For another year, the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I Austintown-Fitch district belongs to Solon but if this year’s district meet is any indication, the Aurora Greenmen girls’ track team is getting closer to reaching the top. Aurora captured second place by scoring 108 points last week at Austintown Greenwood Stadium in Youngstown.
“It was great for the program” said girls’ Coach Greg Cicero. “We did it. It was not just one kid or two kids, it was the entire team contributing and putting forth efforts to score points whether it was first place, second place, third place or eighth place. Everybody was out there scoring points and it was great.”
The Greenmen will end the week competing for state berths at the regional meet at Austintown Greenwood Stadium on Friday at 4 p.m.
In each event, the top four placers secured a berth to the regional meet but the top eight each scored points for their respective team.
The “A” team of senior Eva Logan, junior Sydney Langell, sophomores Elizabeth Phillips and Amelia Kilway took fourth in the 4×800 relay with a time of 10:04.43.
Senior Kassidy Fry earned in second place in the 100-meter hurdles with a personal best of 15.58 seconds, followed by junior Gianna Previte who placed seventh by clocking 16.91 seconds.
“I think last year Kassidy took strides when she realized that the moment was not going to be too big for her forever and this year she just has been consistently performing week in and week out and her 100-hurdles probably was one of the best races I have ever seen from her,” noted the second-year coach.
Sophomore Isabella Cicero came in fourth place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.79 seconds.
Senior Hannah Salgado and sophomore Isabelle Leindecker teamed up with Fry and Phillips to take third in the 4×200 relay with a time of 1:46.99.
Langell finished as the runner-up in the 1600-meter run, clocking a personal record 5:16.21, followed by Phillips who came in eighth place with a time of 5:46.43.
Seniors Cali-Lynne Edgar and Brooke Pierce formed the “A” team with Fry and Phillips to place seventh in the 4×100 relay with a time of 52.90 seconds.
Isabella won the 400-meter dash, setting a personal and district record of 56.79 seconds, followed by Leindecker who captured fourth with a time of 59.81 seconds.
“Coming around with about 100 meters left to go, coming off of the 300 meter mark, Isabella was still accelerating and Cariona was beginning to fade a little bit and then she just kept attacking and went by her with about 50 to go and did not let off,” said Coach Cicero.
Previtte finished in fifth place in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 48.63 seconds.
Logan clinched seventh place in the 800-meter run by clocking 2:29.48, followed by Phillips who earned eighth place with a time of 2:31.18.
Isabella snagged third place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.13 seconds.
Langell came in second place in the 3200-meter run with a personal record of 11:37.55.
Salgado, Logan, Leindecker and Isabella finished as runners-up in the 4×400 relay with a time of 4:03.00.
Fry placed second in the high jump, clearing the bar at a personal best of 5 feet, 2 inches.
Salgado placed second in the pole vault, recording a personal record of 10 feet, followed junior Carolyn Jakosh who recorded a height of 8 feet, 6 inches.
Sophomore Olivia Leon finished in seventh place in the long jump with a distance of 14 feet, 5 inches, followed by Edgar who took eighth by jumping 14 feet, 2¼ inches.
Junior Felicite Wiliams snagged fifth place in the discus throw with a distance of 108 feet, 6 inches.
The Aurora boys were hampered by injuries during the meet but rallied to qualify six athletes across four events, taking ninth place with 33 points.
“I am very proud of all of those guys,” said boys’ Coach Chris Radtke. “The three boys in the field events are all seniors. One thing we talk a lot about is senior leadership so to have those seniors be able to do that is pretty impressive.”
The “A” team consisting of senior Andrew Snyder, junior Ishaan Shaik, sophomores Quincy John and Luke Geyer earned fourth place in the 4×100 relay with a time of 43.58 seconds.
Snyder snagged fourth place in the pole vault, clearing the bar at 11 feet, 6 inches.”
“A couple of years ago Andrew was not even pole vaulting,” said the seventh-year coach. “Andrew just started pole-vaulting last year so for him to make it into the regional meet in pole vault is pretty impressive. It is a tough event and to only be doing it for two years and getting to the regional meet is pretty darn good.”
Senior Leo Sesuraj placed second in the long jump, with a jump of 21 feet, 1 inch.
Senior Jaxson Rhea took fourth in the shot put by throwing a distance of 47 feet.
