Valley Sports ReportTHE VALLEY — Tioga senior Gavin Albrecht won his second consecutive state title, and is the 2026 Valley Sports Report All-Valley "Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year."
Athens junior Graham Wanck bounced back from an injury to qualify for the PIAA Class 3A Championships and is the "Track Athlete of the Year," while Sayre junior Hudson Malanoski is the "Breakout Performer of the Year," Athens freshman Avery Gorsline earned a district medal and is "Newcomer of the Year," and the Wildcat 3,200-meter relay is the "Relay of the Year."
Albrecht began his postseason march by winning Section IV, Class C gold with a school-record vault of 15-feet, 1-inch.
He cleared 15-feet to win the State Qualifier, then won the state title with a vault of 15 feet.
Albrecht won the pole vault at IACs with an effort of 13-feet, 6-inches. He was second in 100-meter dash in 11.77 seconds, and second in the long jump at 18-feet, 5 1/4-inches.
Wanck, who missed the majority of the cross country season with an injury, worked his way into peak form during the spring track season, and won a lot of points for the Wildcats in the process.
Wanck won the 1,600-meter run in a time of 4:27.07 at the District 4, Class 3A Championships. He placed second in the 3,200-meter run (9:45.01), and also medaled with a seventh-place finish in the 800 (2:06.19).
At States, Wanck was 21st in the 1,600 in a time of 4:25.56.
At the NTL Championships, Wanck placed second in the 1,600-meter run (4:26.95), and fifth in 3,200-meter run (10:13.67).
Malanoski placed seventh in shot put at 47-3 1/2 at District 4, Class AA Championships.
Malanoski won an NTL gold in the shot put with a heave of 48-feet, 4-inches. He was ninth in the discus with a toss of 108-feet, 6-inches.
Gorsline medaled in his first trip to the District 4, Class AAA Championships, placing eighth in the 110-meter hurdles (43.63 seconds). He also ran on 3,200-meter relay that won a fourth-place medal in a time of 8:31.37.
At the NTL Championships, Gorsline was third in the 300-meter hurdles in 44.12 seconds, and ran on 1,600-meter relay team that won NTL gold.
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2026 All-Valley Boys Track & Field
Track & Field Athlete of the Year: Gavin Albrecht, Tioga
Track Athlete of Year: Graham Wanck, Athens
Breakout Athlete of the Year: Hudson Malanoski, Sayre
Newcomer of Year: Avery Gorsline, Athens
Relay of Year: Athens 3,200-meter relay
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2026 All-Valley Super 7 Boys Track & Field
Gavin Albrecht, senior, Tioga: See above.
Graham Wanck, junior, Athens: See above.
Troy Beeman, senior, Waverly: A consistent points-winner in the throwing events this spring, Beeman won a Section IV Class B title in the discus with a career-best throw of 146-feet, 6-inches. He was 12th at States at 133-feet, 3-inches.
Beeman placed second in the discus at the STAC Championships at 144-feet, 3-inches.
Hudson Malanoski, senior, Sayre: See above.
Brendan Comstock, senior, Athens: Comstock won a silver medal in the discus at the District 4, Class AAA Championships with a throw of 145-feet, 1-inch. He was 10th in the shot put at 40-feet, 11 3/4 inches
At the NTL Championships, Comstock placed second in shot put (45-feet, 7 3/4-inches), and third in discus (138-feet, 2-inches).
Dominic Palmer, senior, Tioga: Palmer finished second in the pentathlon at the State Qualifier, logging four second-place finishes in the five events.
At the Class C meet, Palmer was second in the 110-meter hurdles (16.24 seconds), and eighth in the high jump (5-feet, 2-inch)
At the IAC Championships, Palmer was second in the 110-meter hurdles (16.22), fourth in the pole vault at 8-feet, 6-inches, and fifth in the long jump at 16-feet, 9 1/4-inches.
Alex Thompson, senior, Athens: Thompson placed fifth in the 800-meter run (2:01.36) at the District 4, Class AAA Championships. He also ran on the fifth-place 1,600-meter relay.
At the NTL Championships, Thompson ran on the first-place 1,600-meter relay (3:31.46), and the 3,200-meter relay (8:32.02). He also placed fourth in the 400-meter dash in a time of 52.12 seconds.
Patrick Umber, sophomore, Athens: Umber placed fourth in the 400-meter dash at the District 4, Class AAA Championships. He also ran on the 1,600-meter relay (3:32.17) that placed fifth, and the 400-meter relay (45.13) that finished sixth.
At the NTL meet, Umber ran on second-place 400-meter relay (45.04). He also finished seventh in the 400 in 52.74 seconds, and seventh in the 100 in 12.1 seconds.
