Butler County’s track and field 2026 all-stars: Logan Schade, Mackenzie Magness earn top honors, first-team picks, more
Butler County athletes came away with multiple medals at the PIAA Track and Field Championships and dozens in the district meets.
But none had a more surprising championship than North Catholic’s Logan Schade. The senior is the Butler Eagle’s boys track and field athlete of the year after winning a state title in his first and only season on the track.
He’s joined by Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness, the junior standout pole vaulter who has morphed into a complete track athlete and is the girls athlete of the year for the second time in a row.
There is a lot to celebrate and highlight from the 2026 season. Here are this year’s Butler Eagle all-stars, including first team and honorable mentions, listed in alphabetical order:
Logan Schade, sr., sprints, North Catholic: It’s not often a senior steps onto the track in his first and only year and immediately dominates, but that’s exactly what Schade did, winning a state title in just a few short months. The sprinter, who was a Butler Eagle Sweet 16 running back during the football season, ran a 48.86 in the 400-meter dash in the PIAA Track and Field Championships to claim gold in Class 2A, a week after he finished second in the WPIAL championships in 48.97. He was also the lead-off leg of the Trojans’ 4x100 relay, which finished second at WPIALs (43.28) to qualify for states, and took home an eighth-place district medal in the 200 with a time of 23.28 seconds.
Mackenzie Magness, jr., pole vault/sprints/jumps, Freeport: The 2025 PIAA Class 2A pole vault champion settled for second this year with a 12-0 after a controversial finish to the event. However, Magness proved she’s developing into a more complete athlete, running fast times for the 4x400-meter Freeport relay that finished seventh at states in 4:11.37. She equaled her 12-foot vault at states the week prior in the WPIAL championships, with that height enough to win district gold. The 4x100 and 4x400 relays she was on finished second (50.25) and fifth (4:11.24), respectively, in districts. And she turned in the fourth-best distance in the county in the long jump with an 18-2.25. She’ll enter her senior season as a three-time WPIAL pole vault champion and with the chance to become just the second girl ever to win four and join Waynesburg Central’s Jocelyn Lindsay (1999-2002).
Nicco Baggetta, jr., throws, Butler: Baggetta’s season was cut short by injury in April, but the Tornado’s starting quarterback in the fall put up the best numbers in the county by nearly a first down (slight exaggeration). His 197-6 was tops by more than 16 feet and set a new Butler program record.
Kolby Blair, sr., throws, Karns City: Blair was arguably the county’s best thrower, with the top discus throw of 159-0 — setting a school record — and the third-best shot put (46-10.5) during the season. He didn’t quite match those marks in the District 9 championship but came away with fifth in the discus (134-7) and sixth in the shot (45-0).
Hunter Doerflinger, sr., middle distance, Slippery Rock: Doerflinger earned the Rockets’ lone District 10 championship medal with a 1:59.15 for fourth in the 800-meter run. His season-best 1:58.15 was second fastest in the county.
Brendan Eicher, jr., distance, Butler: Eicher finished third in the WPIAL Class 3A 1,600-meter run (4:16.76) and sixth in the 3,200 (9:33.28), qualifying for states in the former. He owned the top time in the county in the 1,600 with a 4:16.38 and was second with a 9:20.83 in the 3,200.
Carter Ekas, sr., sprints, Butler: Ekas was a versatile sprinter who competed in the 100, 200, 400, 4x100 and 4x400 for the Tornado, anchoring both the relays. He earned WPIAL medals in the 400 (silver, 48.75), 4x400 (silver, 3:20.55) and 4x100 (bronze, 42.72). Ekas ended the year top two in the county in the 400 and 200, and Butler’s two sprint relays were easily the best in the area. His 400 PR of 48.75 is now tied for fifth best in county history, and the 4x100 and 4x400 relays are now second and fifth all-time, respectively.
Jack Kandravy, jr., sprints/jumps, North Catholic: A well-rounded athlete, Kandravy claimed WPIAL medals in the 100 (silver, 10.81), 4x100 (silver, 43.28), long jump (fourth, 21-8) and 200 (seventh, 23.02). While he didn’t medal at states, the junior sat in the top five in the county’s leaderboards for 2026 in the 100 (tied-first, 10.81), 4x100 (second, 43.28) and long jump (second, 21-11.75).
Dakari Payne, sr., jumps/hurdles, Seneca Valley: Payne developed over the course of his high school career into an all-around jumper and runner. He owned the county’s top marks in the high jump (6-4), long jump (23-5) and triple jump (46-9.5) by a healthy margin in all three, and he finished with WPIAL medals in the high jump (seventh, 6-1) and triple (fourth, 45-3.75). His 15.47 season best in the 110 hurdles was second in the county. His long jump and triple jump PRs seat him tied for third and third, respectively, in the all-time county records.
Jack Steineman, so., distance, North Catholic: Steineman posted the county’s top time in the 3,200 (9:19.66) and second-best time in the 1,600 (4:18.31). He finished fifth in the state in the 3,200 with a 9:21.23, a week after running to two silvers in the WPIAL championships — 4:18.31 in the 1,600 and 9:24.49 in the 3,200.
Jason Wick, sr., pole vault, Butler: Wick opened with a bang, setting a PR in the Butler County Classic in late March. That performance propelled him to a WPIAL silver medal with a 14-9, a PIAA qualifying spot and a season-best of 15-2.
Alex Wilson, jr., pole vault, Karns City: Wilson set the county high-water mark for 2026 and the Karns City record with a 15-3 — it’s also tied for the fourth highest mark in county history. His 14-6 in the state meet at Shippensburg University earned him a tie for fourth place in Class 2A, which came after the same height earned him the District 9 title. He also long-jumped to fifth in the D9 championships with a 20-10.5.
Ava DeLorenzo, so., jumps, Butler: The sophomore was voted the Tornado’s field MVP after she posted a long jump of 17-6, triple jump of 36-0 and high jump of 5-4, the latter two the second-best heights in Butler County for the year. She just missed the podium in the long and triple jumps at WPIALs, placing 11th in both.
Callie Kandravy, fr., jumps/sprints, North Catholic: The next generation of Trojanettes sprinters and jumpers, Kandravy in her first year leaped to the county’s top all-time spot in the long jump with a 19-4.5 and finished silver at WPIALs with a 17-8.5, just missing the podium a week later at states. Her 100 PR is 12.58 (fourth in the county this year), and she had the third-best mark in the triple jump (35-8).
Alexis Kirschner, jr., hurdles, Moniteau: Kirschner owned the 300-meter hurdle record this season for the county with a 47.10, breaking the school record in the process. She finished fifth in the District 9 championships in the 100 hurdles (16.32) and 300 hurdles (48.45).
Anna Lazzara, jr., sprints/jumps, North Catholic: A first-teamer again with her sister (see below), Lazzara finished with the top marks in the county in the 100 (12.11), 200 (25.42), and as the anchor for the 4x100 (48.18), and was second to in the long jump (18-5.25). At the WPIAL championships, she snagged silver in the 100 (12.11), fourth in the 200 (25.42) and sixth in the long jump (16-11.75), then went on to take home PIAA medals in the 100 (sixth, 12.32) and long jump (eighth, 17-11). She now owns the fourth-fastest time in county history in the 100.
Audra Lazzara, jr., athlete, North Catholic: Twin sister Audra went toe-to-toe with Anna, finishing sixth in the 100 hurdles at states (15.26) and helping the 4x400 relay to bronze (4:03.08). That followed a strong effort at WPIALs, where she finished second in the 100 hurdles (14.78) and led the 4x400 to gold (4:03.53). In the county leaderboards, she finished first in the 100 hurdles (14.78), fifth in the long jump (17-11) and first in the 4x100 relay (49.18). She now owns the all-time county record in the 100 hurdles and 4x100.
Jordan Monteleone, sr., jumps, Seneca Valley: Her 5-3 in the WPIAL championships earned her a bronze, then she followed that up with a season-high 5-5 at the PIAA Class 3A championships to claim bronze at that stage. The future Duquesne Duke finished with the best high jump in the county this year and fourth-best triple jump (35-3).
Samantha Montgomery, jr., jumps, Slippery Rock: Her triple jump of 36-3 this year was the best in Butler County, and she claimed gold in District 10 and a state berth in the long jump with a 17-10, pairing that with silver in the triple (35-5.5). She even chipped into the Rockets’ sixth-place-finishing 4x100 relay (51.96) at districts.
Alexa Stoltz, jr., sprints, North Catholic: She helped lead the 4x400 relay to PIAA Class 2A bronze (4:03.08) and WPIAL gold (4:03.53), plus she added a sixth-place medal at districts with a 59.69 in the 400 meters. That effort claimed the top time in the county for 2026.
Addie Weaver, sr., throws, Seneca Valley: She paired with a teammate (see below) to dominate the javelin competition this year, posting a 141-9 at the state championships to win bronze — it was also the best mark in the county this year. That came on the heels of a silver at WPIALs (132-8).
Audrey Wolfe, sr., throws, Seneca Valley: Wolfe and Weaver flipped spots during the postseason in the javelin, with Wolfe’s season-best 140-5 winning WPIAL gold and her 134-9 in the state meet handing her a sixth-place medal. That WPIAL mark was second-best in the county for the year.
Brady Dumbaugh, so., hurdles, Butler; Logan Ekas, sr., sprints, Butler; Mitchell Everly, fr., wheelchair events, Seneca Valley; Reese Fatur, sr., throws, Seneca Valley; Carter French, jr., distance, Knoch; Austin Friedline, sr., sprints/hurdles, Knoch; Darien Gallagher, sr., throws, Knoch; Jake Heinricher, sr., throws, Seneca Valley; Nick Ielase, jr., hurdles, Union/A-C Valley; Colton Rearick, sr., distance, Mars; Kevin Shriver, jr., sprints, Butler; Landon Slear, fr., middle distance, Butler
Phoebe Brandon, jr., sprints/jumps, Karns City; Michelle Jacobson, sr., throws, Butler; Maggie Killian, so., middle distance, North Catholic; Julianna Lockwood, jr., throws, Butler; Jessica Rodgers, sr., throws, Karns City; Lyla Runtas, jr., throws, Slippery Rock; Lydia Springirth, fr., jumps/middle distance, Slippery Rock; Halle Swidzinski, jr., jumps/pole vault, Butler; Gracyn Vardy, sr., jumps, Butler; Tennyson Voll, fr., pole vault, Seneca Valley; Natalie Wilson, so., pole vault, Slippery Rock
