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Franco Balbuena

Coughlin

Sr.; 1,600 Run

Balbuena went from the back of the pack to the front to a District 2 Class 3A gold medal by winning a spirited 1,600 race at the end. He then moved up 11 spots from his seeding to finish 18th in the state field after helping Coughlin win the WVC Division 1 boys regular season title. Balbuena also finished with a seventh-place district medal in the 800 and helped Coughlin’s 1,600 relay team finish seventh.

Brandon Chafin

Hanover Area

Jr.; Long Jump

Chafin earned a fifth-place medal in the PIAA Class 2A long jump competition during his second trip to states after missing out at a shot at a state medal last year. He was a two-time gold medal winner at the District 2 Class 2A championships, winning the long jump and the triple jump. He also helped Hanover Area’s 1,600 relay place sixth.

Muhammed Chesson

Hanover Area

Jr.; Triple Jump

Chesson was the WVC’s only boys competitor to make states in three events, and he did it without winning a district title. Chesson finished with a silver medal in triple jump, the 100 and 200 dash at districts. He helped Hanover Area’s 1,600 relay team place sixth.

Robbie Harter

Berwick

Sr.; Pole Vault

The dynamic Bulldogs vaulter cleared 13 feet to win his second straight District 2 Class 3A gold medal.

Matthew Houser

Hazleton Area

Sr.; 300 Hurdles

Houser took control of the District 2 hurdles race midway through, and ran down the gold medal he’s been chasing for a couple of years. He barely missed making the state semifinals in that event, finishing in a tie for 17th place in the PIAA Class 3A field. At districts, Houser also earned a fifth-place medal in pole vault and helped the 1,600 relay finish eighth.

Tanner Kennedy

Northwest

Sr.; 200 Dash

The Rangers speedster went all-out to make the Class 2A state medal stand, finishing with a seventh-place PIAA medal in the 200 and making it to the semifinals in the 100 before settling for 16th among Class 2A boys in Pennsylvania. That came after Kennedy won gold medals in both of those events in the District 2 championships, helped the Rangers 1,600-meter relay team run to a bronze medal and finished with a fourth-place district medal in the triple jump.

Jacob Khalife

Coughlin

Sr.; Discus

The backbone of Coughlin’s throwing events for back-to-back WVC Division 1 championships, Khalife registered his second straight strong performance in District 2 Class 3A competition. He finished with a district silver medal in discus and earned a bronze in shot put. He finished 23rd in the state discus competition.

Brendan Lohr

Hazleton Area

Sr.; 800 Run

Secured the WVC’s highest finish in the District 2 Class 3A 800 field when he charged to a silver medal, a fitting end to the career of one of the league’s most talented mid-distance runners over the past two years. Lohr also helped Hazleton Area’s 3,200 relay team place seventh at districts and the 1,600 relay finish eighth.

Marc Minichello

Wyoming Area

So.; Javelin

One of the WVC’s rising stars of the javelin throw, Minichello locked down a fourth-place medal in his first trip to the District 2 Class 3A championships and proved a consistent winner in the event during Wyoming Area’s regular season.

Nick Minnich

Hanover Area

Jr.; High Jump

His first season competing in the sport of track and field proved highly productive, as Minnick leaned on his more-familiar basketball skills to win the District 2 Class 2A high jump gold medal. He finished tied for 11th in his first state high jump competition, and ran relays for a Hawkeyes team that challenged for the WVC Division 2 title before finishing second.

Ray Richard

Wyoming Valley West

Jr.; 400 Dash

The premier mid-distance sprinter in the WVC, Richard earned his second career state medal in the 400 when he finished eighth in the PIAA Class 3A boys field. That came after Richard became a two-time District 2 Class 3A gold medalist in the 400 and earned another gold district gold medal when he anchored the Spartans 1,600 relay team.

Raheem Twyman

Meyers

Sr.; 110 Hurdles

By far the most dominant Class 2A hurdler in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Twyman finally attained his elusive PIAA individual gold medal when he won the state’s 300 hurdles after being nosed out at the end and settling for silver in the 2015 state championships. He also added a state silver medal in the 110 hurdles and overcame a hip injury to win gold in both events at districts. During the season, he played an integral part of the Mohawks WVC Division 2 championship.

Uzee Ukattah

Dallas

Sr.; 100 Dash

The talented Mountaineers sprinter just missed the state semifinals of the 100, finishing 17th in the PIAA Class 3A field — seven spots up from his seeding. That came after Ukattah burned his way to a pair of District gold medals, winning both the 100 and 200 meter dashes to make states in both events.

Tyler Wozniak

Wyoming Valley West

Sr.; Shot Put

Wozniak capped a special senior season by winning the District 2 Class 3A shot put to make his first PIAA championships. He finished 17th in the event at states and also captured a bronze medal in the district discus throw.

Franco Balbuena
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_FrancoBalbuena.jpg.optimal.jpgFranco Balbuena

Brandon Chafin
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL061615Brandon-Chafin.jpg.optimal.jpgBrandon Chafin

Muhammed Chesson
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL061015Muhammad-Chesson.jpg.optimal.jpgMuhammed Chesson

Robbie Harter
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL061015Robbie-Harter.jpg.optimal.jpgRobbie Harter

Matthew Houser
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_houser-1-.jpg.optimal.jpgMatthew Houser

Tanner Kennedy
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TannerKennedy.jpg.optimal.jpgTanner Kennedy

Jacob Khalife
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_JacobKhalife.jpg.optimal.jpgJacob Khalife

Brendan Lohr
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_lohr-1-.jpg.optimal.jpgBrendan Lohr

Marc Minichello
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_marcminichello-1-.jpg.optimal.jpgMarc Minichello

Nick Minnich
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_minnich-1-.jpg.optimal.jpgNick Minnich

Ray Richard
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL061015Ray-Richard.jpg.optimal.jpgRay Richard

Raheem Twyman
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL090315HSF-Meyers-preview_spt_5.jpg.optimal.jpgRaheem Twyman

Uzee Ukattah
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_uzee-ukattah-1-.jpg.optimal.jpgUzee Ukattah

Tyler Wozniak
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL062516Tyler-Wozniak1.jpg.optimal.jpgTyler Wozniak

By Paul Sokoloski

[email protected]

Second Team

Name`School`Grade`Event

Brandon Bruckner`Hanover Area`Jr.`Triple Jump

Nick Carman`Coughlin`Sr.`200 Dash

Michael Cusatis`Hazleton Area`Jr.`400 Dash

Ben Krouse`Northwest`Sr.`Pole Vault

Paul Moska`Pittston Area`Jr.`High Jump

Rudy Rivera`Meyers`Sr.`800 Run

Mark Robinson`Meyers`Sr.`Long Jump

Josh Schiowitz`Meyers`Sr.`Javelin

Ron Sepkowski`Coughlin`Jr.`300 Hurdles

John Sheridan`Hanover Area`Sr.`Shot Put

Carlo Telesco`Meyers`Sr.`Discus

Jacob Toczko`Tunkhannock`Sr.`1600 Run

Jack Zardecki`Dallas`So.`3200 Run

Vincent Todd`Coughlin`So.`100 Dash

Colin Tracy`Pittston Area`Sr.`110 Hurdles

Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski