Lightning only slows Woodridge boys' march to Austintown regional title
AUSTINTOWN — Mother Nature tried to rain on Woodridge track's parade, but two lightning delays couldn't darken the Bulldogs' regional performance.
Woodridge won the boys title with 67 points, finishing 12 ahead of runner-up Marlington Saturday at the Division II regional track meet at Austintown.
"We scored in every single running event today," said Woodridge boys coach Scott Mercer. "That's something to be proud of. We're nursing some injuries, but the kids came through and did what they had to do. We didn't qualify in some events where I thought we would, but we qualified enough to where we could do some damage.
In the girls team race, both Woodridge and Buchtel came home with top-five finishes. Woodridge was edged by Gilmour Academy for second with 65 points. Woodridge was third with 63, and Buchtel fifth with 47.
"Track is a like a roller coaster," said Woodridge girls coach Jeff Howard. "We were fortunate that the kids ran great. Nothing to complain about. The good news for us is, the points we scored this week, I think we can score a lot of them next week."
"I think we have the potential to pull it together," said Buchtel's Sandra King. "I'm really proud of my girls. They're a little childish right now, but I know they've grown up mentally and physically after going through all this."
Team effort earns Woodridge boys Austintown regional track title
Woodridge's team depth showed as the Bulldogs won the boys team title without winning an individual event.
Woodridge's top scorer was Sam Su, who pulled out two runner-up finishes. Su finished in a personal-best 4:17.46 in the 1,600 meters and 9:22.94 in the 3,200, finishing behind rival Colin Cernansky of Marlington in both races.
"It's good. [Cernansky] just took that whole race and I appreciate him for it," Su said. "I got two seconds, so I can't be too mad, especially with the weird weather."
Su's teammate Xavier Griffiths joined him in the 1,600 with a fourth-place finish in 4:20.2.
The Bulldogs got a happy surprise in the 800. Kendall McAllister earned his first state berth, placing fourth with a PR time of 1:57.82.
"It was amazing," McAllister said. "I think I handled the delay well. I just had to get it done."
The Woodridge 400 relay of Jack Novak, Connor Hons, Taneil Gaddis and Taysear Williams-Clay also was fourth in 43.24.
The Bulldogs had several other runners hope to earn at-large state berths, including its 800 relay team (fifth, 1:29.1), Hons in the 110 hurdles (sixth, 15.01) and Williams-Clay in the 100 (fifth, 11.11).
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy reached state in the 800 relay, with the team of Dillon Webb, Harrison Kaselak, Hayden Grant and Joey Kopec placing second in a season-best 1:28.6.
"We all had to give it our all," Kopec said. "We're coming close to the school record, so we hope we can break it at state. I think having [Streetsboro] next to us really pushed us."
After an injury-filled season for the Buchtel boys, Qi'Marreon Marks said he felt he had to advance in the 400. He was fourth in 49.04.
"It was very important to show that you can keep fighting through the injuries," Marks said. "You have to trust the process and it will all work out in the end."
Woodridge and Buchtel girls go big at Austintown regional
Second place in the girls team race came down to the final event, as Woodridge and Gilmour were tied with 55 points heading into the 1,600 relay.
Top-seeded Gilmour won the relay in 3:57.94, but the Bulldogs finished second as Reese Reaman completed her anchor leg in 4:03.03.
That runner-up finish was the only thing that kept Reaman from a perfect meet. Along with Woodridge's win in the 3,200 relay Thursday, she set regional records in the 1,600 (4:52.15) and 800 (2:10).
"So far, it went great," Reaman said. "I'm so proud of Marissa [Boone]. It's the first time she doubled in the 800 and 1,600. I got a PR in the mile, and it was just a great day for both of us."
Boone was third in the 1,600 with a PR time of 5:03.94 and then played the role of rabbit for Reaman in the 800. She set a blistering pace in the first lap before holding on to place third in 2:16.08.
"It was really good. I went out fast, but I was intending to go out fast because I just wanted to make it state," Boone said.
Woodridge's Lola Mullen was second in the 3,200 in a personal-best 11:24.33 to set up the relay drama.
Speaking of relays, Buchtel's sprint relay mojo was on display.
In the 1,600 relay, Buchtel's quartet of Tianna Burton, DeVonnah Smith, Jada Davis and Miniya Mitchell set a regional record with a run of 1:39.59.
Buchtel nearly won both sprint relays, but Burton was nipped at the line by Gilmour's Mariyah Moore by .02 seconds. Buchtel was second in 48.65.
"At the finish, I felt that she [Moore] came in my lane," Burton said. "That's why I had to dive through the finish, because I didn't want to get disqualified. It was really close. At the end of the day, I'm the anchor so I have to bring it home."
Mitchell was Buchtel's top individual finisher, as the freshman was second in the 200 in a PR of 25.06. King advanced to state in the 400, placing third in 58.41.
CVCA also had a double state qualifier in Kylee Zamecnik, who took an early lead and finished second in the long jump (17-7) and then placed fourth in the 100 in 12.41.
Zamecnik said she was content, despite not advancing in the 200,
"Honestly, I'm not mad," she said. "Considering the conditions, I stuck it out and I kept calm. It was definitely chaotic between the 100 and long jump. But I got it done with the last jump. I'm actually coming off an injury and haven't jumped much this season, so I'm happy with what I did."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Woodrige boys win, girls take third at Austintown regional track
