Clarion Area Junior High Track Club’s Second Season Off To A Great Start (05/01/16)

The Clarion Area Junior High Track Club is entering their second year and is doing very well so far. Christie Datko contributed the following three articles, sharing on the club’s history, hardships and triumphs.

Jr. High Track Club Overcomes Many Hurdles!

Not many school districts around this area have junior high track teams and Clarion Area is no different. However, this didn’t stop Keith Murtha from finding a way to make sure that junior high students from the Clarion Area School District had the opportunity to compete in track and field events.

(Photos by Christie Datko) Coach Murtha instructing some of his charges

In 2015, Coach Murtha along with assistant coaches Tammy Lerch and Bill Grove coached the very first Clarion Jr. High Track Club. These coaches don’t only volunteer their time to coach, but purchase equipment, and transport the kids in their own vehicles to the meets, as well.

The young athletes have also experienced some strange looks and questions at the meets regarding their uniforms. Since the club does not have official track uniforms, they wear cross country uniforms that are no longer in use. Each athlete also pays his or her own entry fee for each meet. Although, the kids realize they don’t have all the luxuries of many of the other junior high teams they compete against, they still work hard, hold their heads high, and are simply grateful for the opportunity.

Despite all these obstacles, the inaugural year was a success as the thirteen member team competed in several invitationals. Coach Murtha’s goal is for the young athletes to become familiar with numerous events that they will one day be able to compete in at the varsity level.

The seventh and eighth graders who make up this year’s team are Ethan Burford, Ava Cherico, Alex Cussins, Nate Datko, Kyara Girvan, Daniel Hackenberg, Morgan Kahle, Nathan Kline, Nathaniel Lerch, Jesse Lewis, Josh Mitchell, Ben Murtha, Emma Spitz, Brianna Warner, Gavin Weaver, and Hollee Workman. The club will be competing in six invitationals this season.
Clarion Jr. High Track Club Can Compete with “Big” Schools

The Clarion Jr. High Track Club, led by Coach Keith Murtha, surprised many at their very first track invite of the season. The club traveled to Art Bernardi Stadium in Butler on Thursday, April 21, to compete in the Butler Jr. High Track and Field Invitational. Nineteen teams from the Greater Pittsburgh area were in attendance. Schools are not divided into classifications for events at invitationals. Therefore, Clarion competed against the likes of (AAAA) Butler, North Allegheny, and the eventual team champion, North Hills. Perennial powerhouse Grove City (AAA) also won it’s share of events. Each individual event saw at least 35 competitors.

Eleventh place finish for Ava Cherico in the discus throw!

Perhaps one of the most outstanding performances came from seventh grader, Ava Cherico, who was competing in her very first track and field event. In a field of 39, Ava threw the discus 63-06, which landed her an eleventh place finish. Nathaniel Lerch also made his presence known as he finished eighth in the 1600 (5:26.17) He also brought home a sixteenth place finish in the 800 crossing the line at 2:38.65. Ethan Burford debuted in the 300 hurdles, and finished 13th with a time of 51.20. Nate Datko took thirteenth place out of 39 runners in the 400 (1:02.10) and fourteenth in the 200 (27.60).

Brianna Warner and Ava Cherico ran the 400 meter dash with times of 1:19 and 1:27.90 respectively. Warner also faced the 300 hurdles finishing with a time of 1:05. Emma Spitz ran the 800 crossing the line at 2:59.79, which was good for a twenty second place finish. Hollee Workman finished in twenty second place as wel with a discus throw of 55-00.5. Workman also competed in shot put (21-03). Cherico, Warner, Spitz and Morgan Kahle brought home a 9th place finish in the 4×400 relay (5:56.30).

Alex Cussins ran the 1600 in 6.28.20. Daniel Hackenberg and Jesse Lewis competed in the 400 meters with times of 1:11.40 and 1:17.10 respectively.

Nathaniel Lerch finishing strong in the 1600 meters!

Josh Mitchell ran the 200 in 35.80. He also finished the 300 hurdles with a time of 1:09.60. Burford, Cussins, Datko, and Lerch made up the 4×400 relay and finished 8th with a time of 4:30.

Hunter Craddock and Nathan Kline also competed for the club.
Top 10 Finishes For Clarion Jr. High Track Club

Cold weather can cause track and field events to be miserable, but that didn’t stop the Clarion Jr. High Track Club from enduring that type of weather all day long at the Johnsonburg Invitational on Saturday, April 30. This invitational hosted approximately 465 athletes from thirteen junior high track teams. Thirteen members of the Clarion Jr. High Track Club were not intimidated by the weather or fierce competition.

In fact, Ethan Burford attacked both the 110 and 300 hurdles as if he had been doing it for years. However, this was only his second time to compete in these events. He brought home a seventh place finish in the 110 hurdles (21.52) and a fifth place finish in the 300 hurdles (53.72).

Kyara Girvan mastering the high jump!

Kyara Girvan competed in her first track and field events, and proved to be a natural as she finished in sixth place in the high jump (4-00.) Ava Cherico improved her discus throw by over 3 feet from the previous invitational and finished ninth with a throw of 66-02. Nate Datko crossed the line at 27.86 in the 200 which earned him an eighth place finish.

Nathaniel Lerch earned a tenth place after running the 1600 in 5:37.35. Rounding out the top ten finishes was the 4×400 relay team of Burford, Datko, Lerch and Daniel Hackenberg. The team finished fifth with a time of 4:28.03.

Other members who attended were Emma Spitz, Brianna Warner, Hollee Workman, Ben Murtha, Josh Mitchell, Nathan Kline and Alex Cussins.

Ethan Burford leaping his way to a fifth place finish!

This crew will be back in action Wednesday, May 4, at the Franklin Invitational, and again on Friday, May 6, at the Sheffield Invitational.

(Thanks to Christie Datko for these articles and photos. Great Start, Junior High Track Club!!!!)