Top of the mark: Schwertfeger, Edwards win county MVP honors
YORK RUN 鈥� The boys FCCA Championship Field MVP was decided on the final jump of the meet, while Laurel Highlands junior Matt Schwertfeger ran away from the field Saturday for track honors at Albert Gallatin.
The final field event of the annual county meet was the triple jump with Connellsville蘑菇视频 Bryson Edwards, the 2023 Field MVP, and Kasey Stanton still in the hunt for the individual honor.
Stanton cranked out a final jump of 40-6, the first time he ever topped the distance.
Not to be outdone, Edwards jumped a season-best 42-6 for the 10 first-place points and a total of 24 points. Edwards finished second in the high jump (6-0) and third in the long jump (20-0).
Stanton totaled 20 points after finishing first in the long jump (20-7) and fifth in the high jump (5-8).
鈥淵es, I knew where I had to place (coming into the triple jump),鈥� said Edwards. 鈥淭hat was the first time I jumped in the 42s (feet).鈥�
Edwards was hoping to successfully defend his county MVP honor.
鈥淚 was trying to retain the MVP. That was the plan. I knew it would be a little bit of a struggle,鈥� said Edwards, adding, 鈥淧ersonally, I was really hoping to get first in the triple, which I did.
I enjoy this. This is fun.鈥�
Connellsville senior Nicholas Rohal, the 2022 Field MVP, was sitting in the clubhouse with 21 points after first-place finishes in the javelin (164-8) and discus (156-7) and a sixth in the shot put (38-10).
鈥淭he discus was not my best, not my worst, so I鈥檒l take it. A win is a win,鈥� said Rohal as he waited for the triple jump to finish. 鈥淭he javelin, also not my best or not my worst. It was a decent distance, but, for me, I know I can do more.鈥�
Rohal needed the points from the shot put to be in the running for the MVP.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 thinking about it at first, but after discus, someone came up and told me about it and I was like 鈥榦h,鈥� I forgot about that. It蘑菇视频 a good thing I did shot put,鈥� said Rohal.
Schwertfeger won all three of his distance races for 30 points, finishing first in 1,600 (4:35.90), 3,200 (10:32.64), and 800 (2:04.21). Connellsville蘑菇视频 Major Stash was a close second with 25 points after winning the 100 and 200, and helping the Falcons鈥� 400 and 1,600 relay to first-place finishes.
Connellsville蘑菇视频 Jonah Lindstrom made Schwertfeger work for the 3,200 gold.
Jonah made me earn (first place in the 3,200). I was just sitting on him for five or six of the eight (laps),鈥� explained Schwertfeger. 鈥淭he third race (3,200), I was just going for the win. I didn鈥檛 want to make any mistakes.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to run slow, but I was fine with the times I ran today. The mile they went out with me. It was pretty close.鈥�
Schwertfeger admitted he was aiming to win MVP honors.
鈥淚 missed it freshman year by like one or two points. Mason won it last year. I wanted to get it done this year,鈥� said Schwertfeger.
The Connellsville boys retained the team title with 225 points. Uniontown was second with 83 points and Laurel Highlands scored 71 for third place.