'He was flying over those bars today': Field's Trevor Dixon soars to regional title
AUSTINTOWN — Athletes dream of hitting a groove on the biggest stage.
Like Trevor Dixon did Saturday in winning an Austintown Regional title with his school-record high jump of six feet, five inches.
"I was just feeling comfortable," Dixon said. "I had a rest day yesterday, so my legs were all good. Once I got to 6-4 and I cleared it, I was like, yeah, we're good because my legs just felt good, my body felt good."
The Field sophomore actually would've won the title regardless of whether he cleared 6-5, given that he was the only jumper to sail through 6-4 without a single strike. Still, Dixon had been eyeing that school record for weeks.
"I've been looking at it the past three meets," Dixon said. "I just kicked it with my feet the past two, so I finally got it."
Dixon nearly cleared 6-7 as well, on his first attempt. After the water-logged track caused him to slip on his second try, Dixon wisely decided he was done for the day.
"He was going for that 6-7 and I fully believe he could get it," Falcons coach Ed Conroy said. "He was flying over those bars today and his confidence is way up coming into the state meet, so I think his best jumps are still ahead of him down there next week."
There were hints throughout the week that Dixon might do something special, whether it was qualifying for state in the long jump Thursday (3rd, 21-1¾) or whether it was clearing 6-4 for the first time in practice.
"It gave me a lot of confidence because it just shows that I can just get it consistently now and not have to worry about it," Dixon said. "Because before, once I got to 6-4, I'd get nervous and stuff, but today, I was just fine. I was like it's just another height."
Feeling comfortable also started with feeling good.
"I've been having that ankle problem," Dixon said of an injury that flared up late in the regular season. "My ankle didn't hurt at all once I got here, so I just knew it was going to be a good day."
Undaunted by his first time competing in the Austintown Regional, Dixon said his prior experience competing at state in middle school should help this coming week.
"I'm just going to handle it like I did in eighth grade," Dixon said. "Go there, just do what I did here. Just go there, warm up like I normally do, get there, get my mark correct, make sure it feels good., get my run-throughs and it's going to be a good day. I'm just going to go out there and have fun."
3,200 relay set the tone for Field
Junior Lucas Pollard (300 hurdles) and senior Sean Silk (1,600 run) both qualified in their individual events.
It helped that the two entered the day with a state berth in hand as they joined Evan Pruszynski and Billy Silk in securing an at-large bid in the 3,200 relay Thursday.
"It just encourages you because you know you're fast enough," Silk said. "You know you're in shape, you just ran [well] two days ago, so you're definitely more confident coming into today."
Just like the 3,200 relay, Silk earned an at-large bid with his fifth-place finish in the 1,600. He knew that the Austintown Regional, loaded per usual with some of the state's top runners, would likely get an at-large spot or two and wisely didn't get carried away trying to keep up with Marlington's Colin Cernansky.
"From the beginning, we usually have a nice little pack there and I try to just stay in there," Silk said. "I don't want to get trapped in the inside or anything. Some people might go out too hard with Cernansky and whatnot, but I try to stay back a little bit, and then on that second half, I start trying to pass kids in the back stretches. I try to get in that top-six position because, yeah, I figured that top six was going to go."
Hurdlers Logan Border, Lucas Pollard clear bar
Pollard's second state berth seemed up in the air entering the curve of his regional final in the 300 hurdles.
The junior was by his estimation, and his coach's estimation, sitting sixth around the curve, but he wasn't worried.
"This season, I've been pretty good at my finishes," Pollard said. "And so I just kind of trust myself that I'm going to kick hard enough to catch people in the end."
Sure enough, he passed three runners down the homestretch to finish third (39.18). Pollard thus clinched a 2-for-2 day for the Falcons in the hurdles as freshman Logan Border earned an at-large spot with his fifth-place finish in the 110 hurdles (15.00).
"Honestly, the boy is just a machine when it comes to hurdles," Conroy said. "He's laid-back and, all of the sudden, when he hits that track, he turns into this hurdle specialist."
Daugintis continues state streak for Field throwers
It just wouldn't be a track and field season these days without the Falcons sending a thrower to state.
The last three seasons saw a steady train of Field throwers head to Columbus from Michaela Herendeen's fifth-place finish in the discus last year to three throwers making it down in 2022 (Emily Davis, Ali Morris and Emma Rotondo) to Grant Weise making it in both throwing events in 2021. Field senior Raegan Daugintis kept the streak alive by making a massive jump from a year ago.
In 2023, Daugintis finished 11th in the Austintown Regional with a 97-3. The senior improved by nearly 20 feet this year, earning the fourth and final automatic qualifying bid with her 116-0.
It was a dramatic day for Daugintis, who nearly didn't make finals, but then hit that 116 on her final preliminary throw to earn three more throws (and ultimately at least three more in Dayton).
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Field's Trevor Dixon soars to regional title, numerous Falcons qualify
