How trust, switch to 100-meter dash has revitalized Mars senior runner Morgan Duker after ACL tear
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Mars’ Morgan Duker takes third place in the girls 100-meter dash with a time of 12.95 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Christopher Rubcic, left, takes fourth place in the boys 100-meter dash with a time of 11.3 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Kevin Shriver takes first place in the boys 100-meter dash with a time of 11.12 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Zari Golojuh hands the baton off during the girls 4x800 meter relay during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport’s Michael Braun anchors the boys 4x800 meter relay to help them take first place with a time of 8:35.21 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock’s Dustin Joyce takes third place in the long jump with a distance of 20-4 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Carter French surges ahead to take second place in the boys 1600-meter run with a time of 4:19.84 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Austin Friedline takes first place in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 42.08 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Jocie Slesinski takes first place in the girls 400-meter dash with a time of 58.00 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Kara Fennell took second place in the girls pole vault with a height of 11-6 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca’s Valley Aubrey Erdos took first place in the girls pole vault with a height of 12-0 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley’s Johnny Iaquinta takes second place in the boys pole vault with a height of 13-6 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School hosted the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
BUTLER TWP — Morgan Duker worried she’d fall behind her peers last year.
Months removed from reaching the WPIAL podium in the Class 3A girls 400-meter race — finishing seventh in 58.95 as a sophomore — she tore her ACL during the Mars girls soccer season.
Five of the six girls ahead of her at the WPIAL championships were underclassmen, and losing an entire track season was difficult to accept. She had to admit to herself in the first stages of rehab she “wasn’t going to be good (at first), but I had to work at it and work harder.”
A year later, she’s back on the track and has made a couple changes, most notably converting from a 200 sprinter to a 100 sprinter at the suggestion of first-year Planets coach Julianna Watenpool. Duker still runs the 400 and is on two Mars relay teams.
“It was really good,” Duker said. “I didn’t expect the 100 to be my race this year, but after I ran it for a couple meets, I like it. It feels good to win.”
Duker’s first big test for her knee and her new specialty came Saturday at the Butler County Classic at Art Bernardi Stadium.
The senior finished third in the 100 in 12.95, behind North Catholic sophomore standout Anna Lazzara (12.76) and Seneca Valley freshman Augelina Williams (12.77). Not bad for her new event.
She finished second in her signature 400 in 59.32 behind Butler’s Jocie Slesinski. And the Planets’ 4x100 relay came in fifth (51.66) and 4x400 relay finished third (4:19.95).
“I feel like I’m on pace,” Duker said when asked if she’s where she wants to be in her times at this point in the young season. “I feel like I’m close, I just wanna get there.”
“There” is to drop time and hopefully make her first PIAA Track and Field Championships appearance.
That starts with the work she’s putting in under Watenpool.
Watenpool, who previously coached the middle school team for three years, thought Duker would make a good 100-meter sprinter early on. She approached Duker about it in the preseason, and while hesitant, the senior gave it a shot.
“The thing with Morgan is she’s willing to do whatever, she’s open to different stuff,” Watenpool said Friday. “When I told her the 100, she kind of laughed at me. ... I think she’s really surprised herself.”
The coach thinks Duker has “super efficient form” and is a “gifted” runner, but she needs to build the baseline speed, even in the 400. Duker also pointed to improving her 100 starts off the block.
“She looks fast. She’s right there,” Watenpool said.
Still, it’s been an adjustment and required trust. It took two meets to trust her coach fully, Duker said.
“I didn’t know her at all, so I didn’t know if she knows me or what I like to do. But she’s an amazing coach,” she said. “I know she knows what she’s talking about. And then each time she’d give me a pointer, I’d PR and get better and better.”
Duker was pleased after her 100 Saturday. The future Clemson business major is happy if she doesn’t win if it means she’s facing top competition who can push her to new times.
She’s also a positive influence for the rest of the team, Watenpool said.
“Morgan is very smart. She’s a great student. She’s a good role model for the girls,” the coach said. “Kind, quiet but also everyone looks up to her by virtue of her performances. She leans into that.”