The irony of it wasn't lost on Todd Thomas.

A senior at Beaver Falls High School, Thomas has been one of the best athletes in the WPIAL for four years and a standout in football and basketball. But it wasn't until last week that he finally won a WPIAL gold medal.

He did that as a member of the Tigers' 400-meter relay team that placed first in that event in the Class AA portion of the WPIAL track championships at Baldwin High School.

"Basketball and football, I give my whole life to playing those sports. But I come out for track for one year and I finally get one [gold medal]," Thomas said. "Last year we get to the WPIAL finals [in football and basketball] and lose to Jeannette and Terrelle Pryor in a heartbreaker. This year, we lose in the second round [in basketball] and in the finals [in football to Aliquippa].

"But one year of track and I end up on the winning 4-by-100 team and second in the long jump."

Thomas teamed with Nick Agostinelli, Cody Cook and D.J. Morris on the winning 400-meter relay. They had a time of 44.15 seconds and edged Monessen (44.19) to capture the gold.

Beaver Falls track coach John Kelly has been chasing Thomas around the halls at the high school for the past three years in an effort to get him out for track.

"I kept after him and would say, 'You keep telling me you're fast. Come out and show me how fast you are,' " Kelly said. "There was no question he had the size and speed to do well [in track]. But I think the reason he came out was that he wanted that [gold] medal.

"Our 400 relay was good last year and we lost two of the guys off it, so it just made sense to put Todd in there."

Thomas admits the gold medal void was his main reason for pulling on a pair of track shoes.

"That's why I came out for track, so I could win something before I graduate," he said.

The long jump was another event that was a natural for Thomas, who at 6 feet 3 and 195 pounds is headed to Pitt on a football scholarship. He has the speed and leaping ability to be exceptional in the long jump.

Thomas went 22 feet, 101/4 inches in the long jump in placing second. Summit Academy's John Jenkins edged him for first place with a leap of 22-111/4. But Kelly wouldn't be surprised if Thomas beats Jenkins and earns a medal at the PIAA championships tomorrow and Saturday at Shippensburg University.

Kelly said that because Thomas has worked hard to improve in the long jump and because the long jump pit at Shippensburg is in front of the grandstands and near the finish line, so a lot of people are paying attention to what's going on. Thomas likes to perform in front of a crowd.

Sam Prescott of Imhotep Charter is the top seed with a leap of 23-1. Jenkins is next with Thomas third.

"A lot of jumpers don't like to get dirty," Kelly said. "Todd has spent time working on his landings and getting his heels up and that has helped his distance. He isn't afraid to get in the sand and get dirty. He isn't relying on just his speed and his leaping ability."

Thomas holds the Beaver Falls and Beaver County records with his jump at the WPIAL championships. Kelly wouldn't be surprised if Thomas went 23 feet at the PIAA meet.

"He's capable, that's for sure," he said. "If he hits it right, he can go that far."

As for the relay, Thomas runs the anchor leg. Not because he is the fastest of the four runners on the squad -- that would be Cook -- but because he runs the straightaway well and because he might be the best at holding a lead or maintain the team's position in the race.

"Because this is his first year, we wanted to limit his handoffs," Kelly said. "And because of his size, we didn't want him running the bend. Plus, he likes running in front of a crowd.

"Nick left baseball last year and came over and trained with us and he gives us a good start. We're trying to work it out so that Cody runs the farthest, 110 meters, because he's our fastest guy. And D.J. runs the bend well, so it all works out."

Beaver Falls is seeded ninth in the 400 relay. Milton Hershey at 42.82 seconds and Bishop McDevitt at 43.19 are the top-seeded relays. But the 400 relay is a high-risk event and highly seeded teams often don't qualify for the finals on Saturday.

"I think we have a good shot of getting [to the finals]. It all depends on the handoffs but we've been getting better and better at those," Kelly said. "These guys have worked hard and are going to get a chance to prove what they can do."