Running for gold: Quarzo looks to double in PIAA championship | Local

But, no so much, for the rest of the girls distance runners in Class AA.

Runners in the past had to run a preliminary heat in the 1,600 on the opening day and then run the final on the second day for medals.

Now, the first set of medals awarded Friday morning will be in the girls Class AA 1,600.

Quarzo looks to double in the 1,600 and 3,200, and, given the schedule, make a run at her sister Gionna’s state record in the 3,200. Gionna Quarzo holds the state record in the 3,200, winning gold with a time of 10:25.91 in 2019.

Quarzo posted the only time under five minutes (4:59.09) in the 1,600. She runs in the second heat, likely around 9:10 a.m.

She returns to the track for the 3,200 bright and early Saturday at 9 a.m. Quarzo has the only seed time under 11 minutes (10:49.52) and is 12 seconds faster than the next best time.

Southmoreland’s Olivia Cernuto is seeded eighth in the Class AA triple jump based on her winning mark in the WPIAL final of 36-4¾.

Teammate Alexis Jacobs competes in the Class AA discus and shot put. Jacobs is seeded fourth in the shot put with a throw of 39-1½ and ninth in the discus.

Mount Pleasant’s Rylin Bogush seeks to advance through Friday’s Class AA 200-meter preliminary. The Lady Vikings’ Tiffany Zelmore is seeded 14th in the discus.

Callfornia freshman Ella Neil looks to medal in her first state meet in the Class AA high jump. She is one several girls who qualified with a jump of five feet, just two inches short of the state qualifying mark.

Waynesburg Central’s Andrew Layton is one of three vaulters seeded second in the boys Class AA pole vault with his WPIAL winning vault of 14-6. Richland’s Logan Gossard has the best vault entering the competition at 14-8½.

The Raiders’ Dawson Fowler looks to add another medal after winning WPIAL gold in the triple jump, though he will likely need to improve on his district mark of 42-4¾ to do so.

Southmoreland’s JJ Bloom seeks to advance through the Class AA preliminaries, while teammate Isaac Trout has two chances to medal. Trout is seeded 15th in the long jump and 18th in the triple jump, the better of his two events.

Yough’s Nick Gunther is seeded seventh in the Class AA discus and 17th in the javelin as he seeks a double medal weekend.

Laurel Highlands’ Mia Pierce is seeded fifth in the Class AAA discus based on her WPIAL silver medal-winning throw of 122-3. Teammate Jaden Brambley, a freshman, is is one of several girls with a height of 11-6 in the Class AAA pole vault. Three vaulters are tied at 12 feet and two enter with a mark of 11-9.

Ringgold’s Ryan Pajak takes to the track Saturday morning in his quest to medal in the Class AAA 3,200. The sophomore is seeded third with his WPIAL silver medal time of 9:09.30. Butler’s CJ Singleton, the WPIAL gold medalist, has the fastest time of 9:05.81. Greencastle’s Weber Long qualified with a time of 9:06.63.

Albert Gallatin senior Bruno Fabrycki is seeded 16th in the Class AAA long jump with a distance of 21-6¾ in his first state meet.