HEATH – Jamie Odrumsky knew what was at stake May 15 and in case he forgot, his body reminded him.
Odrumsky won the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, helping the Northridge boys track team win the Licking County League-Cardinal Division championship at Heath.
“I felt the extra pressure today, especially in the 100. I have never shook before a race, and I was shaking,” said Odrumsky, who also was a part of the winning 400 relay. “It was just nerves because I was excited. I knew where I was seeded.”
The Northridge boys won seven events, racking up 168 points and finishing ahead of runner-up Lakewood’s 134 and Utica’s 117.
The Northridge girls made it a clean sweep for the Vikings. They totaled 126 points, finishing just ahead of runner-up Johnstown’s 123 and Utica’s 111.
Odrumsky crossed in 11.11 seconds to win the 100, and he later took the 200 (22.53). In between, he joined junior Wiley Cascioli and sophomores Alex Conkel and Carter Creekbaum on that winning 400 relay (44.50).
“It’s awesome,” Odrumsky said. “It’s been motivation. Every day I go to practice I have people watching me and looking up to me, so it pushes me to be better every day.”
For the Northridge girls, senior Ava Travis swept the 100 (12.90), 200 (25.69) and 400 (58.43). Classmate Dixie Ashbrook-Hall won the long jump (15 feet, 8 1/2 inches) and 100 hurdles (16.99).
“It’s surreal honestly,” said Travis as both also were a part of the runner-up 1,600 relay (4:17.22) with classmate Macey Van Fossen and sophomore Summer Stout that clinched the championship. “We went from my freshman year when we won to a few building years and now back to being able to win the LCL to close it out for our high school career.”
Ashbrook-Hall broke the 17-second mark in the 100 hurdles for the first time by the slimmest of margins.
“It feels really great,” said Ashbrook-Hall, who also took runner-up in the 300 hurdles (49.49). “With the work I have been putting in this year and all of the support from my teammates, it feels good it is all paying off my senior year.”
Junior Colton Isler swept the 110 hurdles (15.04) and 300 hurdles (41.19) for the Northridge boys. Senior teammate Xave Fiamingo matched him in the shot put (50-4.75) and discus (141-1).
“The adrenaline really, really helps. It’s fun, and it’s friendly,” said Fiamingo, who regularly battles Utica junior Deagan Workman, who took runner-up in both events (48-5 1/2; 131-8).
Freshman Ella Hiebel was a workhorse for the runner-up Johnstown girls. She anchored the winning 3,200 relay (10:33.99), joining juniors Ella Peterman and Amelia Bonito and sophomore Hadley Strausser before later winning 1,600 (5:42.91) and 3,200 (12:31.15).
“It feels awesome,” Hiebel said. “Three wins is crazy. From last year, I have PR’d 30 seconds on my mile and a minute on my two-mile, which is insane because I never thought I would do that.”
Maas leads record-setting Lancers
Lakewood senior Jaylie Maas won the high jump (5-1) before later joining classmates Hallie Layne and Josie Lynch and freshman Sydney Taylor on the winning 800 relay (1:50.14). Maas, Layne and Lynch also joined junior Savannah Haider on the winning 400 relay (51.39).
“I am just really glad we could pull together the right amount of girls to beat all of these records,” said Maas, who later reset her school record in the 200 (26.29), taking runner-up to Travis. “That is what I am most proud of.”
Heath junior Rilynn Mitchell held off a hard-charging Travis to finish off a win in the 1,600 relay for the Bulldogs as she was joined by the freshman trio of Ariana Klontz, Lexi Brown and Laina Purington. Klontz previously won the 300 hurdles (48.72).
Sophomore Marley Morris won the shot put (37-9 1/2) for the Bulldogs. She was not far off the personal best of 38-5 she recently set.
“We have been putting in a lot of work at practice. We have been focusing so much on a lot of really good drills,” Morris said. “Honestly, I have been shocked. I only started in eighth grade. I have been working so hard, and me and (freshman Lyla Bailey) push each other every day at practice. I really had no expectations, but we have been progressing so fast. It’s crazy.”
Utica senior Katie Reed won the discus (110-10), and sophomore teammate Reese Radabaugh won the pole vault (7-6). NC junior Avery Yehle won the 800 (2:29.51).
Lakewood, Utica boys show depth
In the boys meet, Lakewood sophomore William Hennosy won the 1,600 (4:54.21) and 3,200 (10:43.25). The senior foursome of Anthony Broska, Matthew Keller, Alex Bowman and Derrick Norwood won the 800 relay (1:31.99) for the Lancers.
Utica senior Hunter McKinney won the 400 (50.85), and he joined classmate Hayden Quinif, junior Andrew Bebout and sophomore Sam Krueger on the winning 1,600 relay (3:28.20). Quinif earlier won the pole vault (13-0), matching his junior brother Holden Quinif, who won the high jump (5-8), and Bebout and Krueger joined Holden Quinif and sophomore Blake Lewis on the winning 3,200 relay (8:50.67).
Heath senior Dayvian McIntyre won the long jump (20-1 3/4). Johnstown senior Cameron Beverick won the 800 (1:59.13).
Other individual runner-up finishers in the boys meet were Lakewood senior Nolan Moore in the 110 hurdles (16.23) and 300 hurdles (43.41), Lakewood’s Bowman in the 400 (52.20), Lakewood’s Norwood in the 200 (23.17), Lakewood senior Marshawn Young in the long jump (19-6), Utica’s Bebout in the 800 (2:00.68), Heath junior Colt Bryan in the 100 (11.27), Heath freshman Drew Robertson in the 3,200 (10:55.16), Heath sophomore Justice Jones in the pole vault (11-6), NC senior Joseph Lepi in the 1,600 (4:56.17) and Johnstown senior Tysen Smith in the high jump (5-6).
Other individual runner-up finishers in the girls meet were Northridge junior Ray Brand in the pole vault (7-6), Johnstown senior Ava Ruffle in the long jump (15-6) and 400 (1:02.92), Utica senior Camryn Baker in the 1,600 (6:00.74) and 3,200 (13:17.20), Utica freshman Olive Ley in the high jump (5-0), Utica’s Reed in the shot put (36-10 1/4), Lakewood’s Layne in the 100 (13.70), Lakewood senior Aiden Maynard in the discus (97-6), Heath’s Klontz in the 100 hurdles (17.35) and Heath’s Brown in the 800 (2:31.51).
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Northridge track teams rule LCL-Cardinal
Reporting by Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
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