If Garfield G-Men Connor Hunt did not have a target on his back already, he does now. The G-Men’s sophomore once again reigned supreme by winning three more state titles in the seated events of the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II state meet last weekend at the University of Dayton’s Welcome Stadium.
“For me to go three-for-three means I am just improving myself every year,” Hunt said. “All season I have been working on my starts and I feel like that helped a lot in races just getting off of the line and getting away from people and to get more comfortable in my chair and in my race so I am not around anybody.”
Hunt, who suffers from spina bifida, a neural tube condition that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t perform properly, has put himself on the map as one of the top seated athletes in the State of Ohio, having now won six gold medals in only two seasons.
“He was amazing yet again,” said Coach Matt Pfleger. “Every time he is out there he does such a great job. Next year that target is going to get larger as he keeps on going.”
The G-Men’s sophomore began his second state meet by capturing first place in the 100-meter dash, clocking a time of 17.43 seconds.
Hunt collected his second state title when he won the 800-meter seated dash with a time of 3:10.66.
“The 800-meter dash was tough,” Hunt added. “On the backside we had some headwind so it slowed me down a bit but I just tried to push through it and get down and finish the race.”
Hunt completed his perfect day when he won the 400-meter dash by clocking a time of 1:01.70.
Hunt said that he got off to fast starts in all of his races and he attributed those quicker starts to finally getting to practice on an asphalt track at James A. Garfield High School.
“Every day we have practice and this year we just got the track at our school so I feel like that has helped me gain more muscle plus we have the gym up in our school and I go there at every moment.”
The third-year coach added that having the use of an actual track to practice on was a great benefit for the distinguished G-Men state champion.
“Last year he was doing most of his training in a parking lot or a hallway,” Pfleger added. “To get out there and actually use the chair every single day is just amazing for his development as an athlete.”
Although it was Hunt’s second straight season at the state meet, he was the lone Garfield athlete who qualified this season and he shouldered theresponsibility of representing his school.
“This year I knew I was going to have some competition but I had a positive mindset and just got through it,” he said.
Although the seated division of OHSAA state track is still a small field, Hunt has established himself as one of the top athletes in those events and he has not lost a single race in the first half of his high school career.
Hunt acknowledged that he will be dealing with a lot more pressure in the final two years and a lot more challengers will want to dethrone him but he welcomes the competition.
“I am sure a lot of the kids want to defeat me,” he said. “That would be a big confidence-booster for them. I know next year we have some eighth graders coming up. One just set the new state record.”
Although he now carries a giant target on his back, Hunt added that he was eager to see more competitors join the fray in the seated events at the state meet.
“In the State of Ohio we do not have many male competitors so to see more guys come up and have good competition every year is a great experience every year,” he noted.
Hunt has had the benefit of representing Portage County at the state meet for the past two years alongside Streetsboro senior Milena Sobie,,but will now most likely be Portage County’s only representative at the state meet with Sobie graduating.
Although he still has two more years of high school track to continue adding to his resume, Pfleger said that Hunt is well-equipped to deal with the expectations.
“Next year that target will get larger and larger as he keeps on going but he has been working hard,” Pfleger said.
