Saturday after a much more grueling and disciplined year, Nelson was again on a podium.

But this time it was at the PIAA Class 2A Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium, and the medal around his neck represented a fifth-place finish in the entire state after he was eighth in his own district as a sophomore.

“It means more than I can even say,” Nelson said. “Being ranked higher going into the state finals than I was going into the District 6 finals last year and even placing higher is just so incredible to me. It shows what you can do when you put your mind to it.”

Nelson finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.83 seconds, just ahead of Braedin Lunger of Charleroi Area, who finished in 14.87 seconds.

Mirror photo by Michael Boytim Central Cambria's Ethan Haycisak earned an eighth-place medal in the 3,200-meter run.

Corry’s Blake Cook won the state title in 14.08.

“It’s been a thing since I was little,” Nelson said. “I am so competitive. I can’t do something and not want to be the best at it. Once I knew what I could do, I knew where I wanted to be and decided to put in all that work with God by my side. I knew I could get here, and I did.”

Following last year’s District 6 meet, Nelson and his family began concentrating on his protein intake following the suggestion of a coach. His mother did the research and meal planning, and his father cooked.

Nelson traded soda for protein shakes and prioritized quality meals over quick snacks.

But eating correctly was only part of the formula. Nelson put in the time during 6 a.m. workouts before school with sports trainer Ambrose Aquadro and attended college hurdle camps to learn how to improve.

Mirror photo by Michael Boytim Hollidaysburg's Devin Walters earned an eighth-place medal in the 3A long jump.

Nelson excelled for the Tyrone soccer and swim teams and helped the Golden Eagles co-op with Bellwood-Antis win a District 6 title in the pool before culminating his track and field season by qualifying for the 110 hurdle finals and ensuring himself a state medal on Friday.

“That was amazing knowing all my work paid off,” Nelson said. “I knew I still had one more race, but ever since I had that feeling last year not doing the best, I knew I wanted to get here. Finally being able to do it was a relief to have it off my chest.”

Now that he’s experienced the PIAA medal stand, Nelson wants to find his way to the top of it as a senior.

“I’m going to work even harder, because I know what I can do and I know where I can get next year,” Nelson said. “I definitely want to make the finals in the 300 next year and possibly win this one. It’s going to be all I want.”

Another athlete who made a big jump this season, Central Cambria senior Ethan Haycisak, finished eighth in the Class 2A 3,200-meter run with a personal-best time of 9:28.79.

“This is awesome,” Haycisak said. “The last 800 of that was terrible. I used up everything I had before I had to use up everything I actually had. That last 200 was very much just me digging deep and giving whatever I had left. That was just willpower with how cold it was outside.”

Haycisak, who also swims for Central Cambria, loves the water and rain — but not the cold, which was in the 30s with real feel factored in on Saturday.

“Running in the rain always makes me feel better than I do any other time,” Haycisak said. “But the temperature canceled that out a little bit. I still feel pretty good with a PR. I wanted a little more, because I wasn’t too far from our school record, but I won a state medal. You can never go wrong with that.”

On the other end of the experience spectrum, Hollidaysburg freshman Devin Walters won an eighth-place medal in the Class 3A long jump with a distance of 22 feet, 2 inches.

But his first comments following the medal stand were a reflection of his inexperience with the state meet and the conditions.

“It’s a huge pleasure,” Walters said. “But I came here so unprepared. It’s cold. It’s raining, and it sucks, but I did the best I could do today.”

But like Nelson, Walters now has his eyes opened to what he’ll face off against the next three years and believes this experience will help him.

“The competition here is crazy,” Walters said. “Weather is a big deal. How you think and take everything in is important. It feels great to medal. It was a close all-around competition.”

Other area results

CLASS 2A BOYS

–Tyrone’s Mason Emigh jumped 43 feet, 5.75 inches and finished 10th in the triple jump. Bishop Carroll’s Eli Cunningham was 13th with a jump of 42 feet, 11.75 inches, and Penn Cambria’s Blake Lilly’s best distance was 42 feet, 4.25 inches for a 15th-place finish.

–Miles Doyle of Central Cambria was 30th in the 3,200 with a time of 10:20.22.

–The Central 3,200 relay team of Ben Hartman, Mateo Padilla, Owen Brown and Jacob Heuston finished 25th in 8:44.47, and Central Cambria’s team of Joshua Bearer, Reed Takacs, Doyle and Haycisak was 28th in 8:50.39.

–Central’s Jacob Heuston finished 17th in the 800 run with a time of 1:59.47. Central Cambria’s Josh Bearer was 33rd in 2:08.08, and Cambria Heights’ Mason Kline was 34th in 2:11.11.

–Heuston finished 11th in the pole vault, clearing 13 feet, 6 inches on his first attempt before missing his three attempts at 14 feet.