The spirit can be willing. The mind can be focused and telling the legs to move faster. But if the legs are tired ...

Brentwood High School junior Maggie Wissler won the 800-meter run at the WPIAL Class AA track championships nine days ago at South Side Beaver. She was pleased with capturing the gold medal for a second consecutive year, but disappointed in her time of 2 minutes, 18.34 seconds.

She ran faster than that in finishing third in the 800 in the Baldwin Invitational May 2. Still, she has the seventh-best seeded time in the event for the PIAA championships that get under way tomorrow at Shippensburg University.

"I was hoping for a better time, but that's OK," Wissler said after accepting her medal. "Hopefully I'll have a better race at states."

What needs to be pointed out is that she won the 800 after running a strong leg on Brentwood's 3,200-meter relay. The Spartans placed fifth at the WPIAL meet and earned a trip to the PIAA championships. But unlike last year, when Brentwood's 3,200 relay won the WPIAL title and was sixth at the PIAA meet, the Spartans are seeded next-to-last in the field of 28 relays.

Wissler ran about a 2:18 split on the relay at the WPIAL championships, which was good. But running that faster early in the meet -- the 3,200 relay is one of the first events at the championships -- takes a toll.

"I was a little worried [going into the 800], but last year I did pretty much the same thing," she said.

Wissler hasn't lost much in the 800 this season. She was beaten by Norwin's Shelby Haitz, the WPIAL Class AAA champion in the event, and Seneca Valley's Erin Lopresti at the Baldwin Invitational. That was the only time Wissler didn't hit the tape first.

What people don't realize is that Wissler is a pretty good 400-meter runner. She has run 400 splits in the high 58 or 59 second range. Alexa Sarsfield of Springdale won the 400 at the WPIAL championships and set a meet record with a time of 58 seconds.

"She's one of the best runners I've been around and I've had Rachel [Erny]," Brentwood coach Joe Lemley said. "Maggie has good speed and she's a smart runner."

During the dual-meet season, Wissler usually ran the 800, the 3,200-meter relay and the 1,600.

Because Brentwood is a small school Wissler ran against boys a number of times in meets when there was just one 800 or 1,600 race instead of an event for boys and one for girls.

How did she do?

"I beat a few of them," she said with a sheepish smile.

"It was good for her to run against the boys, it helped push her," Lemley said. "She liked the competition."

That's one reason Wissler would jog over to Baldwin High School Stadium and work out with Baldwin runners.

Last year, Wissler placed sixth at the PIAA championships. She would like to improve on that finish this weekend. Kalyn Fisher of Lewisburg is the No. 1 seed in the 800 with a time of 2:14.30.

Wissler isn't the only Brentwood runner headed to the PIAA meet. Rachel Erny hopes to close out her senior year in style. She was second to Kacey Gibson of Neshannock in the 3,200 at the WPIAL meet after winning the event last year.

Erny is seeded ninth, but the thinking is that the race will be for second place. Carly Seymour of Central Cambria is the No. 1 seed with a time of 10:38.55.