The Streetsboro Rockets’ track and field teams continued making significant strides in reaching a new level of success. The Rocket girls captured second place by scoring 127.50 points while the boys also earned second with a team score of 98.50 points at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II district meet last Saturday at Lakeview High School.
“We had a really good day,” said Coach Robb Kidd. “I am very impressed with the overall effort. I told them before we left, it was not going to be a couple of us, it was going to be all of us so the contributions that came in across the board from so many different places was huge.”
The Rockets advanced 42 athletes to the regional meet, marking a new benchmark for the program since Kidd became head coach. Should the Streetsboro athletes become state qualifiers at the OHSAA Division II regional meet at Austintown Fitch High School in Youngstown on Saturday, they will compete at the OHSAA Division II state meet on June 6 at The Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus.
“The temperatures are going to be a little bit warmer. Anytime it starts to heat up a little bit, we get better, and we have shown meet after meet that we are able to run with any caliber of competition that we go against,” the six-year coach added. “When we get kids with times like that, it just makes us compete at our best, so we are looking forward to a good, competitive race.”
The top four finishers in each event snagged a regional bid. The Streetsboro girls were propelled by their hurdlers, sprinters and field event athlete, who combined to score 79 points.
Juniors Kendall Epple and Meredith Mattmuller, sophomore Morgan Vales and freshman Cara Thomson finished in sixth place in the 4×800 relay with a time of 10:42.11.
Junior Olivia Johnson-Wilson won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.89 seconds, followed by sophomore Jenna Fall who earned third place with 16.71 seconds.
Sophomore Carman Marcini netted fifth place in the 100-meter dash by clocking 13.27 seconds, followed by freshman Bria Robinson who took seventh with a time of 13.49 seconds.
Freshmen C’Niyah Ivory and Kylie Sladky teamed up with Marcini and Epple to win the 4×200 relay with a time of 1:48.18.
Thomson finished in eighth place in the 1600-meter runby clocking a time of 5:45.23.
Junior Mackenzie McIntosh formed the “A” squad with Marcini, Robinson and Johnson-Wilson, qualifying for the regional meet by taking second in the 4×200 relay with a time of 51.22 seconds.
Ivory secured a regional berth by coming in fourth place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:00.91, followed by Sladky who netted seventh by clocking 1:03.34.
Johnson-Wilson crossed the finish line first in the 300-meter hurdles, stopping the clock at 48.67 seconds, followed by Fall who earned another regional bid by coming in second place with a time of 49.12 seconds.
Ivory placed second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.00 seconds, followed by McIntosh who came in fifth place by clocking 28.67 seconds.
“C’Niyah’s 200-meter dash is looking phenomenal,” remarked Kidd, “I know she is capable of running a faster 400-meter dash but her 200-meter dash was phenomenal. I think her speed in that race is really just coming along beautifully.”
Thomson earned fifth place in the 3200-meter run with a time of 12:35.04.
The team of Sladky, Fall, Epple and Ivory placed earned third in the 4×400 relay with a time of 4:12.79.
Freshman Alivia Simmons won the shot put, throwing 36 feet, 6 inches.
Senior Sydney Abbuhl tied for third place in the high jump with Hubbard junior Khamyah Howell by clearing the bar at 4 feet, 10 inches, followed by sophomore Sara Koyan who took sixth place by jumping 4 feet, 8 inches.
Sophomore Emma Chamberlain came in third place in the shot put, hurling a distance of 101 feet, 6 inches, followed by Simmons who captured fifth by throwing 88 feet, 2 inches.
Marcini wrapped up third place in the long jump, at 15 feet, 10¼ inches, followed by Fall who snagged seventh place by jumping 15 feet.
The Rocket boys secured second place fueled by stout relay performances and proficient work in the sprints, combining to score 64 points.
Seniors Jackson Gula and Timothy Harkleroad, juniors Chris Daniels and Jaden Hushione earned sixth place in the 4×800 relay with a time of 8:47.55.
Sophomore Hayden Rudd netted a regional by placing third in the 110-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 15.25 seconds, followed by senior Mar Fall who earned eighth place with a time of 17.38 seconds.
Junior Ethan Laryea placed second in the 100-meter dash for a regional berth, posting a time of 11.049 seconds, followed junior Jayron Chester who wrapped up fifth place with a time of 11.50 seconds.
Senior Devon White, juniors Braden Hodge and Ryan Roscoe formed the “A” team with Laryea to win the 4×200 relay with a time of 1:31.21.
Chester, Roscoe, White and Laryea locked up a regional berth by winning the 4×100 relay, clocking a time of 43.57 seconds.
Hodge earned a regional qualification by taking third place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.75 seconds, followed by sophomore Jaiden Kendrick who netted fourth by posting a time of 52.02 seconds.
Sophomore Ty Zipprich earned sixth place in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 42.62 seconds, followed by senior Preston Laryea taking seventh by clocking a time of 42.64 seconds.
Harkleroad secured a regional bid in the 3200-meter run by coming in fourth place with a time of 9:47.23.
“He is one of those kids we are really going to miss because he is just very, very dedicated to the sport,” Kidd noted. “He is a good physical and mental competitor, and he knows what he wants to do coming in and puts a lot of mental time and effort coming into it so I am really hoping he comes out and has a strong 3200-performance because he deserves to.”
Kendrick, Daniels, White and Hodge were awarded a regional bid by placing second in the 4×400 with a time of 3:29.45.
Junior Cooper Richmond became a regional qualifier by coming in second place in the discus throw, hurling a distance of 139 feet, 10 inches.
White advanced to the regional meet in the long jump, with a jump of 19 feet, 10½ inches.
Preston tied for fifth place in the high jump with Pymatuning Valley senior Elliott Jones by clearing the bar at 5 feet, 8 inches.
