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Early Bird gets the worm

Local track and field teams prep for season opener Saturday

Spring is here and so is the track and field season, starting Saturday with the Steubenville Early Bird Invitiational at Harding Stadium.

STEUBENVILLE

Steubenville comes in with some returners and a lot of youth. Big Red sent a handful to the state meet in Columbus a season ago, and hopes to do the same again this season.

“We have a lot of young kids out but, with the older kids, we have to help them come along. I think we will get better as the season goes along,” Big Red coach Jason Kernahan said. “The goal for each day is for each kid to get better. The ultimate goal is to get as many kids as we can to Columbus. If they get better every day, the opportunity to get to Columbus is always there.”

Returning on the boys side for Kernahan are Zack Ekey (shotput, indoor meet winner), Marlon Lawrence (shot put and discus), Jorian Jones (sprinter, long jump), Caleb Mitchell (sprinter) and Jonathan Blackmon (hurdles).

“Caleb, Jorian, Marlon, Jonathan and Zack all played football,” Kernahan said. “Having those guys around makes things easier. They are leaders. They want to win because they are competitors. They are not here to go through the motions. They want to win no matter what they are doing.”

On the girls side, Kernahan has two returning letterwinners in T’kayla Kelley (sprinter) and Jessie Hoover (discus).

Starting by hosting Saturday’s event is a big, early measuring stick for Steubenville, which is exactly how Kernahan likes it.

“There are 12 teams there. You kind of get an idea where you stand right away,” he said. “You find out how good you are early on and where you need to improve. I am happy that we are doing it first. I would rather have it this way than just do a dual meet and not know. I would rather have tough competition from day one and figure out what we need to work on.”

WEIR HIGH

The Weir girls squad has a good mix of experience and youth with four seniors, six juniors, 10 sophomores and eight freshmen.

“I am very excited about the upcoming season. These young ladies have been working very hard since the beginning of November,” coach Jeff Lewis said. “This team has a lot of potential. Therefore, I have high expectations for this squad. I am very impressed with the work ethic of this team.”

Caroline Fodor and Sarah Hudachek will be two of Lewis’s top sprinters, while Taryn Davis, Nevaeh Colliers, Sarah Bodrog, Haley Brown, Blaire McUmar, Skyla Hirkala and Haylie Lemmon are also in the mix. Hurdlers will be Fodor, Meghan Hawthorne, Olivia Bernola and Leah Maley. Distance runners will be led by Mackenzie Hollaway and Olivia Dowler. Also running distance events will be Kaitlyn Stumpf, Faith Riggle and Samantha Antol. Hannah Larkey, Cori Pierce, Stephanie Crago, Baylee Fram and McKenna Popish will compete in shot put and discus. Mackenzie Hollaway and Hannah Larkey will be Lewis’ long jumpers.

MADONNA

While the Blue Dons and coach Bob Kalanko do not have as many returners as years prior, he feels pretty confident about what he does have coming back.

“I have some really good hurdlers back,” he said. “We had a shuttle relay team that will be back. We have Carly Dowiak back who is going to be our main sprinter. This is kind of her year to step up and be the runner that she can be.”

Also back in throwing events is Kennedy Martin, a state qualifier last season in discus. Kolanko is hopeful she can reach the OVAC finals and state meet in discus and shot put.

Kolanko’s roster consists of four juniors, four sophomores and three freshman.

“We don’t have that senior catalyst,” Kolanko said. “We don’t have that person that is going to come out and carry a team like we have had the last couple of years. It is going to be a new thing for us. Some of the younger juniors and sophomores are going to have to really step up. It is a great opportunity for them. We have freshman that are going to be primary distance runners. Any time that you have 11 and you can say that you will have all 11 back next year, too, it really bodes well for the program.”

INDIAN CREEK

The Redskins return four letterwinners on the boys side and six on the girls. Back on the boys side are Logan Davis, Jakih Scales, Evan Coppa and Ensign Mairorano. Added to the mix for coach Joe Lewis are Michael Allen, Johnell Blair, Jonathan Donley, Jake Finogle, Tyler Hendrickson, Russell Loughill, Zach Menough, Trenton Palmer, Markel Papola, Corey Pearce, Pierce Pietro, Jonathan Powers, Machai Slaughter, Malcolm Walker, Grant Yocum and Ethan Zifzal.

The girls team brings back Aiamyia Dudley, Sloane Lewis and Kelsey Lewis, who were a part of the state championship (1600) and third place (3200) relay teams. Seniors Leia Hunt and Spencer Neville are back and already picked up hardware as part of the state indoor champion 3200 and third place 1600 relay teams. Also on the girls team are Jacque Bly, Abby Copeland, Beyonce Dudley, Rileigh Gualtiere, Farashea Johnson, Sarah Mazzaferro, Susie Rudolph, Amie Smith, Erin Smith, Ally Tweedy, Zanea Vanhorn and Paige Vantilburg.

EDISON

As is the case for a lot of teams in high school sports, the Edison track team’s strength comes in its experience.

“I think we will be all right,” coach Todd Smith said. “We have a lot of experienced people. We are mostly juniors and seniors this year. They know what the track meets are like. They know what they are supposed to do to be able to compete.”

Back for the Wildcats on the boys side are junior Bryce McAfoose in pole vault, sophomore Kaleb Waggoner (who comes into the season healthy after missing time with an injury as a freshman to compete in high jump and sprints) and senior Seth Cade in sprinting.

On the girls side, junior Faith Hoobler returns as a regional qualifier last season in discus and was a state qualifier in indoor shot put this season already. Senior Kayla Huff returns as a hurdler after placing in last season’s district tournament. Logan Perry, another senior, comes back to run in the 800. Added to the mix is freshman Karissa Speedy in hurdles.

Fans of the Wildcats’ various teams will recognize a lot those names from other sports.

“We have a lot of multi-sport athletes,” Smith said. “Some of them are three-sport athletes. Huff, Cade and McAfoose are three-sport athletes. Waggoner is a boxer and is constantly doing sports all the time. They are competitive.”

OAK GLEN

The Golden Bears boys squad loses a lot of key pieces from last year, but coach Rance Everly is hopeful a cast of young, up-and-coming athletes can mix with those he does have back and put together another successful season for the program.

“With so many key losses from our team that scored a lot of points, we have a few key returners, but there will be a lot of young and new faces around our program this year,” Everly said. “We have a combined 16 guys that are either freshmen or sophomores. We have some upperclassmen that are either back out after an absence or out for the first time. I expect some of these upperclassmen to become leaders, but I also expect the young guys to grow up quickly and compete for a lot of spots on the team.”

Those losses include OVAC 4A champion Isaac Rosohac, state relay placer Cody Null, sprinter Chase Crago and the relay triplet of Dakota Graves, Connor Rosenlieb and Cody Warren.

Back for Everly are OVAC 4A discus champ Kellen Tropeck, as well as successful relay team members Preston Campos and Colin Stanley.

Seniors for the Golden Bears are Ty Biela (throws), Campos (sprints), Jaden Glenn (sprints/jumps), Hunter Gorby (distance) and Stanley (sprints/hurdles). The junior class includes Jay Aloria (sprints), Nathan Atkinson (distance), Charles Lauritzen (sprints/jumps), Logan Meadows (throws), Zach Nolder (sprints) and Kellen Tropeck (throws).

The young guys Everly is counting on are sophomores Lucas Harris (sprints), Dakota Holbrook (sprints/hurdles), Tremar Jackson (sprints/jumps), Ethan Littell (sprints), Seth Mozingo (sprints/hurdles), Garrett Rhodes (distance), Zach Taylor (distance) and Matt Wright (sprints) as well as freshman Jeremy Adams (distance), Jacob Clark (sprints/hurdles), Jacob Gittings (throws), Ethan Hurl (throws), Tristan Lawson (sprints), Brayden Mineard (sprints), Gage Patterson (sprints/jumps) and Nicholas Rawson (throws).

Assisting Everly, in his eighth season, coach the boys are Josh Weltner and Richard Everly.

TORONTO

On the girls side for coach Bruce Palmer, the Red Knights bring back a regional qualifier in junior Sarah Yarosz (400, 800).

“With where her times are at she should be a regional qualifier in the 400 again and has a good shot in the 800 to get to states,” he said. “I hate to put all that pressure on her but that is the reality. She’s a good girl and a good student.”

Junior Kierra Smith (sprints, relays) also is back, along with the lone senior for Palmer, Allison McCoy (discus and shot put). Junior Bianca McDonald is another that Palmer hopes can have a big season.

“I just want the girls to work hard,” Palmer said. “I want to see them work hard, be disciplined and get the most they can out of their track season. I want them to try to get it up to the next level and be competitive. There is not a lot of pressure from me, I just want them to go out and give it their best.”

The Red Knights have a total of 18 on the girls side, up from 13 last season and 12 in 2016.

“We are doing well,” Palmer said. “The kids are believing.”

Toronto opens up at East Palestine on Tuesday.

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