Jake Puhalla is a pretty easy guy to reach when he’s finished competing, but there’s no catching him when he’s on the track.
A senior distance runner for Moon and a Louisville recruit, Puhalla is a two-time WPIAL champion and the reigning WPIAL championship meet record-holder in the 800 meters. After recovering from a minor lingering knee injury during the winter, Puhalla is ramping back up to full speed for the Tigers at just the right time — as evidenced by his school-record time of 4:16.72 in the 1600 at Saturday’s TSTCA Outdoor Championship at West Mifflin High School.
With a calming demeanor and an ever-present smile, the soft-spoken star exudes a quiet confidence that the rest of his teammates feed off. After finishing up his race schedule for the day, Puhalla could then be seen hanging out in the infield or right up against the fence, offering support to all of his teammates and even some competitors as they ran past during their events.
“I was watching the 800, and I know pretty much everybody who finished in that,” Puhalla said. “Just seeing kids PR and everything like that — it’s pretty cool. Especially when you’re done for the day. … Times in track would be way slower if no one cheered.”
Also a four-year letter winner in soccer who played a key role on Moon’s WPIAL championship-winning team, Puhalla excelled in both soccer and cross country during the fall before switching his focus to track during the winter and spring.
“He was our No. 1 runner [in cross country],” Moon distance coach Wes Bell said. “He often would go to two practices, or a practice and a game in the same day, while carrying an extraordinary academic load. How he does that, I have no idea.
“He’s about as unselfish and humble as you would ever find for a kid who has probably every running record we have from 800 meters and up.”
Bell said he wasn’t surprised to see Puhalla win the 1600 in his first attempt of the season, beating out an elite crop of racers that included Peters Township’s Brett Kroboth, South Fayette’s Jake Borgesi and Elizabeth Forward’s Patrick Burgos. It’s the way Puhalla did it that Bell couldn’t seem to get over — not just winning by nearly four full seconds but also making it look so effortless in the process.
“You have guys who are going D-I, and they couldn’t do anything with him,” Bell said. “I shouldn’t be surprised by what he does. He’s been an extraordinary athlete for four years. A great teammate, a great leader. He’s also shown his ability to balance his time. He’s a high-level student.
“Those other guys, they all love him. They see him, and they go, ‘Puhalla!’ … They know he’s such a good dude.”
After placing fourth in the 800 at last year’s PIAA Class 3A championships, Puhalla will have a much better shot to bring home the gold this year. Out of the top-13 finishers in the event last year, Puhalla and Central Bucks South sophomore Stefon Dodoo are the only ones returning this spring. DoDoo finished seventh last year, 1.48 seconds behind Puhalla.
“Last year, I thought I had a good shot in the 800, but I kind of got boxed in,” Puhalla said. “I know a lot of people around the state are going to be gunning for that same championship. … I’m just trying to win as much as I can and just do the best I can. Don’t leave anything behind.”
Puhalla enjoyed a friendly rivalry last spring with Butler distance runner C.J. Singleton, now a freshman at Notre Dame. Singleton went on to win last year’s PIAA Class 3A title in the 3200, but Puhalla edged him by .68 seconds with his record-setting time in the 800 at last year’s WPIAL championships.
This year, it’s not yet clear who will emerge to challenge Puhalla and push him to his limits. At this point, though, it’s starting to look like his only competition might come from within himself. Puhalla’s nagging knee injury forced him to wait a bit longer than he would have liked to start revving his engine up, but it’s safe to say the Ferrari is out of the garage and hitting the freeway now.
Having completed his first big meet of the season, Puhalla will now focus on narrowing down the events he wants to compete in during the postseason while making sure he’s peaking at the right time. He said he has considered adding the 1600 to his full-time repertoire along with the 800 and 800 relay — and he even busted out a 41-foot triple jump at a section meet on Thursday. What’s next, maybe the 100 meters?
Don’t put anything past Puhalla — and whatever you do, definitely don’t bet against him.
“I would never put any limitations on him. I’ve always been wrong when I’ve done that,” Bell said. “He’s a team-first guy, and we’re going to miss him.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
