SPORTSINK.COM PHOTO
Wadsworth senior Russ McCune (leader) has qualified for Division I regionals in the 1,600 and 3,200 metrers.
NORTH CANTON, Ohio – Green senior Sarah Schmidt already had qualified for the Youngstown Division I Region meet in the 4x800-meter relay on Wednesday night.
Fast forward to Friday at the North Canton Division I District Track & Field Championships and Green veteran girls coach Dan Gourley can see it’s going to be close between his Bulldogs and host Hoover for the district championship. He is trying to decide whether Schmidt or speedy freshman Emily Hooker will run the 4x400 relay.
Finally, Green’s athletic trainer – Arietta Paulus – stepped in and advised Gourley to limit Hooker to the 4x100 and 4x200 relays, after a muscle strain had kept her sidelined Wednesday.
Decision made.
Schmidt, Green’s Homecoming Queen, had handled Gourley’s debate with aplomb, but said afterward, “I really wanted to run that relay.”
No kidding.
Now there is no debate.
The relay team of senior Amy McLaughlin, Schmidt, sophomore Erika Rector and junior Kristen Bergmeyer ran a school-record time of 4:00.99 and made Green a perfect 4-for-4 in sending all of its relays to Austintown Fitch High School for the regional.
Yet, even after Bergmeyer made a gutsy move from third to second place in the final 50 meters of the 4x4, the Bulldogs still came up 1.50 points short of a district title.
The Vikings hung for fifth place in the 4x400 and managed to edge the Suburban League champions 93.50-92.0, touching off a Hoover celebration on its home track.
“A break here or break there we might have won it all, but I’m still very proud of the girls,” Gourley said. “This is the best we’ve ever done at districts as far as I’ve been coaching. I’m very happy.”
Schmidt, who was clutching the district runner-up, smiled and posed for a picture with Gourley.
It’s all good.
A bumper crop of 14 girls and seven boys will represent Green at Fitch next week.
McLaughlin won a district championship in 300 hurdles (46.15) and was joined in the winner’s circle by junior long jumper Amanda Pinheiro (17-11.25).
The Green boys had an individual champion in junior Andrew Pratt in the 400 (50.16) will be sending three relays to regionals.
Pratt anchored the 4x200 (third place, 1:30.00) and 4x400 (second place, 3:25.13).
Senior Michael Irwin qualified as an individual in discus, placing third (149-03).
In addition to Pratt, relay team members advancing for the Bulldogs are junior Kyle Finch (4x1), senior Boyd Kirk (4x1, 4x2), senior Craig Mellinger (4x4), senior Jake Wheeler (4x1, 4x2, 4x4) and sophomore Zach Wieland (4x1, 4x2, 4x4).
Green’s 60 points (fifth place) are the most for the Bulldogs at districts in five years.
FOR COMPLETE NORTH CANTON RESULTS, Click HERE
The Wadsworth girls are sending senior Hannah Gospodinsky in shot (first place, 43-05.25) and discus (second place, 121-01), junior Paige Szabat in the 3,200 (second place, 11:31.06), and junior Ashley Gray in the 800 (2:21.53), as well as their 4x100 relay (third place, 50.62).
Gray, who ran the 1,600 at districts last year, said her PR in the 800 as a sophomore was 2:30. But earlier this season, she was discovered when she popped a 2:24.
Gray was asked how coach John Burton reacted when she ran so well in the 800 and a teammate chimed in: “He freaked out.”
Senior Russ McCune upheld the Grizzlies’ boys track tradition with third-place finishes in both the 1,600 (4:22.02) and 3,200 (9:56.94).
“I’m picking either one or the other for regional,” McCune said. “I’m not running them both there.”
The Cloverleaf girls also made a strong showing, scoring 51 points behind seniors Jennifer Foster and Janelle Shaffer.
Foster, already a two-time state qualifier in pole vault, placed first on Friday (12-00) and took second in both high jump (5-06) and 100 hurdles (15.10), accounting for 26 points. She also anchored the Colts’ 4x4 relay, which did not score.
Shaffer finished third in long jump (17-05), sixth in the 200 (27.12) and qualified for regionals as a member of the 4x200 relay (also including Kelani Nuckols, Jenna Elswick, Taylor Detwiler).
“That was awesome. We’re peaking at the right time and we set the school record again (in the 4x200),” Shaffer said. “Hopefully next week we’ll be able to get a little bit faster.
“Relays you all go (to regionals) together and you work hard together. So, it’s awesome being able to do it as a team also.”
This same Cloverleaf foursome made it to regionals last year in the 4x200 after an exchange was debated well past the event and an official’s decision was reversed.
On the boys side, Brian Livingstone had a big day in shot put for the Colts, claiming the district title with a PR toss of 54-04.
“I’ll have to throw farther next week,” Livingstone said. “My hips, using them more, and turning my foot because when I gliding I don’t turn my foot enough and get enough power out of it.”
Livingstone estimates 55 or 56 will get him to the state meet.
The Akron City Series also made an impact at Hoover.
The Kenmore girls accumulated 36 points, including second place and a trip to regionals in both the 4x100 (49.92) and 4x200 (1:44.75) relays. Junior Lanytra Glover took fourth in the 100 hurdles (15.82) and qualified for Austintown.
Junior Charnae Coleman was fifth in the 100 (12.45) and 200 (25.89). Senior Markayla Powers was fifth in the 300 hurdles (47.72).
On the boys side, Cardinals’ senior DeVante Hatch made it to regionals in the 100 (second, 11.21) and 200 (fourth, 22.84). Junior Dominique Ziroulo scored in both hurdle events.
Another City Series athlete advancing to Austintown Fitch is Garfield senior Desmond Bell. After a disappointing finish in the 1,600, Bell rallied and ran a PR time of 1:58.25 to place third in the 800.
Earlier this week, on Monday at the City Series championships, Bell won the 1,600, 800, 3,200 and anchored the Golden Rams’ 4x400 relay to third place.
Canton McKinley won the boys championship (101 points).