Hoag advances to States in three events

Strausbaugh picks up District bronze to reach PIAA Meet

Manheim Central junior Tyler Hoag prepares to throw the discus 153 feet, 7 inches, which was good enough for the District silver medal last Friday. (Photo by Preston Whitcraft)

In more than a decade of coaching track and field, Manheim Central skipper Shane Mack had never sent one of his throwers to States in three events.

Until now, that is.

Tyler Hoag achieved the rare feet at the District Three Triple-A Championships last Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University.

The Barons’ junior won silver medals in the discus (153-7) and shot put (53- 1/4) and a fifth-place medal in the javelin (177-2) to advance to the PIAA Championships, set for this Friday and Saturday, May 22-23 back in Shippensburg.

“We thought he did very well,” Mack remarked. “To qualify for three events at the State Meet and then to be seeded very well in the State Meet, he has the potential to earn three State medals this upcoming weekend. It will be pretty exciting to see if he can do that.”

Hoag won’t be alone at States. Freshman Heidi Strausbaugh also punched her ticket after throwing a 12-foot personal best in the Triple-A girls javelin (133-4) while winning a bronze medal.

“She’s a ninth-grader and this is the first time she’s picked up the javelin,” Mack said of Strausbaugh, who also finished 16th in the discus (102-3). “So she’s progressed quickly.”

MC sophomore Cole Sunderland was ninth in the boys 1,600 in 4:27.73, freshman Billie Jo Bollinger took 12th in the girls 300 hurdles (47.73) and junior Derek Adams placed 16th in the boys javelin (155-11). Bollinger also competed in the High Hurdles and missed advanced to the semi-finals by just one spot, crossing the finish line in 16.60 seconds.

Team-wise, the Manheim Central boys were 12th with 20 points, while the girls were tied for 32nd with six points.

Hoag, coached in the throws by Mike Wise, certainly had a lot to do with the Barons’ finish in the team race. On Friday, Hoag’s throw of 153-7 was behind only Warwick’s David Lucas, who repeated as the District champ with a winning heave of 175-7.

Then on Saturday, Hoag was sixth going into the shot put finals after launching a throw of 50-1 1/2. He improved on all three of his last attempts, including a heave of 53- 1/4 on his final throw, which bumped him up to the silver medal.

“I’m pretty happy with it,” Hoag remarked. “I’ve had some wrist problems the past couple of weeks and I’ve been recovering. I’m happy to be back up in the 53’s. (The 53-foot throw) felt pretty good. I thought I could have gotten a little further, but I have States next week, so I can let it go.”

Donegal’s Bryce Sadler took gold in the shot put with a big throw of 54-7 1/2.

“I’m happy for Bryce, he’s a good guy,” Hoag said. “He definitely earned it. He had a good day, a good throw. I’m happy with second.”

The soft-spoken Hoag has let his throws do the speaking for him.

“He doesn’t say a lot at practice either,” Mack said. “He’s very quiet, but he gets that job done.”

With just one event remaining, Hoag nearly equaled his personal best of 178-8 while placing fourth in the javelin at 177-2, which came on his last throw of the finals. That was right there with the top-two finishers &tstr; Cedar Crest’s Evan Horn won the gold at 179-8.

“It was pretty good,” Hoag said of 177-2. “I was having trouble in the beginning with slipping, so I knew I had to get a good one the last one. The end of the runway is kinda wearing away and a lot of the guys were slipping.”

“We were anticipating him placing in the top five in all three throws,” Mack said. “I’m sure just with him being nervous, it wasn’t to do what he did, but he’s done it. So now hopefully he can do it again and earn a State medal in each throw.”

For the PIAA Championships, Hoag is seeded 6th in the shot put, 10th in the discus and 19th in the javelin.

“I would like to see him earn a medal in all three,” Mack said. “I think that’s a rare thing. I don’t think it happens too often. I would assume maybe (former Cocalico star) Kyle Felpel was one who was able to do it. He would be the only one I can remember of doing something like that.”

Strausbaugh, meanwhile, is seeded 10th in the girls javelin at States. Prior to last weekend, her best throw in that event was 121-9, and she squeaked past 10th-place finisher Mackenzie Hainley (118-2), of Cocalico, in the trials by mere inches to earn a spot in the finals.

“Her first throw in the finals, it didn’t go as far as she’d like,” Mack said, “but then those next two throws, I think, were 133-3 and 133-4 … It looked like she was a little faster on the runway and then she just threw it. I’m no throwing coach and no expert by any means, but she just threw it and she threw it well. And then to come back and throw it again … she threw two in the 133’s. and I think a big part of the State Meet will be who’s consistent because the winner at the District Meet (Kutztown’s Jocelen Ruth) only threw 135-6.”

Connellsville sophomore Madison Wiltrout is the top seed in the javelin at States with a throw of 181-0, but then there’s a big drop-off to the group of next throwers, with No. 2 seed Nicolette Serratore, a Methacton senior, at 139-0.

“Who knows what (Heidi)’s going to do this week,” Mack said. “She has the potential to do very, very well and earn a State medal as well … I think we’re going to read about her a lot in the near future in all three throws as well. It will be exciting. What a great learning experience this is for her.”

In the boys 1,600, Sunderland appeared on track to be heading to States, running fifth after three laps in a time of 3:20. He was still sixth coming through the final turn, but then was passed in the home stretch by two runners.

“I’m not 100 percent sure what happened there,” Mack said. “I was surprised actually. Usually he finishes so strong, but Saturday just wasn’t his day.”

Although Bollinger fell a little bit short of the medal stand in the 300 hurdles, her time of 47.40 was a personal-best while placing 12th overall.

“You’ve got to be happy with that,” Mack said. “I believe next year she will probably be in medal contention in that event because I think she can still improve and grow in that event.”

Adams will also be back in the throws for the Barons after capping a solid junior season by finishing 16th in the boys javelin.

“It was neat to see (Derek) make it to the meet,” Mack said. “It was his first really big meet that he’s qualified for, so I think the experience for him will pay off for next season. I believe he’ll probably make finals next year in the javelin and be a contender for a District medal and probably a top five State qualifying throw. It will be interesting to see how far he progresses in that as well.”