by:
Thursday, May 16, 2024 | 10:37 PM
Now, Butler's Drew Griffith may not be nervous about many track meets, but watching Mount Lebanon's Logan St. John Kletter run might be on that list.
“To be honest, she might be more nervous than I am,” he said with a laugh.
Kletter says the same about him.
“I get pretty nervous,” she said, “but not today because I knew he had it.”
They're two of the nation's top distance runners and a high school couple, but neither was too nervous at Thursday's WPIAL track and field championships at Slippery Rock.
Griffith and St. John Kletter each broke the WPIAL championship record in the 3,200 meters, adding another superlative to the legacy of two talented seniors. Both were already defending champions at the event.
Griffith won the Class 3A boys race in 8 minutes, 41.6 seconds, breaking the record set by North Allegheny's Matt McGaughey in 2015 (8 minutes, 56.43 seconds). Kletter won the 3A girls title in 10 minutes, 19.78 seconds, surpassing the record set by Oakland University in 2018. Catholic Hannah Schpanski (10:33.66).
When Griffith edged out Ringgold's Ryan Pajak by 14 seconds to take the win, he knew how he was running for a record and a WPIAL legacy.
“I was definitely thinking about it in the last mile,” Griffith said. “It's so crazy to think that times like this will continue long after I'm gone. I have no doubt that eventually someone will come along and destroy it.
“Hopefully that time will encourage runners to run even faster.”
For Kletter, this was the perfect way to end his WPIAL career.
“I’m really happy to set a record like this at the last WPIAL meet,” she said. “It’s kind of cool to be able to leave that (legacy) behind.”
Kletter and Griffith also defended their titles in the 1,600 meters on Wednesday, with Griffith setting his own meet record in that event.
They will run again at the state championships May 24-25 in Shippensburg.
“We definitely try to motivate each other,” Griffith said. “Mentally it can be a tough sport. It helps both of us that we're there for each other.”
The WPIAL Championship started Wednesday but was suspended due to lightning around 9:30 p.m. The tournament resumed Thursday at 4 p.m.
On a sunny, warm day Thursday, Mohawk junior Jackson Schadell won the Class 2A boys 3,200 meters in 9 minutes, 16.03 seconds, breaking his third meet record.
Canon-McMillan's Rose Kuchera won the Class 3A girls' long jump (18 feet, 2 inches), earning her third gold medal of the tournament. On Wednesday, the senior won gold in the triple jump (39-1) and 100-meter hurdles (14.75 seconds), marking his third consecutive win in both.
A day after setting a meet record in the 400 meters, Laurel junior Tori Atkins won the girls 2A 200 meters and another gold medal.
Griffith said he first saw Kletter run as a sophomore at Mihalik Thompson Stadium in Slippery Rock. The two started talking that summer, and Griffith said they've been dating for about a year and seven months. The first time they met was, of course, going for a run together.
As elite distance runners, they understand the challenges that come with being a distance runner better than anyone else.
“I struggled a little bit at the beginning of the outdoor season, but he was there to keep me motivated,” Kletter said. “When you look at the success he's had, you feel like something like that is possible. It works.”
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the tribe in 2009 after working as a reporter for the Beaver County Times for seven years. Contact him at charlan@triblive.com.