Streetsboro Rockets’ senior sprinter Garrett Tiller has been one of the best kept secrets in Division II during the season. Tiller is now on everybody’s radar after being crowned the 100 and 200-meter dash champion at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II regional meet at Austintown-Fitch High’s Austintown Greenwood Stadium last Saturday in Youngstown.
“It is amazing,” said Coach Robert Kidd. “It is a testament to the kid and his work ethic. Coming out from last year’s times and performances which were good and then to put himself into elite categories, it is potentially life changing.”
Tiller will compete in the preliminary races of the OHSAA Division II state meet at The University of Dayton’s Welcome Stadium on Thursday. He will attempt to become Streetsboro’s first sprint champion since Dakari Carter.
“Garrett is coming in hot and everyone knows that now,” said the five-year coach. “There is no secret there. When we were at the regional finals, all of the kids are coming up and walking by our tent and were like where is that Garrett Tiller because people know and if you are in the track world you know who Garrett Tiller is and by next weekend they will all know.”
Tiller advanced to the regional finals of both sprint events when he placed second in the 100-dash preliminary with a time of 11.01 seconds and won the 200-meter dash preliminary by clocking 21.97 seconds on Thursday. He also was a member of the 4×200 relay team with seniors Preston Hopperton, Kylan Rue and junior Devon White that placed second in the preliminary race at a time of 1:28.76.
Tiller earned his first state bid when he won the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.98 seconds on Saturday.
“He got out okay but really had to work from behind to get to the finish line first,” said Kidd. “He reminds me of Dakari in the sense that he is always going to run just a little bit more than whatever his competition is. To say he is going run this, it depends who is on the track with him and that is exciting.”
The Rockets’ senior then snagged his second regional crown when he won the 200-meter dash by clocking a time of 22.24 seconds.
According to Kidd, Tiller really switched to a different gear in the final 100 meters of the race to become a two-time regional champion. As fast as Tiller has been in the 100-meter dash, he is even more dangerous in the 200-meter ash.
“When he hits that straightaway and he starts throwing those powerful arms and you can just see him surge away,” he added. “Somewhere in that last 70 or 60 meters, you just see him separate, it happens every time and honestly I believe it is going to happen at the state meet.”
Tiller became a three-event state qualifier when the 4×200 relay team took third in the finals with a team record of 1:28.68. Tiller had previously served as the lead runner in the relay during the season but was switched to the anchor leg before the start of the preliminaries.
Kidd said that Tiller serving as the anchor made a huge difference and helped propel the Rockets’ 4×200 relay team into the final with a dominating finish.
“With him at anchor we know he has the ability to chase down anyone if we need to or if we give it him in the lead, which is our goal, he is just going to bring it home for us,” Kidd said.
Although Tiller is striving to join the ranks of some accomplished sprinters such as Carter and former standout KeShun Jones, Kidd said he believes that Tiller is also competing to be in a class of his own.
“I want him to know that he is in his own territory as well,” he added. “He is now defining himself and we talk a lot about when you go there, do not get caught up in all of the conversations everyone else is going to have.”
According to Kidd, Tiller had extra incentive to extend his final high school track season by one more week when his brother, Eric, and his sister, Cara, had their seasons end on Thursday because their relay teams did not advance.
“It was very touching to see the support and the emotional bond that they had,” he added. “I think that will help fuel him. I think he is very focused, and I don’t think that he feels he has accomplished what he can and wants to yet so I think it is going to be a very special week for him and his teammates.”
