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First Posted: 5/6/2015

DALLAS — Pittston Area won two straight Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 girls track and field championships.

The Patriots battled all the way down to the final event of the final meet of the regular season trying to extend that streak.

Dallas handed Pittston Area its first conference loss since the 2012 season Tuesday, turning back the visiting Patriots, 79-71, and taking the championship when returning state medal winner Katie Kravitsky won the high jump.

The Mountaineers and Patriots traded leads in the meeting of unbeaten teams as Dallas held an advantage on the track and Pittston Area piled up points in the field.

“It was a nice performance by our girls,” Pittston Area coach Joe Struckus said, pointing a number of individuals who turned in personal-best efforts to try to improve the team’s chances.

Allie Barber ran a 1:01.4 to win the 400-meter dash while Liz Waleski ran a 48.6 to take second in the 300 hurdles and a 16.8 while placing third in the 100 hurdles.

Kayla Miller turned in a strong effort to take second in the discus while pole vault winner Abby Norwillo added the long jump to her schedule and took third.

Dallas had its big efforts as well, surprising Pittston Area with a sweep of the 200 and a win in the 400 relay.

The Patriots outscored the Mountaineers, 43-20, in the field, but Dallas built a 31-point advantage on the track.

Olivia Giambra led the field efforts, winning the long jump with 16-4 and triple jump with 35-11 1/4. Taryn Ashby won the javelin with a throw of 122-8.

Sydney Williams with a time of 15.9 in the 110 hurdles, joined Barber as Pittston Area’s only individual winners in track events.

The Patriots won two of the three relays. Samantha Mayers and Madison Mimnaugh were on both the 3200 and 1600 relays. Tara Johnson and Arianna Boccardi were also on the 3200 relay while Barber and Waleski completed the 1600 relay.

Final Division 1 standings were: Dallas 7-0, Pittston Area 6-1, Hazleton Area 5-2, Tunkhannock 4-3, Crestwood 3-4, Berwick 2-5, Coughlin 1-6, Wyoming Valley West 0-7.

Pittston Area boys 86 ½, Dallas 63

Colin Tracy won both hurdles while Jimmy Pliska won the triple jump and long jump Tuesday when Pittston Area closed out the regular season with an 86 ½-63 ½ win at Dallas.

Final Division 1 standings were: Coughlin 7-0, Hazleton Area 6-1, Berwick 4-3, Pittston Area 4-3, Wyoming Valley West 4-3, Tunkhannock 2-5, Dallas 1-6, Crestwood 0-7.

Cross Invitational

Pittston Area’s Olivia Giambra and Wyoming Area’s Vanessa Shedlock each won titles May 2 at Coughlin in the James Cross Invitational, which drew a field of 16 teams, 11 of which were from the Wyoming Valley Conference.

Giambra won the long jump at 17-5 to help Pittston Area finish fourth with 52 5/6 points.

Shedlock won the 400-meter dash in 59.9 seconds as Wyoming Area placed fifth with 31 ½ points.

Holy Redeemer outscored Coughlin, 104-90, for the team title.

Giambra also took second in the triple jump.

Mia Cain (high jump), Taryn Ashby (javelin) and Abby Norwillo (pole vault) also finished second for Pittston Area.

Shedlock added a third-place finish in the 200. Wyoming Area teammate Marcyssa Brown was third in the triple jump.

Wyoming Valley West and Coughlin shared the boys title with 127 points.

Wyoming Area was sixth with 44 points.

Joe Buczynski (high jump), Cade Bekanich (shot put), David Klaproth (pole vault) and the 1600 relay team finished third for the Warriors.

District 2 Championships

The Pittston Area girls still have one more championship to try to defend.

The Patriots are likely to wind up repeating two of their closest battles of the season. They will try to defend their District 2 Class AAA championship Tuesday at Scranton Memorial Stadium where Dallas and Lackawanna Track Conference Division 1 champion Abington Heights are among the top threats.

Pittston Area rallied to edge Abington Heights by a point to win the Jordan Relays April 30.

Coughlin, with the ability to win several events, could also be a contender and Wyoming Area, the WVC Division 2 champion, is also in the field.

“If it’s going to happen, let’s have it happen now, let’s do it at a meet,” Pittston Area coach Joe Struckus said of losing in a conference meet. “The big meet is Tuesday.

“The goal is districts. That’s always been our goal every year. These meets get us ready for that.”

Wyoming Area and Pittston Area are also in the Class AAA boys meet Tuesday.

No Pittston Area or Wyoming Area boy or girl landed a top seed.