VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: TIOGA'S ROSSI NAMED "GIRLS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR;' ATHENS' BURGESS, WAVERLY TRIO AND RELAY ALSO EARN ALL-VALLEY TOP HONORS (June 19, 2026)

Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — Tioga sophomore Vida Rossi won a pair of state medals and recorded a pair of school records in 2026. She is the Valley Sports Report All-Valley "Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year."

Athens senior Abby Burgess made her third consecutive trip to the PIAA Championships and is the "Track Athlete of the Year," while Waverly 8th-grader Kezlynn DeKay won a Section IV title and is the "Newcomer of the Year" and Waverly sophomore Gianna Soprano also won a Section IV title and is the "Breakout Performer of the Year."

Waverly coach Dave Hogan is the "Coach of the Year,"  and Waverly's 400-meter relay is the "Relay of the Year."

Rossi consistently earned points in the 100-meter dash and long jump for the Tigers this season, and ran anchor on a 400-meter relay that also picked up a lot of points.

Rossi won a bronze medal in the 100-meter dash at States with a time of 12.34 seconds — just off her school-record time of 12.31, which she recorded in a second-place finish at the Section IV State Qualifier.

Rossi won a sixth-place medal at States in the long jump with a school-record leap of 18-feet, 8 3/4-inches.

Rossi won the Section IV State Qualifier with a leap of 17-feet, 7 3/4-inches.

At the IAC Championships, Rossi won the 100-meter dash (12.61 seconds), and the long jump (17-feet, 1 3/4-inches). She also ran the anchor leg on the 400-meter relay that won gold in a time of 52.39 seconds.

A consistent points-winner during the season for the Wildcats, Burgess finished second at the District 4 Championships in 12.4 seconds, beating the state standard by 0.1 seconds to qualify for States. She finished second in the 200-meter dash in 26.21 seconds — missing the state standard by 0.8 seconds.

A three-time state qualifier, Burgess won the 400-meter dash (1:03.06), and finished second in the 100 (12.49 seconds), and 200-meter dashes (25.6). She also ran anchor on the 400-meter relay that finished third at the NTL Championships.

DeKay won Section IV gold in the 100-meter hurdles at the State Qualifier, and also ran on the 400-meter relay that finished second. 

DeKay was eighth in the hurdles at the STAC meet, and ran on the 400 relay team that finished fourth.

A consistent points-winner for the Wolverines this season, Soprano won Section IV gold in the pole vault at the State Qualifier, and also placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles. She also ran on Waverly's 400-meter relay team that placed second.

At the STAC Championships, Soprano placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles and sixth in the pole vault. She ran on the 400-meter relay team that finished fourth.

Hogan guided three girls to States this season, and the team to a third-place finish at the Section IV, Class B Championships.

Hogan also directed the Lady Wolverines to a 3-0 mark in duals and a STAC Central Division title.

Soprano and DeKay teamed with sophomore Kaylin Twedt and senior Kaitlyn Sutton to place second at the Section IV State Qualifier in a time of 50.66 seconds. The foursome finished fourth at the STAC Championships in 52.14 seconds.

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2026 All-Valley Girls Track & Field
Athlete of the Year: Vida Rossi, Tioga
Track Athlete of Year: Abby Burgess, Athens
Newcomer of Year: Kezlynn DeKay, Waverly
Breakout Performer of Year: Gianna Soprano, Waverly.
Coach of Year: Dave Hogan, Waverly
Relay of Year: Waverly's 400-meter relay (Gianna Soprano, Kezlynn DeKay, Kaylin Twedt, and Kaitlyn Sutton).

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2026 All-Valley Super 7 Girls Track & Field
Vida Rossi, sophomore, Tioga: See above.

Abby Burgess, senior, Athens: See above.

Kaylin Twedt, sophomore, Waverly: Twedt won a Section IV, Class B gold in the 400-meter dash in 58.71 seconds. At States, Twedt finished 13th in the 400 in 59.51 seconds.

She also ran on the 400-, and 1,600-meter relay teams that finished second at the State Qualifier.

Twedt won the 400-meter dash at STACs, and also ran the anchor on the 1,600-meter relay that finished second, and 400-meter relay that finished fourth

Gianna Soprano, sophomore, Waverly: See above.

Alissa Vough, sophomore, Athens: Vough placed fourth in the 1,600-meter run, fourth in the 3,200-meter run, and eighth in the 3,200-meter run at the District 4, Class 3A Championships.

At the NTL Championships, Vough placed fourth in the 1,600-meter run (5:28.38), fifth in the 800-meter run (2:28.98), and sixth in the 3,200-meter run (12:27.87).

Lizzy Gorsline, senior, Athens: Gorsline won two medals at the District 4 Class AAA Championships, placing sixth in the 100-meter hurdles and seventh in the 300-meter hurdles.

At NTLs, finished second in the 300-meter hurdles (49.24), and third in the 100-meter hurdles (16.74). She also ran on the 400- and 1,600-meter relays that finished third.

Kezlynn DeKay, 8th-grader, Waverly: See above.

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