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Meet GameTimePA's YAIAA track and field all-stars, athletes of the year

Shelly Stallsmith   York Daily Record
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Here the top boys' and girls' track and field athletes in the YAIAA during the 2023 season, as determined by GameTimePA staff.

Athletes of the Year

Bernard Bell, South Western, sr.

The senior made the most of his final high school season, nearly pulling off a hurdle double-double to be named the GameTimePA YAIAA Boys' Track and Field Athlete of the Year for the second straight year. Bell won gold medals in the District 3 Class 3A 110 hurdles (14.13) and 300 hurdles (37.69). He followed a week later with gold in the PIAA 300 hurdles in 37.28 and silver in the 110 hurdles in 14.29, lowering the school records he set last year in both events. His 300 time was the fastest in the state this year. He won YAIAA titles in 110 hurdles and long jump (22-1.75), but didn't compete in the 300 hurdles in that meet. Bell picked up a sixth-place District 3 medal in the long jump at 20-8.25, but didn't qualify for the state meet in that event. His high school career might be over, but he will get plenty of track time at Shippensburg University, site of the district and state meets. He will compete for the Raiders for the next four years.

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Laila Campbell, Spring Grove, jr.

It's hard to bet against Campbell. The 6-0 junior, who has a short list of LSU, USC and Georgia to decide between, hasn't lost a league, district or state race in her high school career. She ran the fastest 200 meters in the state this year, 23.24 in the District 3 Class 3A meet. Her top 100 meter time (11.55) was bested only by Avery Lewis' 11.41 when they both ran in the Puma Presents the East Coast in early May. Lewis is a junior at Friends' Central, which is not a member of the PIAA and doesn't participate in the state meet. While she has to go outside of the PIAA to be pushed, that doesn't mean other competitors aren't interested in what she does. It wasn't unusual to see other athletes, and officials who weren't working, to stop and watch her run at the district and state meets. And then they quickly turned their heads to catch her time. Campbell already owns the PIAA record for 100 meters, set last year. She was .04 second off the 200 record last year, and .02 off the mark this year. She owns the District 3 record in both events.

First team

Sprinters/hurdlers

Perry Addey, West York, sr.

Unfortunately for Addey, he ran the same events as Bernard Bell ... 110 and 300 hurdles. The pair have competed against each other since middle school and will train together this summer. Addey snared the 300 hurdle title in the league meet in 37.53, finished second in districts in 38.53 and third in the state meet in 38.29. He was second in the league meet (14.76), seventh in districts (14.97) and 13th at states (15.07).

Ella Bahn, Spring Grove, fr.

Bahn made quite a splash in her first high school season. She won four titles at the league meet -- 800, 100 and 300 hurdles and high jump. She won three titles at the District 3 meet -- 100 and 300 hurdles (14.48 and 44.67, respectively) and high jump (5-5) and finished seventh in the 800. She brought home a state title in the 300 hurdles in 42.62 and finished fifth in the high jump at 5-4.

Ava Deming, Fairfield, sr.

Deming runs her best in the longest of the sprints, the 400 meters. She finished third in the league meet in 59.75 and won the District 3 Class 2A title in 59.29. She ran a season-best 59.05 in the PIAA prelims to reach the final, where she finished eighth in 1:00.28. She also finished seventh in the 200 at the district meet.

Ryleigh Marks, Susquehannock, sr.

Marks won the District 3 Class 3A championship in the long jump at 18-0 and finished eighth in the state meet at 17-6.25. But it was the 100 hurdles where she really impressed. She finished second across the board -- in the league meet at 14.63, districts in 14.52 and states in 14.11. She also finished fourth in the league meet in the 300 hurdles and eighth at districts in 46.51.

LaDainian Strausbaugh, Red Lion, sr.

Strausbaugh ran all three sprints in the postseason. He was the league champ in the 400 in 50.39, but didn't run it in districts. He finished third at the league meet at 200 meters in 22.12, second at the District 3 Class 3A meet in 21.92 and 16th at states in 22.14. In the 100, he was second at the league meet (11.00), sixth at districts (10.93) and 12th at states (10.84).

Nico Wright-Phillips, West York, Sr.

Wright-Phillips was the league champ in the 100 and 200 in 10.86 and 21.81, respectively. He won the bronze in the 200 at the District 3 Class 3A meet in 21.92 and 12th at states in 21.94. He was also a member of the 4x100 relay that won the league title, finished eighth at districts and 15th at states.

Distance runners

Kailey Granger, Dallastown, sr.

Granger finished third in 800 meters at the league meet but stuck to the longer distances for districts and states. After winning the league title at 1600 meters in 5:03.82, she finished third at districts in 5:02.26 and 14th at states in 4:57.71. At 3200 meters, she finished third at districts in 10:51.13 and eighth at states in 10:36.90.

Matt O'Brien, Susquehannock, sr.

O'Brien won league titles at 800 and 1600 meters, but excelled at 3200 meters at districts and states. He blew past the District 3 record to run his first sub-9-minute race, finishing in 8:59.82 to win the title. He lowered his personal best another 4 seconds at states, finishing fourth in 8:55.76. He also finished sixth in the mile at districts in 4:17.47.

Victoria Rodriguez, Dallastown, so.

Rodriguez finished second to her teammate in the league 1600 meters in 5:08.83, eighth at districts in 5:07.86 and 17th at states in 5:00.09. In the 3200, she finished fifth at districts in 11:02.82 and 16th at states in 10:51.78. She also ran 800 meters at the league meet, finishing fourth in 2:20.92.

Jumpers

Lily Carlson, Bermudian Springs, so.

Carlson had to survive a jump off to win the PIAA Class 2A pole vault title. She used an extra shot at 12 feet to win state gold after finishing second at districts (12 feet) and winning the league title at 12-1. She also competed in hurdles at districts, finishing third in the 100 (16.78) and 300 (49.21).

Garreth Calder, Northeastern, fr.

Calder finished second in the league meet with a long jump of 21-3.5. He followed that up with a bronze at districts at 21-10.5 and 14th place at states with a leap of 21-2.5.

Alison Watts, Bermudian Springs, jr.

Watts jumped to a pair of silver medals at the league meet in long (16-5.75) and triple (35-8.25). She claimed a District 3 Class 2A title in the high jump (5-0) and finished second in the long jump (17-5.75) and triple jump (36-1.50). She finished second at the PIAA meet in the long jump at 17-9.25 and eighth in the triple jump at 36-9.50.

Throwers

Matthew Arnold, York County Tech, sr.

Arnold knows how to throw a discus. He won the league title at 173-4, the District 3 Class 3A title at 168-4 and finished as the PIAA runner-up with a throw of 177-0.

Jackson Hersh, South Western, jr.

Hersh was the league champion in the javelin with a throw of 185-7. He followed that with a District 3 Class 3A silver medal at 178-10 and finished 12th in the PIAA meet at 166-2.

Joseph Sevison, Central York, sr.

Sevison was the league runner-up to Arnold in the discus with a throw of 161-2. He finished sixth at districts with a throw of 153-6 and 21st at states at 135-6.

Honorable mention

Sprinters/hurdlers

  • Caden Althoff, Biglerville, sr.: District 3 Class 2A bronze medalist 200 meters
  • Natalie Cottrell, Dallastown, sr.: District 3 Class 3A seventh place 200 meters
  • Gabby delPielago, York Suburban, sr.: League 400 meter champ
  • Gemma Galligani, Dover, sr.: PIAA Class 3A ninth place in 100 hurdles and 22nd in 300 hurdles
  • Kenny Johnson, Dallastown, sr.: PIAA Class 3A 26th place 100 meters
  • Ryder Noel, Delone Catholic, sr.: PIAA Class 2A 16th place 100 meters

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Long distance

  • Dylan Cunningham, Kennard-Dale, sr.: League champ 3200 meters
  • Aden Davis, Delone Catholic, sr.: District 3 Class 2A fourth place 1600 meters
  • Jackson Gutekunst, Dallastown, sr.: PIAA Class 3A 14th place 800 meters
  • Jakob Rager, Dallastown, sr.: PIAA Class 3A 26th place 1600 meters
  • Kaydence Strange, Eastern York, jr.: League 3200 meter champ

Jumpers

  • Colton Baldwin, York Tech, so.: League pole vault champ
  • Emma Chataginer, Central York, sr.: PIAA Class 3A 19th place high jump
  • Austin Martin, South Western, jr.: PIAA Class 3A 16th place high jump
  • Fina Mochi, Delone Catholic, sr.: PIAA Class 2A 23rd place high jump
  • Jacob Ogle, Fairfield, sr.: PIAA Class 2A eighth place high jump
  • Michael Scott, Dallstown, so.: League triple jump champ
  • Maslyn Soisson, Central York, jr.: League triple jump champ

Throwers

  • Jonathan Anders, Fairfield, sr.: District 3 Class 2A seventh place discus
  • Morgan Dayett, Spring Grove, sr.: League discus champ
  • Kendall Felix, Eastern York, Sr.: League javelin champ
  • Ke'Ahjah Lawrence, Dallastown, sr.: League shot put champ
  • Danny Pham, Central York, sr.: League shot put champ
  • Aaron Weigle, Bermudian Springs, jr: PIAA Class 2A fifth place discus
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