May 19, 2017 4 min read

BALDWIN – For just a moment, Chyna Beck dreaded this day.

Another track meet and another competitive race against Brenna Cavanaugh, her friend and closest rival from Bentworth.

“Then I remembered: We’re in different classifications,” said Beck, a senior from Canon-McMillan. “We don’t race against each other.”

So the two put on a sparkling performance in the WPIAL Championships.

Cavanaugh won gold in the Class AA 100-meter hurdles (14.64) and long jump (18-9), and Beck won the Class AAA 100 hurdles (14.52) on a clear Thursday afternoon at Baldwin High School.

Cavanaugh and Beck won three of the six local gold medals in the girls portion of this event. Ashley McIntosh of California won the 300 hurdles (45.73) and Courtney Phoennik of South Fayette was first in the Class AA triple jump (38-2¼).

And the Fort Cherry 1,600 relay team of Bri Daniels, McKenzie Faure, Katrina Lepro and Alex Guerro took the gold medal.

Cavanaugh put on quite a show in Class AA, qualifying in four events for the PIAA Championships at Shippensburg University Memorial Day weekend. That’s the first time it’s happened for an athlete in the history of Bentworth’s track program.

Overall, 21 local girls or relay teams are state qualifiers.

Cavanaugh was second in the 100, and fifth in the triple jump to cap a great day. She plans to pull out of the 100 because they are back-to-back races and too taxing on her body.

“It’s going to be too much at states,” said Cavanaugh, who is battling a mild case of shin splints. “It would be a lot to do both (sprints) at states because there are prelims, semifinals and finals. I would much rather go with the hurdles.”

Cavanaugh said she had a strong start in the hurdles.

“I usually speed up as I go,” she said. “Usually, I count 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3. There is a bunch of things going through my head in a short period of time.”

Beck had a similar race to Cavanaugh, building speed and pulling away at the midway point.

“In the past week, I’ve been working on new steps,” she said. “I was focusing on the first two hurdles because usually they are the hardest for me.”

Beck said her races turn into “a mind game.”

“I have such a slow start that usually everyone passes me,” she said. “It frustrates me but having so many good competitors pushes me.”

McIntosh needed every ounce of energy as she labored over the final hurdle in the 300 and crossed the finish line in 45.73, a tick ahead of Taylor Petrak of Ellwood City.

“It felt like the longest stretch of my life,” said McIntosh, a senior. “I gave out a little bit on the last hurdle because my legs cramped up.”

Phoennik’s winning jump was 10 inches off her personal best of 39-0, set at a meet against Peters Township.

“This year, I focused more on my last phase (of the jump),” she said. “I wanted to hit my PR of 39 but I’m happy. I’ve improved a lot because of the last phase (improving).

“Being a WPIAL champion is really exciting. I worked for this for four years.”

The Fort Cherry relay team was just off its PR but still good enough to win.

“We’ll get that next week,” said FC coach Ben Maxin with a smile.

There were other close calls from local competitors.

In Class AA, McIntosh took third in the 100 hurdles and teammate Marissa Bitonti was third in the javelin. Savannah Wheeler of Chartiers-Houston was third in the shot put. Amanda Oliver of South Fayette was third in the 100 and fourth in the 200.

In Triple-A, Canon-McMillan’s 400 relay and 1,600 relay teams each took third and Peters Township’s Laura Ehrenberger was third in the 1,600.