A year after inching so close to netting a state berth, Crestwood Red Devils’ senior James Durham was determined to not let his senior season end on a low note. Durham concluded his breakout season by taking eighth place in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.71 seconds at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II state meet last Saturday at The Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus.
“I set a goal at the end of my freshman year that I would end my high school career in this stadium on that podium and I worked my butt off for it,” Durham said. “It feels amazing.”
In Durham’s last race, the Red Devils’ senior competed in a final consisting of athletes who could run blazing times. Durham overcame a slow start and came on strong down the stretch to come away with eighth place, putting an exclamation point on a high school career that has trended up since he started running track.
“Ohio has amazing hurdlers in all divisions especially,” he added. “To be able to run with these guys is a blessing.”
Durham earned his spot in the final race with a sensational preliminary on Friday, breaking the school record he previously set at the OHSAA Division II regional meet, and netting one of nine spots in the final by clocking a time of 14.66 seconds.
According to Durham, achieving a new school record in the preliminaries was the perfect spark.
“They were super fast and running that time, I knew I could run those times,” he noted. “I just needed to do it and get it over with.”
Durham’s breakout started last year when he emerged as the Red Devils’ top hurdler and advanced all the way to the OHSAA Division II regional meet, but his season ended at Austintown-Fitch High School.
Durham said that his season ending just shy of getting to the state meet served as inspiration for him to keep persevering and etch his name into the school record books.
“It is a blessing,” Durham said. “I am so thankful for everything I have got from Crestwood. I have so many memories and lifelong friends and just countless things that I have been blessed with at Crestwood.”
Durham will continue his track career when he attends Ohio Northern University in the fall.
Durham was the not the only Red Devils’ athlete who finished the spring season by breaking a school record. Sophomore Liv Martini also wrapped up her season by finishing in ninth place in the 400-meter dash, eclipsing her previous school record by clocking a time of 57.11 seconds.
Martini enjoyed a strong start but could not maintain her stride in the final 200 meters, falling into ninth place and one spot away from netting her first All-Ohioan berth.
In a season where she was determined to avenge her early postseason exit during her freshman year, Martini achieved that by becoming a three-time state qualifier in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dash.
She did not qualify for the finals in either the 100 or 200-meter dash but captured a berth in the 400-meter dash finals by finishing in eighth place in the preliminaries with a time of 57.75 seconds on Friday.
Martini acknowledged that she had unfinished business this season after an early postseason exit during her freshman campaign and despite making it to the state meet, she still has some more unfinished business to take care of after falling short of capturing a spot in the top eight.
The final Crestwood athlete competing at the state meet was senior Augie Schweickert, who finished his Red Devils’ career by taking 11th place in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:58.78.
“Getting to this meet was a goal I have had all four years of high school,” Schweickert said. “Being in this stadium and on this track has always been a dream of mine. James and I said it all week with how surreal it was. James is one of my best friends and getting to accomplish it together has made this experience that much more meaningful.”
Schweickert stayed with the pack through the first 400 meters of the race and said he sought to make a move and advance toward the front in the second 400 meters but could not find the opening to kick.
“I felt like I fought to the best of my abilities, but I never had that second gear that I usually do coming through on the second lap which is unfortunate,” he noted.
Schweickert said that he also shared a similar goal as his teammate Durham, having his junior season end at the regional meet, and strived to finish off his senior season the right way.
Although Schweickert’s final race did not pan out the way he wanted, he said he cherished finishing his career as a state qualifier. He will continue his running career at Heidelberg University in the fall.
