PHOTO GALLERY | Conemaugh Township's Sleek, Bedford girls meet District 5 championship expectations

LOYSBURG, Pa. – Conemaugh Township senior Baylee Sleek enters most meets as a overwhelming favorite to place first in the high jump.

Those expectations accompany Sleek’s status as the defending PIAA Class 2A champion in the event.

Sleek will have an opportunity to defend her state gold next week.

PHOTO GALLERY | Bedford boys, girls shine at District 5 Track & Field Championships

She overcame windy conditions and a strong field to capture gold in the PIAA District 5 championships Wednesday at Northern Bedford County High School. Sleek cleared 5 feet, 6 inches to win the district high jump event for a third consecutive year and secure a spot in the field during the state meet in Shippensburg May 22-23.

“Today’s events were very tricky as the wind was not helping in either of my events,” Sleek said. “I didn’t get the height that I was hoping to jump, but I still did good and got first.”

Sleek cleared the bar on her initial attempts at each height through the winning 5-6. She tried unsuccessfully to jump 5-8.

“The wind just started picking up harder and harder, so it was getting harder to jump,” Sleek said.

Expectations also traditionally are high for the Bedford girls team. The Bisons captured their sixth consecutive 5-2A team crown, again in convincing fashion.

Bedford collected 154 points, with runner-up Conemaugh Township finishing with 96. Windber (72), Berlin Brothersvalley (67) and host Northern Bedford County (47) rounded out the top five.

“The girls really competed hard in adverse conditions,” Bedford coach Brian Creps said. “The wind was crazy at the start and then the rain at the end.

“We had some kids place way above their seeded times and throws. It was a total team effort.”

Heavy winds impacted the first half of the meet. Rain and lightning disrupted competition at 5:20 p.m. A 90-minute delay followed.

Bedford sophomore Keira Koontz was outstanding, winning the 100-meter hurdles and completing a leg in two winning relay squads. So was Grace Brallier, who won the 400 and was on the two winning relays.

Koontz took the 100-meter hurdles in 16.67, edging Conemaugh Township’s Sleek (17.28).

“Towards the end I just pushed myself through,” Koontz said of the 100 hurdles.

“I just pushed through, and I got my step back and won this race.

“I felt like I was running against a brick wall, but you’ve just got to make do,” Koontz said of the windy conditions. “It definitely means a lot to me. I made it last year too. It’s a goal to make it each year and each time do better and better and get my time down.”

Bedford’s Alyssa Leydig only had one opportunity during this track and field season, and she made it count.

The sophomore sprinter ran a 13.96 to win the 100 after a long layoff due to health reasons.

“This is my first time back on the track or running at all in 40 days,” Leydig said. “It was a tough season missing my whole track season.

“I figured I’d come back for the last meet and try to make a run at states, and I did it. I’m so thankful.”

Leydig edged Berlin Brothersvalley freshman Paige Weaver (14.03) and her Bisons teammate Kacey Martz (14.36).

“I had a good start,” Leydig said.

“About halfway through the race I thought I pulled it off and I just kept up that pace until the end.”

Bedford’s Chloe May won the 1600 in 5:29.06, contending with the difficult conditions and after the delay the junior placed first in the 3200 (11:26.18).

“It was really windy. I wanted to get a good time to get into a fast heat at states, which I probably didn’t,” May said after the 1600.

“I’m excited to get the opportunity to run there again,” she added, referring to the upcoming state meet.

“I’m just a little disappointed that I couldn’t complete what I wanted to today.”

Bedford won both the 400 relay (Koontz, Katie McDevitt, Brallier, Eden Locke; 52.29) and 1600 relay (Koontz, Brallier, Martz, McDevitt; 4:14.11).

A junior, Brallier won the 400 dash (1:01.67), giving her three golds in the meet.

The Windber 3200-meter relay squad earned the area’s first gold medal, as Rachel Russo, Mayson Oyler, Autumn Walz and Sophia Weyant finished in 10:27.15.

“Rachel gave us a good start,” said Weyant, a freshman.

“We’ve had her start for us for a good while. We just hold it. I know I’ve got to kick it at the end. But our start is our main spot.”

Added Walz, who is a senior in her first season on the relay, “We were really looking forward to today and all our hard work paid off.”

Oyler is a senior who ran on the 3200 relay all four years.

“It was a really nice way to end my track career,” Oyler said of winning a district gold medal and earning a spot in the state meet.

“Not a lot of people from Windber get this experience,” said Russo, a junior. “I’m just really glad I got to share it with these girls. It’s a really amazing group.”

Windber sophomore Pacey Oyler also will travel to Shippensburg after winning the pole vault with a 10-0.

“I cleared all of them on my first attempt,” Oyler said. “It feels great. I’m really excited to go (to Shippensburg) again. I’ll practice a lot, pray about it and hope it goes well.”

Two area freshmen stood out in gold-medal, state-qualifying performances.

Conemaugh Township's Braxtyn Sleek – Baylee's sister – won the 300 hurdles in 49.22. Berlin's Weaver ran 27.09 to place first in the 200-meter dash.

Individual and relay winners, as well as those who met state qualifying times or distances, advance to the PIAA championships May 22-23 at Shippensburg University.

Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at (814) 532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.