After these next four years are done, that’s most likely it for my sports career.”