GARFIELD HEIGHTS – We are our own worst critics.
Saturday’s Division V regional track and field meet at Cuyahoga Heights featured Mapleton’s Braylon Goon and Smithville’s Katelyn Carr. And despite both running regional titles, they are perfect examples of this old adage.
Goon was distraught after a 14th place finish (2:16.64) in the 800-meter run to end his day. Rightfully so, as it was the worst time he had ran all season, and heading into the weekend he was ranked No. 1 in the state at the Division V level with a time of 1:55.20.
But 40 minutes earlier he had just ran the race of his life coming from third place to win the 1,600 with a personal best time of 4:17.91, which happened to be the fastest time run across all three Division V regionals on Saturday.
“It’s insane, I never really thought that was going to be possible,” Goon said. “My freshman year I was running like 5:30 in the mile, so the fact that I just ran the fastest time in the state is so humbling, I’m just very grateful to God for helping me through it.
His hopes initially were to win the 800 and make it to state in the mile. Now his focus shifts to just the mile, an event he admitted his coach said he ultimately had the best shot at winning a state title.
“I asked my principal yesterday at our graduation walkthrough if I could wear a regional medal with my regalia,” Goon said. “I wanted to make sure it was gold.”
And immediately before he won the mile, Carr cruised in the girls race clocking a 5:02.81 to win by nearly six seconds. Shockingly, she was seeded second coming in behind McDonald’s Naomi Sheesley.
“I didn’t run how I wanted to at districts so it added a little extra fire under me,” Carr said.
On Thursday, she also won the 3,200 on with a 10:38.88, 18 seconds quicker than second place, along with anchoring the 4×800 to a fourth place finish. Saturday, she ended the day running the second leg of the 4×400 that was regional runner-up by fractions of a second.
“Not the day I was hoping for, but it’s OK, we’ll put it aside and move on to state,” Carr said, ranked first in Division V in the mile and two mile. “I’m definitely going (to state) with a lot of expectations, which could be a good thing or a bad thing.
“It’s bittersweet being my last year and I’m excited to move on to bigger things, but I’m also gonna enjoy it all I can.”
Vaulting to new heights
South Central’s Falynn Schumacher felt like it was a repeat of the district meet when the pole vault competition whittled down.
Maybe redo of districts is a better way to say it.
“Last week was not really good, I was blowing through all my poles,” Schumacher said. “But this week I decided to keep going up … it’s crazy that our district has three going to state, it’s awesome to go with Taylor and Cami.”
Schumacher won a regional title, clearing a new personal best of 10-8 on her second attempt to give her the edge over teammate, and runner-up, Taylor Smith. Rittman’s Ryver Ramsier was third at 10-4, Colonel Crawford’s Cami Roston fourth at 10-0, Hillsdale’s Adalyn Tipton fifth at 9-8.
“That’s probably the best thing I’ve seen,” Schumacher said of battling with only Smith to clear 11-0. “We just graduated together, she’s my best friend, it just feels awesome to do this with her.”
What makes her title even more impressive was doing it with a strong wind that picked up right as vaulters would plant their pole.
“It was pretty tough, you can really feel the tip blowing away,” Schumacher said. “You pull it to the side and it just blows over, I had to reset like three times. I know that last jump wasn’t my best one of the jumps, but I just think you just have to clear your head, wait for the wind to settle down, take a deep breath, and go.”
And that’s exactly what she did to earn a gold medal and secure one more week of training and competing with Smith.
“I don’t even have words for it, it’s so awesome … I thought it was a possibility, but it didn’t really sink in until now,” Schumacher said. “I’m looking forward to spending all this time we have together. And with my coach, (Jeff) Ray, it’s just the three of us together.”
Joining them will be Roston, the only freshman in the field of state qualifiers. She follows in the footsteps of her older sister Gabby — now at the University of Findlay — who was a four-time qualifier in the pole vault and All-Ohioan twice.
“It means a lot, I look up to Gabby, so it’s exciting,” Roston said; Gabby was at regionals helping her out. “It means a lot to have her here because she was so good in high school. Her word actually matters.”
Hillsdale 4×200 leads wave of state qualifiers
In one of the most thrilling races of the day, Hillsdale’s quartet of Hayden McFadden, Davis Radcliffe, Braxten Burgett, and Mikey Schenberger III knew they needed a top five finish. And with Cuyahoga Heights, Warren JFK, and Dalton all just ahead at the end separated by seven-tenths of a second, Schenberger just had to fend off Springfield and East Canton.
He did.
“Our 4×2 team has worked really hard, we’ve had two seniors, a junior, and a sophomore on that team,” Falcons coach Kyle Wissel said. “To see those four guys come together and really excel has been exceptional.”
The relay will join Tipton as a pole vault qualifier along with McFadden as an individual in the long jump (third, 21-3½) and the 200-meter dash (fourth, 22.8). The Falcons also saw underclassmen Jason McClure (pole vault, sixth), Cooper Baker (800, sixth), and Kloe Smith (eighth, 1600) finish on the podium.
“I was really proud today and I was happy to see our athletes (compete),” Wissel said. “This is the most we’ve had moving on in quite a number of years, so I’m really proud of our team.”
Additional state qualifiers
Loudonville’s Braden Carr was regional runner-up in pole vault clearing 13-4; Sophie Schultz fifth in the 800-meter run (2:19.57); Kaylinn Freelon fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (47.18); Cama Skok second (5-2) and Sophie Schultz fourth (5-1) in high jump … Mapleton’s 4×100 relay (Jack Keener, Ethan Bowles, Ben Brannon, Cameron Nichols) nabbed an at-large bid after a sixth place finish at regionals; Savannah Beane qualified in the seated 100-meter and 400-meter as a regional runner-up … Mansfield Christian’s Riley Patrick placed fourth in the 1600-meter run (5:08.92) and third in the 3200-meter run (11:06.12) … South Central’s 4×100 relay (Autumn Fry, Lauren Ingram, Kalli Ingram, Falynn Schumacher) was fourth with a 50.89; Autumn Fry third in discus (130-7); Lauren Ingram third in high jump (5-1) … Lucas’ Katie Griffey was fifth in the shot put (36-4¼) … Colonel Crawford’s Emmi Powers was fifth in high jump (5-0) by virtue of a jump-off.
Division V Meet at Fostoria
The tri-county area had quite a showing at the Fostoria regional with 15 state qualifiers led by regional champion Karter Boggs of Bucyrus who won the 1600-meter run with a 4:22.92; he was also runner-up in the 3200-meter run with a 9:29.79 — both are new school records.
Buckeye Central’s Collin Perry was third in the 100-meter dash (11.27) and fourth in the 200-meter dash (22.65) for a pair of automatic berths, and eighth in long jump (21-6¼) for the final at-large bid … Plymouth’s Izaya Reynolds was fifth in the 400-meter dash (49.9) … Crestline’s Colten Keller was fourth in the 800-meter run (1:57.84) … Lucas’ Ray Lewis was fifth in the 800-meter run (1:58.47) and third in the 1600-meter run (9:31.34); Joey Desterhaft was fifth in the 110-meter hurdles (14.95), regional runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles (38.38), and fifth in long jump (21-10¼) … Colonel Crawford’s Avery Powers was third in the 300-meter hurdles (39.25); the 4×100 relay (Hayden Spears, Roen Thew, Avery Powers, Kipton Cass) was sixth but earned an at-large bid; the 4×200 relay (Avery Powers, John DeGray, Roen Thew, Hayden Spears) was third with a 1:30.50; the 4×400 (Avery Powers, John DeGray, Roen Thew, Jacob Cochran) was seventh but earned an at-large bid; Dom Dean in the shot put and Luke Christman in the discus were both sixth and earned at-large bids … Bucyrus’ Ivan Pirnstill was third in pole vault (14-00).
zholden@gannett.com | 419-617-6018 | Twitter/X: @Zachary_Holden
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Goon, Schumacher, Boggs win regional titles to lead slew of qualifiers
Reporting by Zachary Holden, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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