According to Garfield G-Men track Coach Matt Pfleger, the girls felt their time had come after finishing as runners-up at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III district meet last year. The G-Men made good on that bet when they won the district title with 116 points last week at Cuyahoga Heights High School.
“It was just amazing to see the girls so excited about what they have been working hard all year for. It was just so rewarding for everybody,” said the third-year coach. “I know the coaching staff was ecstatic about it and the ladies just were competing so well all week and it was just a great performance overall.”
The G-Men girls will end their week competing for state bids at the regional meet at Norwayne High School on Friday.
The top four athletes in each event earned an automatic regional berth but the top eight placers each scored points for their team.
The “A” team of senior Rylie Turner and sophomores Kathlene McMayon, Olivia Rowe, and freshman Abigail Kolar captured first place in the 4×800 relay with a time of 10:32.85.
Junior Hannah Kernig snagged fourth place in the 100-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 17.84 seconds, followed by sophomore Taylor Wade who earned sixth place with a time of 18.63 seconds.
Junior Ruby White, sophomore Emily Seni, freshman Selena Groves, and Turner formed the “A” team in the 4×200 relay and took fourth place with a time of 1:53.60.
McMayon finished as the runner-up in the 1600-meter run by clocking a personal record 5:45.58, followed by Rowe who placed third with a personal best 5:46.09.
The “A” quartet of Groves, White, Seni and Kernig snagged fifth place in the 4×100 relay with a time of 54.99 seconds.
Turner took third in the 400-meter dash, clocking a personal record 1:01.80, followed by Kolar who clinched eighth place with a time of 1:08.43.
McMayon took third in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:35.82, followed by Rowe who placed fourth by clocking 2:36.95.
Freshman Eva VonBergen finished as the runner-up in the 3200-meter run, clocking a time of 13:13.89, followed by senior Kourtney Brahler who took sixth with a time of 13:32.80.
The “A” team of Kolar, Rowe, McMayon and Turner captured fourth place in the 4×400 relay with a time of 4:23.61.
Kernig won the high jump, clearing the bar at a personal record of 5 feet.
“Hannah has just been such a big and vital part of our team for the entire season,” noted Pfleger. “She won the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference MVP which was amazing, with what she did at the MVAC meet. There is a very decent chance she makes it to the state meet and her hurdles are always spot on; she just really came in, was a team player and was able to perform so well.”
Senior Lille Shackelford placed second in the shot put, throwing a distance of 36½ feet, followed by sophomore Riley Grace who took fourth by recording a throw of 33 feet, 1½ inches.
Kernig placed fifth in the long jump with a distance of 14 feet, 11 inches.
Sophomore Elise Edwards placed second in the discus throw, recording a distance of 110 feet, 9 inches, followed by freshman Hannah Timmons who snagged third place with a personal best throw of 106 feet, 9 inches.
The Garfield boys excelled in the relay and field events, qualifying six athletes in four events to take ninth place with 30 points at the Division II meet at Salem High School last week.
The G-Men will compete at the Division II regional meet on Saturday at Austintown Greenwood Stadium in Youngstown.
“That competition at the Salem district is phenomenal,” noted Pfleger. “To go against Marlington, Salem, CVCA, Field, Salem and Akron Buchtel across the board and to come out with a group, it was just great to see.”
The “A” team of seniors Keegan Sell, Christian Gallagher Deacon Sommer, and sophomore William Simon took fourth in the 4×200 relay, clocking a time of 1:31.18.
Gallagher finished as the runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles with a personal record of 41.38 seconds.
Freshman Oliver Walker, Sell, Simon and Gallagher formed the “A” squad in the 4×400 relay to take fourth place with a time of 3:32.26.
Junior Ollie May won the pole vault, clearing the bar at 11 feet, 6 inches.
“Ollie stepped up and won the district,” said Pfleger. “He only has had competed in two events for us because most invites that we have had just do not offer pole vault so he went out and won.”
