Jul 2, 2024 2 min read

The junior qualified for the state meet in four events and won two gold medals at the WPIAL Track & Field Championships.

Dean didn’t have the experience he would have preferred at Shippensburg University in the PIAA Class 3A Track & Field Championships, but he finished his outdoor season by winning the New Balance Nationals Outdoor Decathlon Championship in Philadelphia.

Dean scored 6,961 points over the 10 events over two days to defeat fellow Pennsylvania athlete Jey Brown by 517 points.

Dean posted personal-best marks in the 100-meter dash (10.58), long jump (23-5.5), high jump (5-9.25), 400-meter dash (50.89), discus (133-6) and javelin (171-7).

The track and field season never ends for Dean, as he also competes during the indoor season, but his solid outdoor campaign started to take notice when he won the 100 dash, 200 dash, 300 hurdles and long jump to earn the overall MVP award in the Washington-Greene Track & Field Championships. The Big Macs won the team championship at the event.

Canon-McMillan won the Class 3A, Section 7 team title before falling to North Allegheny in the team semifinals.

Dean set himself up for the WPIAL individual meet with victories in the 100 and 300 hurdles at the 50th Annual Baldwin Invitational. He crossed the finish line in 10.90 to win the 100 and 38.85 in the 300 hurdles. Dean was third in the long jump (22-4) and seventh in the 200 with a time of 22.89.

The WPIAL individual championships were postponed halfway through the event, but Dean didn’t allow that to hinder him as he won the 300 hurdles and 200 dash. He was second in the 100 and fourth in the long jump.

Dean chose not to compete in the 200 at the state meet.