Burgettstown’s Schramm sweeps throws in County Coaches meet
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Mark Galley, a Canon-McMillan track coach, presents Burgettstown’s Miranda Schramm with a Field MVP Award for her performance at Washington-Greene County Coaches Track Meet. Schramm placed first in the girls shot put, javelin, and discus. The throws were held Friday at Peters Township, the running events Saturday at Canon-McMillan.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Elisabeth Franczyk takes the baton from Allie West as Canon-McMillan’s 1,600-meter relay team cruises to victory on their home track Saturday in the Washington-Greene County Coaches meet.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Fort Cherry’s Mara Whalen finishes her 800-meter run with a time of 2:20.54 at the Washington-Greene County Coaches Track Meet at Canon-McMillan on Saturday.
Mark Marietta
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Peters Township’s Alaina Koutsogiani wins the 200 meter race with a time of 25.66 at the Washington-Greene County Coaches Track Meet Saturday.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Burgettstown's Madeline Newark pushes through at the finish ahead of Bentworth's Taylor Leonetti in their heat of the 800-meter run at the Washington-Greene County Coaches Track and Field meet Saturday at Canon-McMillan.
CANONSBURG – They were this year’s Leper Colony in Saturday’s Washington-Greene County Coaches Track Meet at Canon-McMillan High School’s track.
This small patch of athletes was dispatched to Peters Township a day earlier because the field at Big Mac Stadium was not prepared to host all the throwing events and the high jump.
Recognition might come but only after someone did something pretty special.
Enter Miranda Schramm.
All she did was sweep the throwing events and earn enough points to be named Outstanding Field Thrower.
Schram won the shot put with a heave of 37-5, some seven feet from her closest competitor, Kirra Gerard of Ringgold (30-4).
The discus was just as dominating as Schramm threw 132-7, some 40 feet better than Trinity’s Abby Wayman.
The javelin was a little closer at 109-6 to Trinity’s Rylee Elling at 103-10.
“We had a small throws team this year but the other girls were really supportive,” said Schramm, a senior at Burgettstown. “It was odd not having all the Peters girls team hanging around.”
Marra Whalen, a senior at Fort Cherry, was the Overall winner with a second place in both dashes and first-place finishes in the 400 meters and 800 run.
Alaina Koutsogiani of Peters Township was the Track winner with individual first places in the dashes and as a member of the Indians’ winning 400-meter relay team.
For the second time in a row, Canon-McMilan swept the team races for the girls and boys. Fort Cherry won the Class AA girls team title and Waynesburg the Class AA boys.
Schramm has been throwing for six years and will continue her athletic career at Robert Morris.
Schramm hit her PR of 37-5 in the shot put and discus (132) in this meet. Her best javelin throw of 112 came in her junior season.
Schramm used to run cross country but gave it up last year to concentrate on physical training for her throws.
“I analyze YouTube videos of Olympians,” said Schramm. “I’ll watch videos frame by frame and watch what they’re doing and watch what I’m doing. I pattern myself after Sandra Perkovic, a Croatian Olympian. I’ve watched her video since freshman year.”
Schramm finished eighth in discus in the state tournament as a sophomore. Last year was taken from these track athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was hard because I definitely knew I could get top-three, and possibly win, if I had a good day. I have another chance and I’m going all out this year,” Schramm said.
Whalen could have won four events if it were not for Koutsogiani, who was .45 faster in the 100-meter dash and .59 in the 200.
Whalen crossed in 58.29 in the 400, the only competitor under 1:00 and 2:20.54 in the 800, nine seconds better than Audrey Karwowsky of Canon-McMillan.
“The goal was to win all four. That’s why I ran the open events.” said Whalen, who set a PR in the 400.
Last year was a washout for Whalen, not only because of the pandemic but because of a stress fracture in her left ankle.
“For me, it’s like a blessing in disguise the season getting cancelled,” said Whalen. “I was still running on it but didn’t tell anyone. Then the season got cancelled, I decided to get it checked out.”
Whalen is headed to Duquesne to work on a secondary education degree with a special education certificate.
“They have a pretty nice team,” said Whalen. “The coaches are nice and the girls I met were nice. I’m really excited.”
Grace Senneway and Alexis Conway, teammates at Peters Township, finished 1-2 in the 3,200 run just four seconds apart.