Around the track - Regional Meets

Athletes from surrounding schools participated in the regional track meets held in Troy and Dayton’s Welcome stadium this week.  The top 4 finishers in their respective events qualified for the state meet and some athletes even qualified in 2 events.  Kate Deaton from National Trail makes another trip to state qualifying in both the shot and discus – winning the discus with a throw of 132’3”.  Michelle McKinney of Eaton qualified in the 800m run and the 3200m run.  Aaron Deaton of TVS qualified in the shotput and scored in the discus.  Preble Shawnee’s Elise Walker and Josh Willoughby both qualified in the high jump.  Seth Reynolds of Eaton qualified in the pole vault.

Although he did not make it to state this year, Isiah Pritchard scored in 3 regional events – 100m dash, 4X100m relay, and the long jump.  Something tells me the disappointed sophomore will crack the top 4 in next years regionals.  Other athletes that scored in the regionals were Tristen Sizemore TVS – shot; Megan McClain TCN - high jump;  Andrea Hunt Trail -Long Jump;  Nick Adams Dixie - Pole Vault; Seth Wright Eaton – Pole Vault;  Dixie 4X100m relay Brandon Parker, Seth Benner, Clayton Washington,  Isaiah Pritchard; TVS 4X800 relay featuring 2 sets of sisters - Madison Wright, Megan Wright, Lindsey Creech, Abbey Creech.

“It’s been a good meet for us, we ran some good times and have one state qualifier in Aaron Deaton,” stated TVS coach Faber after the meet. “There have been no disappointments – they all performed up to expectations.  Looking back on the season, I am happy with how we did at the Durkle meet and being runners up at district and league meets – those were highlights for us. We are a young group and most everyone is coming back next year.  We had a nice group of seniors this year that helped fill some gaps for us during the season.  We will miss them,but being a young team we will come back even stronger next year.” 

“The regional meet went alright for us.” Stated TVS girls coach Mabry, “Our 4X800m team did fantastic; they ran a personal best time.  Their previous best time was like a 10:19 and they shattered that - running a 9:54.  Six was the word in this track meet. The 4X800m team placed 6^th and Madison Wright placed 6^th in the 800m and Megan Wright placed 6^th in the mile.   The distance runners did well, even Abbey Creech had a personal best in the 800m run.  We are talking a lot of young runners – even the relay team has 3 freshman.  It has been a great experience for them, I think we can only get better from here.”

On the season, “Of course the highpoint was winning the district title for the first time since 2005. That and being league runners up.  But I think almost every meet with a couple of exceptions we were competitive in.  We started with a young team and they learned what it took to compete at the high school level and got better as the season went on.  We had just a few seniors, out of 23 girls - 12 of them got their first year varsity letters at the awards banquet.  Helen Holman has been a leader for us she had a decent meet at the districts. Alyssa Wysong is a sprinter and she has been valuable for us. It helps to have something there who is competent and can show the young runners the ropes.”

It is worth noting that also at the meet was a ‘blade runner’.  A young female athlete had one leg amputated just below the knee and had a prosthesis fashioned after the ones that famous (infamous?) Oscar Pistorius used in the olympics.  That is her leg had a single thin steel blade attached.  So I am glad that technology has changed from years ago where the only option was to have a clunky leg attached that was difficult to drag around.  It is amazing to me that that an athlete can compete at the regional level having lost a portion of their leg. Being able to run competitively with an artificial leg shows how science and technology is being used to help people have better lives.  And it takes courage to be different, particularly when you are a teenager – she got her share of stares.  So a salute to the strong young lady who runs through adversity.