Nora Johns is used to jumping over hurdles. The latest one has been the challenge of transitioning back to track and field season after helping lead the Quaker Valley girls basketball team to the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals and the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
“It’s been a little rough,” said Johns, who said she took about a week off following her final basketball game March 11. “I’m just trying to play catch up a little bit. But I’ve done that the last couple of years, and it turned out pretty well.”
Johns, a senior, is the two-time defending WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A champion in the 300-meter hurdles. Her time of 44.78 seconds that won her PIAA gold last season was a personal best.
This season, Johns can become the first girl in more than a decade to win the event at the PIAA championships three years in a row. Methacton’s Ryann Krais captured four consecutive Class 3A titles from 2005-08.
“I’d love to [win another state title]. It would be amazing feeling that again, but I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot and I don’t see myself as needing to accomplish it again,” said Johns, who is undecided on a college. “It’s not a need but more of a want now. I don’t really need to prove myself. I feel like I’ve done that already, but it would be a good way to go out.”
But Johns said she isn’t looking too far ahead, adding that enjoying herself her final season of high school track is her primary objective.
“I just want to keep doing what I’ve been doing,” Johns said. “It would be nice to [win WPIAL and PIAA individual titles] again, but my goal this season is to have fun and win another WPIAL team title. I love the team aspect of track.”
Johns said she will run both the 100 and 300 hurdles this season, and will likely make her debut running the 400. She owns school records in both hurdle events. Adding another record in the 400 is attainable, she said. Quaker Valley opens the season Wednesday at Carlynton.
Another Quaker Valley athlete to keep an eye on this season is one of Johns’ basketball teammates, 6-foot-3 freshman Mimi Thiero. Johns said that Thiero leaped 5 feet, 4 inches in the high jump at a recent scrimmage. That mark would have been good enough to win Thiero a WPIAL Class 2A title last season.
On the mend
One of the top throwers in the country is back practicing after suffering a foot injury during indoor season.
Hempfield senior Liz Tapper, the reigning WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A shot put and discus champion, suffered a Lisfranc injury to her right foot — her power foot — at a meet in Edinboro in January. There was fear that Tapper could miss the entire outdoor season, but Hempfield throws coach Dave Murray received some great news one day last week.
“She texted me, ‘I’m coming back today,’” Murray said. “I thought she might not be back until the end of April, so I was surprised.”
Tapper, a Michigan recruit, is one of the best throwers in WPIAL history. Last summer, she won the discus title at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Her career-best throw of 164-4 ranks second all time in the WPIAL.
Murray said the goal is for Tapper to ease back into things these next few weeks, but he knows that is much easier said than done.
“We’re trying to take it slow,” Murray said, “but that’s like trying to take a Category 5 tornado down to a Category 1.”
On the move
Alden and Callie Wetzel might have been the most talented set of siblings in the WPIAL last spring, but the two won’t be competing for Riverside this season after transferring to a school in Tennessee.
Alden, a senior, and Callie, a sophomore, now attend Union County High School in Maynardville, Tenn. Both had stellar seasons at Riverside last year. Alden won a WPIAL Class 2A title in the 400, finished fourth in the javelin and sixth in the high jump. He then finished third in the 400 at the PIAA championships. Callie was the WPIAL Class 2A runner-up in the 100 hurdles and was third in the 300 hurdles. She went on to place third in the 300 hurdles and sixth in the 100 hurdles at the PIAA championships.
Up next
The first big invitational of the season will take place Saturday at Baldwin. As of Tuesday, a total of 26 teams had registered for the South Hills Classic, which is in its 19th year. Among the teams competing are host Baldwin, Allderdice, Central Catholic, Pine-Richland, Riverside, Upper St. Clair and Winchester Thurston. One of the headliners will be Upper St. Clair senior Dani Prunzik, the reigning WPIAL Class 3A champion and PIAA runner-up in the 100.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.