ASHLAND – Mike Moore has no future as a PA announcer.
In praising one of his senior leaders, Lexington’s boys and girls track coach endearingly mangled the pronunciation of Katya Prykhodko’s last name. But that’s an easy fix. He can simply call her his “ace in the hole.”
He sort of did.
Prykhodko swept the 1600 and 3200 meter runs for the second year in a row to help deliver a fifth straight title to the Lex girls in Friday’s Ohio Cardinal Conference track and field meet at Ashland University.
“Her doubling mattered,” Moore said. “She’s a stud. It’s easy to see why she’s going to West Point (the United States Military Academy). She’s disciplined in every aspect of her life. As great as you see her on the track, she’s even better in the classroom. She’s a better person, and it shows in her life.”
Moore actually played two trump cards in the meet’s second-to-last race, using the 1-2 finish by Prykhodko and Brailey Slone in the 3200 to score 18 points and overtake Ashland at the top of the standings en route to a winning margin of 172-165 over the Arrows.
It turned out to be an even closer battle on the boys side, with New Philadelphia dethroning two-time defending champ Lex and nipping Ashland by one point, 147-146. The Quakers scored 52 of a team maximum 54 points, collectively, in the 800, 1600 and 3200 races to win their first OCC crown.
That same formula worked for the Lex girls, who out-did New Philly by scoring 54 out of a possible 54 with their 1-2 finishes in the three individual distance races.
Even though the 3200 was twice as long, the 1600 was more taxing on Prykhodko because freshman Gabi Twedt spent most of the last lap on her right shoulder. At the end, they both ended up sprawled out on the infield, exhausted, near the finish line.
Prykhodko’s winning time of 5:05.25 was 12 seconds faster than her first place showing last year and lowered her previous PR (set last week) by seven seconds. She can credit the push from Twedt for that.
“I knew it was going to come down to who wanted it more,” said Prykhodko, who may not run at the academy as she eyes a future in pre-med or chemical engineering. “I’m a senior. I was like, I can’t give it to her. I led the whole way, but I’m actually more like Gabi. I like to sit on the leader and then kick it in, but I can lead it (from the start, like Friday) if I need to. It brings out a different side of your skill set.”
Prykhodko had her doubts about pulling off what she called “a crazy double.”
“I didn’t think I could beat Gabi,” she said. “ I didn’t think I was going to win until I saw her lose her steam in the last 200 (meters). But I have so much respect for her. She’s going to go faster than me next week (at districts); I just know it.”
Slone led the 3200 for a good chunk of the way, but the Little Engine That Could (that would be Prykhodko) kept chugging away and ended up winning by 15 seconds in 11:34.15.
That put Ashland in Lex’s rear view mirror, but Prykhodko had plenty of help along the way. “Plenty” is probably a massive understatement.
The champs had double placers in 12 of the 17 events and also went 1-2 in the 800 behind junior Morgan Harrod (2:22.28) and freshman runner-up Jersie Palmer.
Like Prykhodko, fellow senior Allison Laury won two events, the 200 (25.60) and 400 (58.66), and finished runner-up in the 100, one spot ahead of teammate Sylvia Secrist.
Setting the tone, by winning the meet’s first race, was the 4×800 relay crew of Slone, Evalynn Adkins, Jenna Halfhill and Mia Twedt, Gabi’s twin sister, in a time of 10:02.26 as Lex offset Ashland’s three field event champs and two meet records by junior sprinter/hurdler Sadie Walter.
“Allison Laury was lights out,” said Moore, who was named OCC Girls Coach of the Year. “We knew Ashland was strong in the field, but we had the track. All of the girls stepped up for the team.”
Moore’s boys made a game attempt to retain their OCC title, but injuries have impacted Lex in recent weeks, including a tender hamstring restricting defending state 800 champ Latrell Hughes. He won the 400 in 50.10, but tackled less than a full workload.
“We fell a little short in the guys, no fault of anyone,” Moore said. “We’re just a little short-manned right now. That’s OK. We did our best, and that’s good enough for us.”
Good day for the home team
If not for some late heroics in the 3200 by the New Philadelphia boys and Lexington girls, the hometown Arrows easily could have celebrated their first title sweep in OCC history.
Nine event champs gave Ashland a fighting chance.
After getting stunned in the 100 hurdles by Wooster freshman Teagan Hafner, Sadie Walter rebounded to not only win the 100 dash and 300 hurdles, but did so in record fashion with times of 12.31 and 44.48, respectively.
Even in defeat, Walter tied the meet record in the 100 hurdles with a 14.83. But Hafner ran an even better 14.7.
Walter’s recovery skills were not only put to the test by turning around and running the 100 dash right after winning the 100 hurdles, but she also tackled the 200 after the 300 hurdles, with only the 800 in between. She finished third in the 200, giving her 34 points on the day.
“I wasn’t too mad (about the 100 hurdles),” Walter said. “I still PRed and (Hafner) just ran really good. I can’t be mad about that. I wasn’t going to let that affect my day. I still had three more events.
“I like that I didn’t have a lot of time to think about it. I just had to suck it up and do what I can.”
Walter wasn’t the only one who stood out for the Arrows. They ended up winning five of the 10 field events staged in the meet.
Senior Dakota Kruty long-jumped 22-1.25 for a three-peat title, while junior Oaklynn Burns gave Ashland a sweep in that event by leaping 17-11.25. That’s just a quarter inch off the school record, which has stood since the 1990s.
Frankie Rupsis repeated in the girls high jump (5-2) and Alana Cole won the girls pole vault (10-3).
“I’m just giving it my all, doing my best,” said Burns, who has consistently topped 17 feet in the long jump even though she is jumping for the first time this year. “I tried it in seventh grade, but decided to do more running events. Now it’s (more) fun jumping. Hopefully, I get the school record. I’ll try my best.”
Kruty had the most dramatic win of the day, coming from behind on his final attempt to win the long jump title by a quarter inch over Lex sophomore Cam Glennon (22-1).
“All glory to God, that’s all I can say,” Kruty said. “That’s just crazy. I’ve never been (seeded) first coming into this meet, but I’m a competitive person. I don’t like to lose. Last two years I popped big jumps and got the lead early, so this year was different.”
This was the first time Kruty, an Ashland University commit, has been over 22 feet since early in the season.
“Hopefully, I can build off this and keep rolling,” he said. “It’s a good mark to build off of with the post-season coming on.”
Kruty, who finished second in the 100 and 200 dashes, admitted to feeling a little more juice after winning the long jump in the clutch.
“I’m a spiritual person, so I was praying all day,” he said. “ I just wanted to win. That’s all I asked for. I was definitely feeling that adrenalin running through me on that last jump.
“For me pressure always makes me perform better. I’ve always been a guy who loves the spotlight, the big moment. These are the moments I live for. I thrive under pressure.”
The Ashland boys also got a win from Braden Donatini in the 110 hurdles (14.73) and Greyson Blough in the shot put (53-11.75).
Special awards were given out after the meet. Walter was named Female Athlete of the Year. Kruty and Burns were honored as the Combined Running/Field Athletes of the Year.
Relays success
Three of the four relay races on the boys side went to local crews.
The Madison quartet of Dan Norris, Jayden Hall, Camden Moysi and Elijah Parker won the 4×200 in a school record 1:30.90.
Lex accounted for the other two firsts. Trevor Reed teamed up with the Hooper brothers – Clay, Drew and Will – to win the 4×800 in 8:14.48, while Latrell and Dantrell Hughes collaborated with Nate Reed and Chidalu Ezike to win the 4×400 in 3:26.15.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lex girls make it five straight, continue to rule atop OCC in track
Reporting by Jon Spencer, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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