The Quaker Valley High School track and field program delivered a historic performance at the PIAA Track & Field Championships this past weekend, with both the girls and boys teams capturing state titles—marking a first-ever for the girls and just the second time in school history for the boys.
Girls Team Claims First-Ever State Title in Thrilling Fashion
Going into the championship weekend, the Quaker Valley girls team was projected to finish fourth. But in one of the most memorable state meets in school and WPIAL history, the team surged ahead to claim the state title with 54 points, outpacing Lewisburg (47), Laurel (31), and North Catholic (29).
Standout Performances:
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Jay Olawaiye capped off the weekend with a state championship in the Triple Jump.
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Cecilia Montagnese had an incredible showing, finishing 2nd in the 1600m and 3200m, and 4th in the 800m, setting multiple school records in the process.
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Evie Rosselli, originally projected to place 8th, shocked the field by finishing 2nd in Pole Vault with a new school record of 12 feet.
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Mimi Theiro placed 2nd in High Jump, clearing 5’7” in rainy conditions.
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Vanessa Pickett secured 7th in Long Jump, and also helped the 4x100m relay team (with Rosselli, Kwilai Karto, and Rose Pocasangre) to a 4th place finish.
Key moments came late in the meet, including Cecilia’s gutsy 800m run that prevented Lewisburg from gaining more points, and Jay Olawaiye’s championship jump that sealed the win for Quaker Valley.
This victory marks Quaker Valley’s first state championship in any girls’ sport, and only the third girls’ track state title in WPIAL history.
Boys Team Dominates with Record-Breaking 75-Point Performance
While the girls made history, the boys team lived up to high expectations, entering the weekend as favorites—and delivering one of the most dominant performances in PIAA history. Quaker Valley scored a staggering 75 points, the most ever by a boys’ team in PIAA competition, across both AA and AAA classifications.
Final Scores:
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Quaker Valley – 75
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Nativity – 30
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Lewisburg – 27
Historic Highlights:
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Jonah Montagnese started the weekend strong, winning the 1600m with a school record of 4:11, finishing 4th in the 3200m, and earning top-6 finishes in four distance events.
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The 3200m relay team of Jonah Montagnese, River Capek, Jackson Pethel, and Clark LaLomia crushed the field with a four-second win.
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Clark LaLomia took 2nd in the 800m and anchored the winning 1600m relay, along with Macky Gartley, Jayden Juliano, and James Irwin.
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Macky Gartley set a school record in the 300m hurdles, diving across the line for 2nd place in 37.58 seconds and also earned silver in the 110m hurdles.
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James Irwin secured 3rd in the 400m with a new school record of 49.17 and helped seal the 1600m relay victory.
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The 4x400m team of Gartley, Irwin, Kieran Cain, and Winston Clifford placed 7th.
This is only the second time a boys team from the WPIAL has won a state track title, joining Aliquippa. And when comparing scores across all classifications, Quaker Valley’s total would have placed them 3rd in AAA, behind only State College and Palmyra.
A Legacy Cemented
With multiple school records shattered, individual state champions crowned, and both boys and girls teams earning state titles, the 2025 PIAA Championships will go down as one of the most celebrated weekends in Quaker Valley athletics history.
Congratulations to our outstanding student-athletes and coaches for this once-in-a-generation achievement!