'We've had this thought in our mind': Mogadore girls track wins 1st league title since '71

MOGADORE — The Mogadore girls track and field team won its first league title in 53 years Friday.

Assistant coach Ann Murphy knew the Wildcats were special long before that picturesque afternoon at Mogadore Memorial Stadium. She knew it the moment the Wildcats' 4x400 runners — frustrated they didn't get their run in before their early-season meet at Lake Center was rained out midway through — decided to run it anyway on their home track.

Around 8:30 p.m., seniors Katie Lane and Brook McIntyre and the junior Tompkins twins (Ari and Julie) ran in front of an empty stadium and turned in an impressive time of 4:06.00.

With no fans to cheer them on.

With no opponents to push them.

"That's the type of dedication that we have big-time," Lane said. "Like we could just run our fastest time in front of nobody and just cheer each other on."

Those four runners played a big role in Mogadore's 30-point victory Friday over rival Rootstown — winner of the last few PTC titles — for its first league championship since 1971.

"We've been working toward this goal since forever," Lane said. "Since me and Brook were freshmen, we've had this thought in our mind that every year, we're just going to get closer and closer to getting that title."

Lane won three gold medals, winning the 1,600 while also participating in the Wildcats' championship 4x400 and 4x800 relays.

The distance runners powered Mogadore overall. Between the 400 and 3,200, the Wildcats scored a whopping 60 points, including Ari and Julie Tompkins finishing first and second, respectively, in the 400.

"It's definitely both of our favorite event because it's our open event that we both have," Ari Tompkins said. "I hate losing and I hate even more losing to my sister."

It wasn't just Mogadore's titles, though.

Finishing two-three in the 800 and 3,200 secured another 28 points.

"It's more encouraging when you know you have your teammate with you," Lane said. "You both have in mind like run this race as hard as you can because you're doing this not just for yourself, we're doing this for our team. Like these points mean something. Like third place means something. Second place means something. It's not just about first."

Tack on the 4x400 and 4x800 and Mogadore amassed 80 points from its mid-distance and distance runners. Tack on the Wildcats' 4x100 and 4x200 titles and they were already at 100 points.

"I think that this year we dominate every single relay so well and we didn't have that last year," McIntyre said. "We always had the distance, like the 4x8 and 4x4 obviously last year, but Rootstown kind of killed us on the 4x1 and 4x2, and this year, I think that we just dominated all four of those and that's what really helped us get this title this year."

Rootstown's boys team also leaned on its distance runners and relays to make history Friday. The Rovers had never won three straight league championships, per coach Larry Bailey, until Friday.

Rootstown's 21-point margin of victory over Mogadore (and 31-point margin over Warren JFK) included a one-two finish by junior Eric Baughman and sophomore Damien Reuting in the 800.

"We just kept pushing each other all season," said Baughman, who will actually graduate early following his junior year. "We've been going back and forth. One would take the lead, the other one would take the lead, and it just came down to who wanted it the most, and me graduating this year, I just figured I had to win it, so I was able to pull ahead at the end."

The two also paired with senior Brady Fillmore and junior Owen Burrell to win the 4x400 and 4x800 titles.

"We all work really hard and we all do the same thing every day with each other," Reuting said. "We just know how to pace ourselves really well and look at our opponents and just know how to judge off it and pace off of it and really come in at the end of it."

Rootstown also amassed 23 points from its throwers, highlighted by junior Gianni Damicone's discus title. Add on senior Aiden Rodstrom's 18 points from the hurdles, including repeating as the PTC champ in the 110 (15.38), and the Rovers were well on their way to victory.

"It means a lot," Rodstrom said. "We work hard every single day at practice and it's tough. It's not as long as basketball season, but it's definitely a pretty tough stretch physically on the body, especially for some of our distance guys, and it just means a lot, being able to be here with my team, being able to lead them and get it done just like we did the past two years."

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Mogadore, Rootstown track & field make history with PTC titles