NORTH ROBINSON – Roen Thew and Avery Powers know what it feels like to work so hard but reap none of the tangible rewards.
The duo were alternates last year for Colonel Crawford’s state-qualifying 4×400 relay that went on to earn All-Ohio honors with an eighth place finish.
“I used it as motivation to get better and get on a relay, not just be an alternate,” Thew said.
Now, instead of preparing as an alternate like he did sophomore year, he’s training this week to race with the 4×100, 4×200, and 4×400 at the Division V Jesse Owens track and field state championships as a three-event qualifier.
“It’s crazy because I didn’t go in anything last year,” Thew said. “Zero to three is gonna be a lot of work, especially in the heat down there, but it should be fun.”
And just as he experienced last year, it took a team effort throughout the postseason to get all three relays to Columbus.
Lone senior Jacob Cochran tweaked his hamstring in early May. And when he reaggravated it at the district meet, it led to the likes of sophomores Kiptyn Cass and Isaac Stirm, junior Hayden Spears, and freshman Lucca Troiano stepping in when called upon.
“He has been a great leader,” Colonel Crawford coach Joey Bauer said. “A hamstring issue meant he took a backseat in district finals, but he showed great leadership that day taking the alternates for the 4×1, 4×2, 4×4 under his wing and coached them up.
“He held their blocks, he worked with them … Avery, Roen, and John (DeGray) all saw that — that’s the leadership they want to have taking it from their senior leader.”
Cass slotted in Cochran’s place for the 4×100 at regionals, Spears took over in the 4×200 for district finals and regional preliminaries, Troiano ran with the 4×400 at district preliminaries and Stirm ran in the district finals.
“It was just about keeping their head in the right space,” Thew said. “Make sure they know it’s nothing different, just run your race.
“We’re not getting out without those guys.”
Powers sets new precedent
Right there alongside Thew on all three relays, Powers also qualified as an individual in the 300-meter hurdles.
It is believed he’s the program’s first sophomore to be a four-event state qualifier. But it should come as no surprise that he’s the one who did it considering Powers still holds the middle school record in the 200 dash and 400 dash, and has been phenomenal all season.
If he was able to do a fifth event, Bauer thinks he could’ve made it out in long jump as well.
“He was an alternate in the 4×2 and 4×4, and the 4×2 didn’t make state last year,” Bauer said. “It’s impressive as a sophomore to make it in four events … and I think he could have made it in another individual as well, these relays were just that good and that’s what he wanted to do.”
At the regional meet last weekend all three relays ran season-best times with the 4×4 clocking the second-fastest time in school history, only bested by last year’s quartet that finished on the podium at state. The 4×2 is fourth all-time just 0.27 seconds off the record, while the 4×1 is a full second off the record current sitting sixth all-time.
“It’s a nice feeling this year being able to go and being able to return John and Jacob as well,” Powers said. “They can be the leaders, and they can motivate us to get us to where we need to be.”
As for the low hurdles, Powers currently sits fourth all-time just nine-tenths of a second off the record held by Trevor Vogt. Funny enough, just two months ago it was something he dreaded doing.
“I started running them in mid-April and was like — I don’t want to do this — but I ran them because we knew we would need it for county and league,” Powers said. “I ran well and I just kind of stuck with it … then my time started dropping and I qualified.”
He went from a 41.63 at the Ontario Relays on April 16 to a 38.90 at regionals last weekend and heads into state with the seventh-fastest time. The 4×2 comes in seeded fourth, 4×4 is sitting 10th, and 4×1 is 12th.
“It’s really an honor, I’m glad the coaches believe in me,” Powers said of being a four-event qualifier.
Successful indoor fueled outdoor expectations
Thew and Powers were part of two state-qualifying relays over the winter that went on to finish second and fifth at SPIRE Academy. They also both qualified in the 60-meter hurdles.
“They had a really good indoor season … making it to (OATCCC) indoor state in the 4×2 and 4×4,” Bauer said. “They worked hard in the offseason and worked hard in season to step up and be part of the relays this year.”
And taking in Jesse Owens last spring as alternates allowed them to soak in the experience and learn as much as they could before the stakes raised.
“I was watching them how they did everything last year … the warmups, in the hotel just chilling around and staying off their feet, and everything else,” Powers said. “And how hot it was last year, we had to get prepared for that heat because it’s hotter than any other meet.”
Eager to send off Cochran on a high note, Thew is hoping to gain valuable experience racing in front of the biggest crowd and continue building into next year with three of the four runners returning.
“That’s really exciting,” he said. “Working out through the winter during indoor this year we had a lot of motivation. And indoor state went well, so coming off that really helped us get excited for outdoor.”
The 4×200 is slated to run prelims at 5:27 p.m. on Thursday, June 4 with the 4×100 shortly after at 5:45 p.m. Powers will run in heat one of the hurdles at 6:20 p.m., and the 4×400 caps off the first day at 7:20 p.m. Finals for all four events would be Friday evening.
zholden@gannett.com | 419-617-6018 | Twitter/X: @Zachary_Holden
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Alternates to imperatives, Colonel Crawford duo key part of relays
Reporting by Zachary Holden, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zachary Holden, Mansfield News Journal | USA TODAY Network
