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As the sweltering temperatures started to soar, Payden Montana sought shelter under a tree.Katie Kravitsky hid under and umbrella.And Nalasjia Harris-Johnson tried to find a level playing field with extra liquids.The PIAA Track and Field Championships weren&#8217;t just made uncomfortable by the searing 90-degree sun that had humidity constantly on the rise.They were downright strength-sapping.&#8220;I guess I can say the heat played an issue, but everybody else ran in it, too,&#8221; said Wyoming Valley West speedster Ray Richard, who finished eighth in the boys Class 3A 400-meter dash. &#8220;I felt fine. I guess it hit me during the race. It was about the second curve when I started to feel it. I could see everybody pick up. I didn&#8217;t have any more strength to give.&#8221;The oppressive conditions probably cost Lake-Lehman&#8217;s Dominic Hockenbury a state record run, may have cost Dallas&#8217; Katie Kravitsky a gold medal and may have kept many others from executing their best performances.It didn&#8217;t stop Dallas senior distance standout Ally Rome from winning her first state track medal &#8212;a bronze in the girls Class 3A 3,200 run &#8212; but it did leave her feeling queasy.&#8220;A mile in, I felt really chilled, which is obviously not good,&#8221; Rome said. &#8220;It was a really tough race with the heat.&#8221;That meant some tough luck for Hockenbury, who ran a terrific boys Class 2A 3,200 run while winning his third consecutive PIAA gold medal in the event. The Syracuse-bound senior completed the first six laps in just over 6:30, but his lightning pace slowed a step over the final two times around the track.&#8220;I definitely started to feel the heat there,&#8221; Hockenbury said.He wound up winning in 9:13.70, just short of the state-record time of 9:04.09 he was gunning for.&#8220;Under the right conditions, I know I can run that,&#8221; Hockenbury said. &#8220;I&#8217;m just happy with the pace I&#8217;m running. I got on that pace. If I had people right around me or in front of me, I would have been pushing it.&#8221;Meyers sprinter Harris-Johnson pushed herself to a third straight PIAA medal in the girls Class 2A 100 dash with a sixth-place finish, but not without a little extra help. She said she drank extra fluids, but they didn&#8217;t do much to cool her as she roared down the track.&#8220;It was really hot,&#8221; Harris-Johnson said. &#8220;I felt like passing out. I got in the shade.&#8221;That&#8217;s where Montana stayed between throws while she was winning a bronze medal in the shot put during Friday&#8217;s girls Class 3A finals.Despite competing at last year&#8217;s state championships, held under much cooler conditions, Montana was caught off-guard by the rising heat and humidity. So she headed for the nearest shady tree she could find, then came back better equipped for her sixth-place finish in the girls discus throw.&#8220;I was more prepared for it because of (Friday&#8217;s) heat,&#8221; Montana said. &#8220;I drank more, I brought an umbrella.&#8221;That was Kravitsky&#8217;s idea.The Dallas senior sat under an umbrella between her tries as she earned her third straight state medal in the high jump with a career-best silver medal finish Saturday. But Kravitsky still felt burned in the end, as she felt the sun&#8217;s strong rays melting away the energy she needed to hit the state-winning height of 5-9 &#8212; which she&#8217;d cleared previously for a career best.&#8220;It was really hot out and I don&#8217;t really like the heat,&#8221; Kravitsky said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t do well in the heat. I tried to give it the best I could.&#8221;That&#8217;s about all any of the competitors could do, as the soaring temperatures sunk the potential for spectacular performances and left many athletes feeling especially drained.&#8220;I didn&#8217;t feel quite right,&#8221; Rome said. &#8220;Just kind of fighting, I was able to hold on.&#8221;<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Hockenbury </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_hockMUG.jpg</photo0><caption0>Hockenbury </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Paul Sokoloskipsokoloski@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>State ResultsClass 3ABoysName, Grade`School`Event`Seed`FinishRay Richard, Jr.`Valley West`400 dash`4`8Uzee Ukattah, Sr.`Dallas`100 dash`24`17Tyler Wozniak, Sr.`Valley West`shot put`13`17Matthew Houser, Sr.`Hazleton Area`300 hurdles`19`T-17Franco Balbuena, Sr.`Coughlin`1600 run`29`18Jacob Khalife, Sr.`Coughlin`discus`143-0`23Uzee Ukattah, Sr.`Dallas`200 dash`24`24GirlsName, Grade`School`Event`Seed`FinishKatie Kravitsky, Sr.`Dallas`high jump`2`2Kayla Merkel, Jr.`Hazleton Area`javelin`4`2Ally Rome, Sr.`Dallas`3200 run`9`3Payden Montana, So.`Berwick`shot put`8`3Abby Norwillo, So.`Pittston Area`pole vault`18`5Payden Montana, So.`Berwick`discus`4`6Taryn Ashby, Jr.`Pittston Area`javelin`15`9Madisyn Hawkins, Jr.`Coughlin`pole vault`9`T-9Bree Bednarski, Sr.`Wyoming Area`javelin`1`11Bree Bednarski, Sr.`Wyoming Area`200 dash`24`12Marley O&#8217;Brien, Sr.`Pittston Area`javelin`12`17Bree Bednarski, Sr.`Wyoming Area`100 dash`26`22Megan Dalo, Fr.`Berwick`long jump`31`32Class 2ABoysName, Grade`School`Event`Seed`FinishDominic Hockenbury, Sr.`Lake-Lehman`3200 run`1`1Raheem Twyman, Sr.`Meyers`300 hurdles`4`1Raheem Twyman, Sr.`Meyers`110 hurdles`3`2Brandon Chafin, Jr.`Hanover Area`long jump`3`5Mark Robinson, Sr.`Meyers`long jump`11`6Tanner Kennedy, Sr.`Northwest`200 dash`8`7Carlo Telesco, Sr.`Meyers`discus`11`9Nick Minnich, Sr.`Hanover Area`high jump`10`T-11Mohammad Chesson, Jr.`Hanover Area`200 dash`15`14Tanner Kennedy, Sr.`Northwest`100 dash`16`15Ben Krouse, Sr.`Northwest`pole vault`10`T-15Mohammad Chesson, Jr.`Hanover Area`triple jump`22`21Mohammad Chesson, Jr.`Hanover Area`100 dash`20`23Brandon Bruckner, Jr.`Hanover Area`triple jump`25`25GirlsName, Grade`School`Event`Seed`FinishCaroline Banas, Sr.`Holy Redeemer`high jump`3`T-4Nalasjia Harris-Johnson, Jr.`Meyers`100 dash`8`6Amiah Lukowski, Fr.`Nanticoke Area`200 dash`12`14Karen Hilenski, Sr.`Holy Redeemer`discus`17`14Autumn Kaminski, Jr.`Holy Redeemer`100 hurdles`8`15Amiah Lukowski, Fr.`Nanticoke Area`100 dash`11`T-20Alyssa Christian, Sr.`Holy Redeemer`shot put`21`21Relay team; Seed; FinishValley West boys Class 3A 1600 (Mitchell Forgash, So.; Matt Bobkowski, Sr.; Jamie Webb, Sr.; Ray Richard, Jr.); 18; 24Meyers boys Class 2A 3200 (Simran Magnat, Sr., Rudy Rivera, Jr., Josh Schiowitz, So., Tim Snyder, Sr.); 19; 13Wyoming Area girls Class 3A 400 (Jalen Rhodes, So.; Jillian Spak, Sr.; Vanessa Shedlock, Jr.; Bree Bednarski, Sr.); 23; 13Coughlin boys Class 3A 400 (Mike Brown, Sr., Cole Horan, So., Vincent Todd, So., Nick Carman, Sr. ); 18; 19Lake-Lehman girls Class 3A 3200 (Jade Fry, So.; Jace Garnick, So; Haley Kubiski, Jr.; Olivia Vasey, So.); 22; 20Lake-Lehman boys Class 2A 400 (Tyler Billotti, Fr.; Trey Borger, Jr.; Nick Eury, Sr.; Zach Oulajahadamed, Sr.); 24; 28</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</shirttailMeta></div>

WVC athletes dealt with heat in different ways at PIAA Track and Field Championships