Adjusting to life in the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division has not been easy for the Crestwood Red Devils’ track team but they have finally found their footing when the boys’ and girls teams swept the CVC Valley Division championship, with the boys recording 146 points and the girls scoring 149 points last Thursday at Great Lakes Cheese Stadium in Burton.
“It’s a great accomplishment for our school and our kids,” said boys’ Coach Jack Blasiole. “Winning them both is just awesome. The kids are excited for it and hopefully it brings in numbers for us to keep growing.”
The “A” team of senior Hans Seibold, juniors Augie Schweickert and Kevin Vechery, and sophomore Garrett Byers captured first in the 4×800 relay with a time of 8:46.20.
Junior James Durham snagged first place in the 110-meter hurdles, clocking a personal record 15.60 seconds, followed by junior Mason Satterlee, who finished in sixth place with a time of 20.33 seconds.
Junior Stephen Heritage earned sixth place in the 100-meter dash with a personal record 12.19 seconds.
Junior Nathan Blasiole, sophomore Austin Wurm, Satterlee and Durham teamed up as the “A” quartet in the 4×200 relay to take third place with a time of 1:38.16.
Schweickert placed third in the 1600-meter run by clocking a personal best of 4:48.19, followed by Byers who finished in fifth place with a personal record 4:55.42.
The “A” team of seniors Charlie Schweickert, Bryce Giel, Heritage and Durham came in fourth place in the 4×100 relay with a time of 50.02 seconds.
Nathan wrapped up fourth place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.09 seconds, followed by Heritage who took seventh by clocking 56.63 seconds.
Durham won the 300-meter hurdles with a personal best 43.03 seconds, followed by Satterlee who placed third with a time of 44.15 seconds.
“It is almost a downhill race for James because he is just so tall,” said the first-year boys’ coach. “That hard work really helps him out and really pays off. He has been taking his workouts seriously and all of his stuff pays off at the end and that is what I try to tell these kids.”
Augie won the 800-meter run, stopping the clock at 2:07.21, followed by Byers who earned fifth place with a personal record 2:16.45.
Nathan came in fourth place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.83 seconds, followed by Wurm who placed seventh by clocking 25.09 seconds.
Seibold took third place in the 3200-meter run with a personal record 10:34.10, followed by Vechery who finished in fifth place with a time of 11:03.92.
The “A” quartet of Nathan, Satterlee, Wurm and Augie won the 4×400 relay with a time of 3:43.23.
Junior Daniel Doering was the runner-up in the shot put, throwing a personal record 47 feet, 4 inches, followed by sophomore Sam Roosa, who took fourth place with a distance of 38 feet, 11½ inches.
Wurm finished in second place in the high jump, clearing the bar with a personal record of six feet, followed by freshman Brody Durham who earned fifth place with a personal best 5 feet, 4 inches.
Brody took sixth place in the long jump, recording a personal record distance of 16 feet, 8 inches.
Doering was also the runner-up in the discus throw with a distance of 131 feet, 7 inches.
The girls’ team captured their league title by fending off Kirtland by just one point, everything hinging on the 4×400 relay. As long as the Red Devils finished only one spot behind Kirtland, they would clinch the league title and the “A” team of junior Abby Guyette, freshmen Myla Simpson, Madie Grace Gonczy and Piper Seibold finished as the runners-up with a time of 4:27.40.
“The 4×400 was always my favorite race in high school and I told them this is what meets come down to and my girls just ran their hearts out and left everything on the track which is honestly everything you could ask for as a coach,” said Coach Maria Conant.
Guyette, Gonczy, Simpson and Piper also formed the “A” team in the 4×800 relay and took second place with a time of 10:11.83.
Freshman Jackie Blasiole finished as the runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles, clocking a personal best 17.37 seconds, followed by Simpson who earned fifth place with a personal record 19.11 seconds.
Freshman Livia Martini won the 100-meter dash with a personal best 12.70 seconds.
Senior Elena Kristoff, sophomore Meredith Carroll, Gonczy and Jackie teamed up to take second place in the 4×200 relay with a time of 1:57.35.
Piper came in fourth place in the 1600-meter run, clocking a time of 5:43.77, followed by junior Erin Hallis who placed fifth with a time of 5:49.57.
Freshman Alyssa Luczywo, Simpson, Carroll and Kristoff came in sixth place in the 4×100 relay with a time of 58.53 seconds.
Martini won the 400-meter dash by clocking 1:00.51.
Jackie won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 52.47 seconds, followed by Luczywo who placed third with 55.75 seconds.
Gonczy took third in the 800-meter run, clocking a personal record 2:33.04, followed by Guyette who placed fourth with a time of 2:33.79.
Martini won the 200-meter dash, clocking 26.66 seconds.
“Liv is one of those people you can always count on just to have the race of her life,” noted the first-year girls’ coach. “She is a natural competitor, natural athlete and in the prelims on Tuesday, she broke our school record. We were confused for a second just because she did it nonchalantly.”
Piper came in fourth place in the 3200-meter run with a time of 12:43.14, followed by junior Kennedy Rhodes who took sixth place at 13:39.36.
Martini placed third in the long jump with a distance of 15 feet, 6¼ inches, followed by Jackie who earned sixth place by jumping 14 feet, 4 inches.
Senior Lilly O’Bryant took second in the discus throw by recording a distance of 96 feet, 5 inches and sophomore Madison Sheridan came in third by throwing 95 feet, 2 inches.
O’Bryant placed second in the shot put, throwing 32 feet, 2½ inches, followed by Sheridan who snagged fourth place with a distance of 29 feet, 10 inches.
Carroll took eighth place in the high jump, clearing the bar at a personal record 4 feet.
The Red Devils will attempt to earn regional bids by competing in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II Lakeview district meet in Cortland Thursday starting at 4 p.m.
