Our McCaskey Red Tornado community has something extraordinary to cheer for: both our Varsity Track & Field and Unified Track & Field teams are heading to the PIAA State Championships at Shippensburg to compete on Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24.
For our varsity athletes, this moment is a celebration of months of hard work, discipline, and relentless pursuit of excellence on the track. For our Unified Track team, it’s a historic milestone marking the second time in program’s history that they’ve qualified for the state championships. The energy and pride from this achievement are impossible to overstate.
To mark this incredible achievement, we did something we’ve never done before, we held our very first all-school sports send-off to honor both teams. The halls of McCaskey were filled with cheers, signs, high-fives, and celebration as students and staff lined up to show their pride and support. It was a powerful moment that reflected just how much this means, not only to the athletes, but to the entire McCaskey family.
Unified Track brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities to compete side-by-side, proving that inclusion and teamwork aren’t just values, they’re strengths. “Just because you’re not a varsity athlete doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to represent your school,” said coach and autistic support teacher Ashley Mansfield. “This team proves that kids with and without disabilities can be on the same playing field, working toward a common goal. It’s incredible to see how the students grow and support each other. This team gives everyone a chance to be part of something bigger, and to represent McCaskey with pride.”
Athletic Director Teasia Peña emphasized just how meaningful this moment is. “If you’re at these meets, you see how amazing our student-athletes are. What they’ve accomplished is a memory they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives.”
Last year, the Unified team came just one event short of qualifying for states. This year, they made it. That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident, it’s built on the dedication of student-athletes, the support of coaches and staff, and a school culture that believes in lifting each other up.
The state championships are the final stop this season, but the real win is what our students have already shown us: when you work hard, support one another, and believe in the power of community, you can make anything possible.
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