The Streetsboro Rockets boys’ 4×200 relay team kept posting faster times throughout the last several weeks, until they recorded their best race of the season, winning the championship at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III state meet last Saturday evening at The Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
“This whole season has been a grind,” said senior Ethan Laryea. “We came in thinking that we were going to be good, but we defied the odds. We were running in the 1:30s a couple of weeks ago and each week we kept improving until we got to this stage. We were the second seed and came in with the mindset that we had already won.”
The Rocket boys’ time in their final race of the season was also the third fastest time recorded in the OHSAA Division III 2026 outdoor track season, as they became the first relay team in school history to win a state title as well as setting the school record for fastest time in the 4×200 relay.
On Friday, the 4×200 relay team secured an automatic bid to the final race by winning their preliminary but saved their best for their last.
On Saturday, senior Jayron Chester fueled the team to a strong start by opening with a quick 200 meters, before passing the baton off to sophomore Isaiah Henderson, who kept the Rockets near the front of the pack in the second leg.
Hodge accelerated in the third 200-meter leg of the race, rising to second place and Laryea finished the race with a blazing final leg to push the Rocket boys to the state title.
“This was the last run for us” Laryea added. “Isaiah knew that too, so we all came in wanting to be on top as this was going to be our last time being here, so this is the mindset that we all had. We wanted to win so badly.
Laryea and Hodge were members of last year’s state qualifying 4×200 relay team, which finished in fifth place. Senior Jayron Chester had been a member of last year’s relay squad but had his season cut short due to a season-ending injury and Henderson was the newcomer to the team.
According to Chester, Henderson quickly fit right in with the team.
“Every day he pushed us to our limits and now we are here,” he added. “Without him, we would not be able to do this.”
Hodge noted that the 4×200 relay team did not hit its stride until near the end of the regular season and that they were not content with each time until they finally achieved their goal in the state championship race.
“I feel we peaked right at the right time,” he said. “A lot of teams set personal records only a couple of weeks ago and even at the regional meet, but we were not done running until the state final and it showed.”
Sophomore C’Niyah Ivory also demonstrated the depth of the Rockets’ sprinting program by taking sixth place in the 200-meter dash in her OHSAA Division III state debut.
“I didn’t even think that this year I would get down to the state meet or place on the podium,” the Rockets’ sophomore said. “It makes me feel good in that I accomplished something especially setting a personal record as well in my 200.”
Ivory was a two-event state qualifier this year, also earning a state berth in the 100-meter dash but only advanced to the 200-meter dash final.
After earning the eighth seed in the championship race by taking fourth in the preliminaries on Friday, Ivory wrapped up her sophomore season by netting sixth with a personal record 25.53 seconds.
“I’d say I got off the blocks and I had to push myself hard because running in the eighth lane, I did not want anyone passing me straight away,” she added. “Until the last 100 meters, I just tried to push and move my arms as fast as I could all of the way and run through the line.”
It marked the end of a breakout sophomore campaign for Ivory, who has followed in her sibling’s footsteps of becoming a reliable sprinter for the Rockets’ program.
According to Ivory, she embraced the new responsibilities of being the Rocket girls’ primary sprinter.
“I love giving my girls motivation to do better and I feel as a team we push each other to do better and I am just glad that I can show the girls that if you believe in yourself, you can make it all the way up there,” she said.
Having captured a state medal for the first time in her high career as only a sophomore, Ivory said that she has high expectations for the next two years.
“It is very exciting because I have two more years to prove myself, push myself, push this summer to train more and drop my time,” she said.
