PIAA State Track & Field Championships: LebCo Athletes Dominate at States – 15 Medals, 4 Golds, 1 New Record

This Memorial Day Weekend marked the 100th PIAA Track & Field Championships, as athletes from across the Commonwealth converged on Shippensburg University to compete in the historic event. Qualification was determined at last weekend’s District Championships, where seventeen individual and six relay teams fromLebanon County earned the right to compete as the best in Pennsylvania. 

While just qualifying for States is a milestone many never reach, LebCo athletes proved over the course of Friday and Saturday that they weren’t content with simply making an appearance. Their determination translated into fifteen medals, including four golds, and a new state record.

Leading the way was Tyler Burgess, the defending state champion hurdler from Palmyra. The senior, recently committed to Texas Tech, entered 2025 with high expectations after winning both the 110m High Hurdles and 300m Intermediate Hurdles at last year’s meet. He lived up to the hype, successfully defending both titles. Even more impressive, his 110m Hurdles performance during Friday’s prelims set a PIAA record, which he then broke again on Saturday with a blazing 13.63 in the finals.

Burgess also contributed to a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay alongside Travis McDannell, Landon Weldon, and Jacob Burgess, clocking in at 41.68. Jacob also secured a 7th-place finish in the Long Jump (22’11.5”). With a total of 28 points, the Palmyra Cougars finished second overall in the team standings.

Kaddel Howard, a Cedar Crest junior, was another repeat champion. After bursting onto the scene as a freshman in the 400m and defending her title in 2024, she entered this year aiming for a third consecutive win. She delivered with a dominant performance, crossing the line in 54.37—1.5 seconds ahead of the field. In Friday’s prelims, she posted a 53.12, a full 2.5 seconds faster than the next best time.

Joining the list of champions was David Moran of Annville-Cleona. The junior, who earned bronze in the 800m as a sophomore, raced with confidence and control, running a 56.93 first lap and closing with a 59.24 for a winning time of 1:56.17, earning gold in AA. That would not be the only hardware Moran would earn on Saturday, as he also anchored the 5th-place 4x800m relay team with a 1:55.34 split. He was joined by teammates Landon Hostetter, Matt Clemson, and Dominic Basselgia, who helped post a time of 8:05.43.

Kendall Cooper, also from Annville-Cleona, brought home the highest medal count for any LebCo athlete with four total. She teamed up with Miracle Hershey, Jada Morales, and Sophia Caporaletti to secure silver in the 4x100m (48.46) for the second straight year. The same group also placed 7th in the 4x400m. Individually, Cooper earned 8th-place finishes in both the 100m and 200m sprints.

Eliana Schneider of Cedar Crest also medaled in two events, earning 4th in Javelin (148’1”) and 6th in High Jump. Her busy weekend included competing in the 4x800m as well, showcasing her versatility.

Cedar Crest collected two additional medals. Travis Furmanski, a junior, broke the program record in the 3200m with a 9:12.53, placing 7th. Fellow junior Cameron Tirado also claimed 7th in the High Jump, clearing 6’6”.

Below are the results for every LebCo athlete. Medal winners are highlighted in this color. The full results from the meet are linked at the bottom.

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AAA Girls

200m

Prelims

13th Maddy Waldron (Palmyra) – 25.75

400m

Finals

1st  Kaddel Howard (Cedar Crest) – 54.37  (State Champion)

Prelims – 53.12 (1st)

4x800m Relay

18th  Cedar Crest  (Audrey Fugate, Hayden Wamsher, Emma Pavlesich, Eliana Schneider) – 9:41.85 

Triple Jump

11th   Makenna Haas (ELCO) –  37’11.5”

High Jump

6th Eliana Schneider (Cedar Crest) – 5’5”

Javelin

4th  Eliana Schneider (Cedar Crest) – 148’1”

13th Sofie Price (Palmyra) – 129’8″ 

AA Girls

Annville-Cleona

100m

Finals

8th Kendall Cooper – 12.35

Prelims – 12.36 (8th)

200m

Finals

8th Kendall Cooper – 25.97

Prelims –  25.72 (7th)

3200m

10th Mackenzie Stellmach – 11:14.53

Relays

2nd  4x100m (Miracle Hershey, Jada Morales, Sophia Caporaletti, Kendall Cooper) – 48.46

Prelims – 49.55 (4th)

7th  4x400m (Sophia Caporaletti, Jada Morales, Miracle Hershey, Kendall Cooper) – 4:05.42

Prelims –  4:04.17 (4th)

18th  4x800m (Lucy Stellmach, Kya Missimer, Addison Sanchez, Mackenzie Stellmach) – 10:16.78

District 3 Championship Meet: Meet Records, Gold Medals, & Palmyra’s Team Title Showcase LebCo’s Talent

AAA Boys

3200m

7th  Travis Furmanski (Cedar Crest) – 9:12.53

110m High Hurdles

Finals

1st   Tyler Burgess (Palmyra) – 13.63  (PIAA Record) (State Champion)

Prelims – 13.65  (1st)  (PIAA Record)

300m IM Hurdles

1st   Tyler Burgess (Palmyra) – 36.99 (State Champion)

Prelims –  37.12 (1st)

4x100m

3rd    Palmyra (Travis McDannell, Tyler Burgess, Landon Weldon, Jacob Burgess) – 41.68

Prelims – 41.67 (1st)

Long Jump

7th  Jacob Burgess (Palmyra) – 22’11.5”

High Jump

7th   Cameron Tirado (Cedar Crest) – 6’6”

Pole Vault

NH   Jaxton Barger (Palmyra) – No Height, Entered at 13’6”

Discus

NP   Alex Kissinger (Cedar Crest) – Fouled Throws

AA Boys

Annville-Cleona

800m

1st  David Moran – 1:56.17  (State Champion)

1600m

19th Landon Hostetter – 4:28.05

21st Oliver Funck – 4:28.55

3200m

10th Landon Hostetter – 9:32.50

Relays

5th   4x800m (Landon Hostetter, Matt Clemson, Dominic Basselgia, David Moran) – 8:05.43

Javelin

10th Bryson Fogelsanger – 161’0”

Full PIAA State Championship Results