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State track meet a learning experience for Fayette four

Monday, 09 June 2008

COLUMBUS — The 2008 State track meet proved a tough challenge for the quartet of athletes from Fayette County who qualified to take part in the 101st boys meet and 34th annual girls meet at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus.

On Friday, a blazing hot day that saw the heat pouring down from the time the competition got underway in the Division II field events, Washington Senior High junior Brittany Thomas competed in the high jump and fellow junior Nicole Fore took part in the discus throw.

Saturday was a more forgiving day, weather-wise with mostly overcast skies and breeze blowing most of the day as a pair of sophomores, Skylar Schofner of Washington, competing in the discus throw and Sammantha Stroker of Miami Trace, going in the 3200-meter run.

Three of the above four were making their debut at the State. The fourth, Thomas, was competing for the second consecutive year at the State, albeit in a different event from a year ago (the high jump this year, the 4 x 100-meter relay a year ago).

It was tough going for all four over the weekend.

Gearing up for the State track meet is always a matter of peaking at the right time, showing improvement each week.

All four athletes progressed through the SCOL, the Districts and Regionals, improving their times, heights and distances as they moved along.

Thomas was the one of the three competitors that was able to equal at the State meet what they had done at the Regional meet, while, unfortunately, the other three turned in what might be considered disappointing results. However, each of the four said they were happy for having the experience.

“Both of our girls up here were juniors, so they have a chance to make it back up here next year,” Washington Lady Lion track coach Louis Reid said. “I’m sure they’ll be back here and they’ll do even better next year. I’m proud of every one of the kids that made it here. They gave it their all. We’ll see them back here next year, I’m sure of it.”

Thomas finished 12th in the high jump on Friday morning, equaling her school record height that won her the Regional championship, 5’ 2”.

In Division II, the winning jump was 5’ 7”, turned in by senior Ashley Galbriath of Struthers.

A jump of 5’ 4” got sophomore Brandy Kelly of Doylestown Chippewa the eighth and final spot on the State podium.

Thomas cleared 5’ 2” on her third attempt.

“When the bar went to 5’ 3” on my last jump, I had it (cleared),” Thomas said. “But I hit the bar with my foot. That last (attempt) was the closest I came to making it.

“Being out here today was good,” Thomas said. “The breeze helped a lot. At least it wasn’t raining. It was good jumping weather.

“I wanted to clear 5’ 3” and get the new school record,” Thomas said. “Or placing on the podium. Unfortunately, neither one happened. But I jumped the best that I could today.”

Thomas will now turn her attention to preparing for the upcoming volleyball season and then to basketball when that season rolls around again. “I do want to get some track work in over the summer, also,” Thomas said.

Thomas stated that she hopes to return in the high jump at State in 2009 and also hopes that one of the Washington relay teams will also make it to State as the 4 x 100-meter relay team did in 2007.

Thomas, along with Taylor Alsop, Alyssa Daugherty and Cortney Merritt placed fifth at the Regional meet in the 4 x 100-meter relay, just missing State qualification this year.

Also on Friday morning, Fore placed 16th with a discus throw of 101’ 6”. She was just coming off a Regional placement with a throw of 114’ 8”.

Fore had earlier found success at the SCOL meet, where she set new meet records in winning both the shot put (35’ 1 1/4”) and discus throw (112’ 2”) competitions.

The State-winning throw of 146’ 5” came from senior KaiCee Kubicina of Newton Falls.

The last spot on the State podium went to senior Jessie Rowland of Germantown Valley View with a toss of 120’ 6”.

Seven of the top eight finishers in the Division II girls discus throw were seniors, which means there will be plenty of new faces on the podium in 2009.

“My personal best is 114,” Fore said following her competition Friday. “I just wanted to get a P.R. (personal record). That’s it. I just wanted to throw over 114. I didn’t really want to place or anything like that. I wasn’t worried about making the finals.

“These girls up here work hard and they’re good throwers,” Fore said. “I just need to work harder, I guess and maybe one day throw that far. If I can’t, then, oh, well.”

It was still quite a successful season, Fore said, as she took either first or second in just about every meet through the schedule.

“I improved a lot this year,” Fore said. “I do hope to come back here next year. I just had a bad day today.”

“It’s just an accomplishment in itself to get here,” Washington boys coach Jay Haines, who works with all the Blue Lion throwers, said. “Especially for a junior. Looking at the program, (most) of the big throwers are seniors. So we hope Nicole will use this as a learning experience and come back up here and place next year. That’s going to be our goal.”

Overcast and early on Saturday morning, Schofner took part in the boys Division II discus throw championship. The sophomore placed 12th with a best throw of 147’ 8. He had just qualified to the State with a Regional best throw of 155’ 1”.

“I wanted to come in here and get at least a 165,” Schofner said. “I’ve been practicing, but I just didn’t get it today.”

Schofner showed no evidence that he was discouraged by his showing Saturday.

“I made it this far,” Schofner said. “I’m just going to keep working. I’m going to get it next year. I didn’t do that good this year (at State). Still, 12th in the State isn’t too bad for a sophomore. I just need a lot more practice.”

Schofner was impressed with some of the competition at State.

“That 188 foot throw (the winning throw was 188’ 7” by sophomore Justin Welch of Pemberville) was crazy,” Schofner said. “This just makes me better, being here. This lets me know what I want to throw.”

Junior Kyle Steinhauser of Sandusky Perkins threw a second place distance of 180’ 5”.

Curt Smith, a junior from Chillicothe, placed fourth with a throw of 175’ 2”.

There should be some room for Schofner to move up next year as five of the top 11 placers (three in the top eight) were seniors.

Schofner said that while his SCOL experience may have been less than hoped when he had to switch throwing equipment, he enjoyed the District and Regional events.

Schofner said that he took the time and got to know Smith of Chillicothe and Randy Rue of Unioto (who placed fifth at the State with a throw of 173’ 3”).

“I met some kids at District and spoke with Curt Smith and Randy Rue,” Schofner said. “They helped me a lot, showed me a few little things.”

Schofner has two years to go and clearly has his sights set on the school record of 159’ 9” set by Matt Beatty.

Next for Schofner is getting ready for the 2008 high school football season.

“I’m going to be in the weight room, working hard,” Schofner said. “I’m hoping we can make the playoffs again this year. We lose a lot of good guys off last year’s (football team). A lot of the guys in my class (2010) are going to have to step up for us.”

“We had hoped for a school record for Skylar here at the State,” Blue Lion track coach Jay Haines said. “That’s what we were shooting for.

“But, you can’t be unhappy,” Haines said. “He’s a sophomore and he just finished 12th at the State. If I had asked him at the beginning of the season if he would have been happy with a 12th place at State, absolutely he would have. Obviously, he’s disappointed right now. But when he gets a chance to look back on it, he’ll see that he had a pretty special year for a sophomore.

“Next year we look for Skylar to be right back up here,” Haines said. “And the good thing is, he’ll have a year’s experience (at State) under his belt. The nerves will be out of the way.

“We may have peaked a week early,” Haines said. “But just to get here is pretty special for a sophomore.”

On Saturday afternoon, with the weather warm and humid, but the sun still primarily obscured by clouds, Stroker went out with 15 other competitors to battle in the taxing 3200-meter run.

Stroker set a school record and new personal best in claiming fourth place at the Regional in a time of 12:00.32. Saturday, after a quick start at State, Stroker placed 14th in 12:23.64.

Like Schofner, Stroker will have two more years to get back to State and reach the coveted podium.

Junior Katie Gillespie of Cuyahoga Valley Christian won the 3200-meter race in 11:00.71. Earlier in the day, Gillespie won the 1600-meter race in a time of 5:02.42.

The eighth and final spot on the podium in the 3200-meter run Saturday went to Ashleigh Kahlig, a senior from Coldwater, in a time of 11:42.72. There were only three seniors in the final 16, so the competition promises to be comprised of likely the same basic cast of players with Gillespie returning for a chance to repeat in 2009.

“I just wanted to try and get in the top eight,” Stroker said after catching her breath following the grueling event. “I couldn’t get that today, but I tried my hardest. I’m just glad to be here.

“I wanted to get out fast and make sure I wasn’t boxed in at the very beginning,” Stroker said.

After the first lap and into the second turn around the track Stroker was holding second place. However, as the race wore on, she fell back to seventh and later out of contention for the podium.

Still, she was determined not to be last and not to get lapped by the junior champ Gillespie and Stroker accomplished both of those goals.

“Regionals was my highlight of the year,” Stroker said. “That’s when I ran my best time so far. My goal at first was to make it to State in the (1600). It was always to make it here in something, but then we went to the (3200). I was seeded 12th at the Regional and placed fourth (in the 3200) which was pretty amazing.”

Stroker said she will continue to run something on the order of four times a week during the summer to prepare for her junior season of cross country at Miami Trace. Stroker qualified to State in 2007 in cross country and hopes to do that again in early November, 2008.

“This was still one of Samm’s better times of the year,” Miami Trace coach Brent Noes said. “She’s still running strong. There’s just a great level of competition up here at the State. She performed well and we’re excited for her being here today in Columbus.

“This is a great oppourtunity for any athlete in which to take part,” Noes said. “We’re real proud of Samm and the accomplishments she’s made.

“She’s a very dedicated and determined young lady with a great work ethic,” Noes said. “She wants to return next year and be a placer (top eight). I have every confidence in the world that she can accomplish that goal.”

In the Division II boys competition, Sandusky Perkins won the State title with 48 points. Pemberville Eastwood was second with 39.5 points.

Unioto placed 13th with 14 points as the bearded one, senior Galen Dills, won the 3200-meter race in 9:22.00, over two seconds ahead of sophomore Marty Coolidge of Elyria Catholic.

Chillicothe placed 15th in Division II with 13 points, led by Curt Smith placing second in the shot put and fourth in the discus throw to total 13 points.

Around the SCOL, London tied for 19th place as junior Ethan Freet won the 300-meter hurdles in a time of 38.60, edging senior Ricardo Ross of Rossford (38.73).

Senior Tyler Agenbroad of Hillsboro placed 14th in the 800-meter run at State in 2:01.09.

Also from Hillsboro, Leon Smith, a senior, placed 13th in the long jump with a best leap of 21’ 2 3/4”.

From Clinton-Massie, the Falcons came back to defend their 2007 State title in the 4 x 100-meter relay, but the quartet of Ben Dunham, Levi Schwab, C.J. Kline and Skylar Dooley placed 10th overall in 44.36.

Dooley clocked a 23.74 in the 200-meter dash, placing 12th.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy ran away with the girls Division II competition with 60 points. Second went to Bishop Hartley with 39 points.