Coming onto the track and field scene as a freshman, Paige Rittelmann had heard of Olivia Bresnahan, one of the top basketball prospects in the state and also a standout for the Butler Area High School girls' track team.

Rittelmann shared an event with Bresnahan in track, the high jump.

Bresnahan, a returning WPIAL qualifier, started to hear of Rittelman during the winter. While Bresnahan was focusing on basketball, Rittelmann was turning heads in the indoor track circuit. A freshman, she recorded a high jump of 5 feet, 4 inches to place fourth in the Pennsylvania Track & Field Coaches Association Indoor Championships at Penn State.

Once the basketball season wrapped up for Bresnahan and track and field went outdoors, Bresnahan and Rittelmann finally got to meet.

"I was terrified," Rittelmann said of meeting Bresnahan at the first practice. "I was really nervous to be around her at first, but she has taught me so much. She is really good at everything and she just jumps perfectly."

Butler track coach Rod Harris has been overseeing some of the area's best high jump competition at his team's practices between Bresnahan, who is 5-11, and Rittelmann, who is 5-8.

"They both want to be number one," Harris said. "They are both very good competitors and they both want to be the best there is.

"Paige was shy and excited at the same time when she met Olivia. She had heard all about her but didn't know who she was. When we first started outdoor and the two got to know each other, it became a great friendly competition. In practice they are always pushing each other."

Bresnahan, who has jumped as high as 5-6, and Rittelman along with another junior, Erin Bell, who has cleared 5-2, give Butler three very capable high jumpers.

Playing for her AAU basketball team based out of the Cleveland area, Bresnahan has been unable to compete in weekend track invitationals. Even without her, Butler has still been well represented at the meets.

Rittelmann posted two first-place finishes in the high jump at the Butler Invitational and the Tri-State Invitational at West Mifflin.

"I got first place in both of those invitationals, which I never thought I could do," Rittelmann said.

"It is a great feeling having everyone come up to you after you win, and it makes you feel like you are representing the entire team."

Even more impressive than her success at the two invitationals, Rittelmann is undefeated after seven dual meets.

"Paige is a fierce competitor," Harris said. "She goes out to win and she doesn't know anything but winning. You always have a freshman here or there in different events, but for Paige to be stepping up and jumping 5-4 consistently, and winning every invite, that is rare. She is doing phenomenal.

"Athletes like that you don't get very often."

Even with the toll that basketball is taking on her, Bresnahan makes it to every practice during the week and she has still been able to record jumps over 5-2 this season.

"Olivia is traveling all over the place with basketball, which is taking a little bit out of her legs but she is still doing a great job," Harris said.

"If she just came out for track, she would be a 5-8 jumper for sure but right now she is doing so many things. She has been a consistent 5-2 this year and hopefully we can get her to get above 5-6. I am looking to get both girls to the state meet."

To qualify for the state track meet at Shippensburg University, a high jumper has to finish in the top four at the WPIAL finals or in the top eight if they reach the state standard.

"It helps a lot," Bresnahan said of having another high jumper such as Rittelmann.

"Sometimes she beats me or I beat her, it is just fun to compete with someone at the same level. We are hoping to both make states, that is what we are practicing for."