Stay calm.
That was the advice Shaler junior Jayla Antomachi was given going into her busy Wednesday. But how does one stay calm when they’re competing in both the WPIAL track and field championships and WPIAL softball playoffs on the same day, with little time in between and a long drive from one venue to the next?
Maybe it was her mom who made sure to hit the pedal hard or perhaps it was some Chick-fil-A that calmed her stomach. Whatever the reason, Antomachi somehow stayed relaxed while pulling double duty, and produced a special performance that she will not soon forget.
Antomachi registered a pair of top-4 finishes at the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships at Slippery Rock University before stepping onto the softball field and leading Shaler to a 9-0 win against Trinity in a WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal at West Mifflin.
An athlete competing in the WPIAL track championships and a WPIAL softball playoff game on the same day isn’t unprecedented, but Antomachi excelling at such a high level at both isn’t common. Antomachi finished second in the shot put (38-11) and fourth in the javelin (131-1) before going 3 for 3 and scoring two runs while playing all seven innings in softball.
“It was amazing. When I got there, my team was so hyped,” Antomachi said of the reception she received when she arrived at her softball game.
Antomachi got some help in her mission to pull double duty. In the shot put, she was allowed to compete at the same time as the Class 2A athletes, not 3A, since 2A was earlier. She then skipped right over to the javelin, and completed her throws by about noon. By 12:15, Antomachi and her mom were on the road headed to West Mifflin High School, which is about 75 miles from Slippery Rock University.
Shaler’s softball game was slated to start at 3, so Antomachi did have some wiggle room, enough for her and her mom to stop at Chick-fil-A. Antomachi had a spicy chicken sandwich and a strawberry milkshake before arriving at West Mifflin at 2.
But if you think Antomachi didn’t have anything left in the tank by that point, you’re wrong.
“I actually had an energy drink so I was very energized,” Antomachi said with a laugh.
Antomachi started at shortstop, and as the team’s leadoff hitter collected three hits. That came after she hit a grand slam and three-run homer in Monday’s first-round win against Connellsville.
Following Wednesday’s softball win, Antomachi received a surprise, that being her mom telling her how well she did at the track championships. Antomachi had not known the results and left Slippery Rock before medals were given out.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “I’m very pleased.”
Schumaker gets redemption
Delaney Schumaker’s previous experiences at the WPIAL championships included plenty of heartbreak. There was the runner-up finish in the 300 hurdles her freshman season. Then came the second-place effort in the 100 hurdles her sophomore season. She then held the lead and appeared to be storming toward the win in the 300 hurdles before tripping over the final hurdle and falling to the track. She finished 10th.
But 2025 was a new year and Wednesday a new day for Schumaker, a junior at South Fayette who got plenty of redemption by winning titles in both events.
“It was super tough,” Schumaker said of last year’s fall. “I feel like that made me stronger as a runner. I fell, but I knew I could come back this year. It helped drive me this year especially.”
Schumaker (14.45) edged Norwin’s Brandi Brozeski (14.62) to win the 100 hurdles, and her time of 43.13 was a PR in the 300 hurdles and was enough to slip past runner-up Abby Satina of Pine-Richland, who finished in 43.38.
Schumaker joined sister Melana as WPIAL champions. Melana Schumaker captured titles in the pole vault and 400 relay in 2022. Melana now competes at Youngstown State.
“I’m so excited,” Delaney said. “I can’t wait to tell her. She probably already knows.”
Delaney was right. Unbeknownst to her, Melana watched her younger sister’s performance from the bleachers with their parents.
Tomczyk earns sprint double
As a freshman in 2023, Upper St. Clair’s Sadie Tomczyk watched as teammate Dani Prunzik pulled a clean sweep of the 100 and 200 at the WPIAL championships.
Prunzik graduated that year, but two years later, Tomczyk matched her feat.
Tomczyk, a junior, won both events Wednesday after placing third in the 100 and second in the 200 a year ago. Prunzik, who now runs at Penn State, also won the 100 title in 2022, so Tomczyk’s titles gives Upper St. Clair five golds in the 100 and 200 in a span of four seasons.
“It means a lot,” Tomczyk said. “It’s crazy carrying on the tradition of the Upper St. Clair sprinters. It’s a great feeling.”
Both of Tomczyk’s wins came in dramatic fashion. In the 100, she trailed Plum’s Gabrielle Layne with about 15 meters left before storming from behind for the win. Tomczyk finished in 12.25 and Layne in 12.35. Tomczyk then slipped past Layne by the slimmest of margins in the 200, finishing in 25.13 to Layne’s 25.14.
Two golds for Fritzman
After settling for silver twice a season ago, West Allegheny junior Grace Fritzman became a golden girl not once, but twice Wednesday.
Fritzman swept the distance events, winning both the 1,600 and 3,200. She ran the 1,600 in 4:55.65 and the 3,200 in 10:56.74. Norwin’s Annie Czajkowski placed second in each event, going 4:57.92 in the 1,600 and 11:04.70 in the 3,200.
“I’m really happy with my mile time. My 3,200 time wasn’t the best, but I think with doing the double I’m excited to see what I can do at states,” Fritzman said.
Fritzman bounced back from last year’s performance that saw her finish as the runner-up to Mt. Lebanon’s Logan St. John Kletter in both events. St. John Kletter now runs at North Carolina.
“I love Logan,” Fritzman said. “She has just been amazing to me and she still continues to help me and I really appreciate that. But it was really nice to get the win. It really boosts my confidence going into states.”
Mazzoni three-peats
After winning Class 2A javelin titles in 2023 and 2024, Derry senior Sophia Mazzoni moved up a class and was good enough to claim another title Wednesday, only this time in Class 3A.
The only three-peat in the Class 3A girls portion of the meet came courtesy of Mazzoni, an Auburn recruit who claimed the javelin title following a top throw of 156 feet.
“I’m grateful to be here. I’m happy with what I finished with and I’m excited to move forward,” Mazzoni said.
Mazzoni, considered one of the top throwers in the country, is used to winning by large margins (she won by 33-2 last year and 19 feet in 2023), but she was tested this time as Knoch’s Karlee Buterbaugh (148-9) finished just over seven feet behind. Canon-McMillan’s Abby Tucker, last year’s Class 3A champ, placed third (135-0).
“I like competition,” said Mazzoni, last year’s PIAA Class 2A champion. “Karlee’s a great thrower. We’ve been throwing with each other for a while now so it’s cool to build up with her and see her progress, too.”
Rock shines at The Rock
You can’t spell Slippery Rock without Rock, and Butler’s Aubrey Rock put forth a golden effort for the second year in a row.
Rock, a senior, successfully defended her pole vault title after vaulting 12 feet, the same mark that earned her gold a season ago. Seneca Valley’s Aubrey Erdos and Avery Peipock, both of whom vaulted 11-6, finished second and third, respectively.
“It feels really good,” Rock said. “I overcame a lot this year. I didn’t make it to indoor states. I’m just kind of having a tough year. A lot of ups and downs. Today I came in with no expectations and wanting to make some corrections and improve. So I feel like it’s an added bonus to come out on top.”
Rock also ran the second leg on the school’s 400 relay team that finished fourth after running a school-record time of 48.92. The team also included Rylie Blystone, Rylee Jack and Jocie Slesinski.
Just a freshman
When Moon freshman Rachel Stepp began her high school track career, she said she didn’t have any goals in mind.
“I didn’t have any expectations at all,” she said.
Little did she know then that she would become a WPIAL champion in her rookie season.
Stepp high-stepped her way to a championship in the 400, and she did it by registering an exceptional time of 55.54. Only eight girls in WPIAL history have run faster, according to historian Jim Faiella. Stepp topped her previous PR by close to a half second. North Allegheny’s Isabella Costa finished second after running a time of 55.96.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.