Hempfield’s Liz Tapper came back to competition recently, after missing part of the track and field season because of a foot injury. Although Tapper isn’t at the level that she was a year ago, she was still good enough Friday night to be the best discus thrower and shot putter in the history of the Butler Invitational.
The 58th Butler Invitational included some of the top track and field athletes in the WPIAL. Tapper, a senior and defending WPIAL and PIAA champion in both the discus and shot put, won both events at the event and set meet records. Tapper won the discus with a throw of 143 feet, 1 inch, beating the 2016 record of 140-3 by Moniteau’s Maura Kimmel.
In the shot put, Tapper’s throw of 44-8 broke the record of 43-2 ½, set by California’s Kailyn Clancy in 2014.
Tapper, a University of Michigan recruit, is one of the best throwers in the history of the WPIAL and one of the best in the country the past year. She won a national championship at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals last summer. Tapper’s best throws are 164-4 in the discus and 48-0 ½ in the shot put.
Tapper was one of two Hempfield athletes to win two throwing events at the Butler Invitational. Peyton Murray won the boys discus with a throw of 158-7 and the shot put at 50-10 ¼.
Other invitational highlights
• Mt. Lebanon’s Logan St. Kletter had one of the best performances by any athlete when she won the 3,200-meter run with a meet record time of 10:25.58. St. Kletter broke the record of 10:28.03, set by Moon’s Mia Cochran in 2021.
But St. Kletter’s run was more than just the best in Butler Invitational history. It was one of the best in WPIAL history. Her time is No. 6 on the WPIAL all-time list.
• Upper St. Clair’s Dani Prunzik won both the 100 and 200 at a big meet for the second time in six days. Last Saturday, it was the Tri-State Track Coaches Association championship. At the Butler Invite, she set a meet record in the 100 when she ran 12.07 in a preliminary heat, breaking the 2016 mark of 12.12, set by Hunter Robinson of Avonworth/Northgate. In the finals, Prunzik ran 12.45. Prunzik won the 200 in 25.41.
• Mars’ Jacob Thompson was the only other double winner in individual events. He won the 200 in 22.29 and the 400 in 49.75.
• Ringgold’s Ryan Pajak had an impressive performance when he won the 3,200 in 8:58.59. Pajak came close to the meet record of 8:57.60, set by Butler’s C.J. Singleton last year.
• Another invitational, another personal best for Obama hurdler Ny’Asia Benton. One of the top hurdlers in the state, Benton won the 100 hurdles in 14.54 seconds. Benton, who was in the PIAA Class 3A 100 finals last year, hadn’t broken 15 seconds before this season. This was the third time in four weeks that Benton lowered her best time at an invitational.
First-place finishers
Here is the complete list of the athletes that won championships at the Butler Invitational.
BOYS
100-meter dash – Kaevon Gardner, New Castle, 10.94.
200 – Jacob Thompson, Mars, 22.29.
400 – Jacob Thompson, Mars, 49.75.
800 – Jacob Puhalla, Moon, 1:53.11.
1,600 – Sean Aiken, Eden Christian, 4:20.21.
3,200 – Ryan Pajak, Ringgold, 8:58.59.
110 hurdles – Antonio Votour, OLSH, 14.74.
300 hurdles – Levi Prementine, Slippery Rock, 39.24.
Long jump – George Tabor, Fox Chapel, 22-10 ¼.
Triple jump – Xxavier Thomas, Central Catholic, 44-7.
High jump – Hayden Smith, Union-Allegheny Clarion Valley, 6-5.
Pole vault – Braden Schneider, Erie, 15-1.
Discus – Peyton Murray, Hempfield, 158-7.
Shot put – Peyton Murray, Hempfield, 50-10 ¼.
Javelin – Luke Cramer, Karns City, 157-7.
400 relay – Pine-Richland, 43.59.
1,600 relay – North Allegheny, 4:01.87.
3,200 relay – Moon, 8:07.64.
GIRLS
100-meter dash – Dani Prunzik, Upper St. Clair, 12.45.
200 – Dani Prunzik, Upper St. Clair, 25.41.
400 – Abbie Huey, Indiana, 57.75.
800 – Gabbie Pistner, St. Marys, 2:15.47.
1,600 – Wren Kucler, North Allegheny, 4:55.18.
3,200 – Logan St. John Kletter, Mt. Lebanon, 10:25.58.
100 hurdles – Ny’Asia Benton, Obama, 14.54.
300 hurdles – Brylee Bodnar, Latrobe, 46.53.
Long jump – Lara Defazio, Eden Christian, 18-1 ½.
Triple jump – Megan Baggetta, Butler, 39-0.
High jump – Ella Evans, Franklin Regional, 5-3.
Pole vault – Hannah Shaw, Norwin, 11-7.
Discus – Liz Tapper, Hempfield, 143-1.
Shot put – Liz Tapper, Hempfield, 44-8.
Javelin – Evelyn Bliss, Union-Allegheny Clarion Valley, 138-9.
400 relay – North Allegheny, 49.53.
1,600 relay – North Allegheny, 4:01.87.
3,200 relay – St. Marys, 9:40.32.
First Published: April 22, 2023, 3:23 a.m.
