DIVISION III JFK junior Nolan wins 400 title

The Eagle says his confidence began to soar at the regional meet last week.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
DAYTON -- Ben Nolan was headed toward the finish line, knowing he was in position to do something remarkable. So he took advantage.
"I'm coming down the last stretch, and I'm thinking, 'You know what?'" the Warren JFK High junior recalled, "'I want to be a state champion. What the heck, I'll go for it.'"
In doing so, Nolan won the Division III state title in the 400 meters Saturday at Welcome Stadium.
"The whole season paid off," said Nolan, who finished in 49.38 seconds. "It's been enough talk. I finally did it."
On the eve of his race, Nolan went through everything in his mind.
"I ran it [in the semifinals Friday], I thought about how I felt, what I did good and what I did wrong," he said. "I mixed and matched."
The formula worked to perfection. That is, after Nolan grew accustomed to his new surroundings.
"I finally got the hang of this dang track," he said. "The track's a little different. It takes three times to win something."
Growing confidence
Nolan said his confidence grew in the regional semifinals. That's when he knew he had the potential to improve on his sixth-place state finish of a year ago.
"I went out hard in that race," he said of the Navarre regional, which he went on to win in 50.66. "I knew I could keep it going."
He did that Saturday in a race that he calls the hardest in track.
"You either can run it or you can't," he said. "It's about what you've got inside. There are no relaxing parts."
Nolan also relied on his experience to prevail.
"You get more confidence and relaxed, knowing how you have to run without thinking about it," Nolan said. "Practice makes perfect. That sums it up."
Nolan also ran the second leg of Warren JFK's 4x400 relay that finished seventh (3:27.62).
100 and 200
Columbiana senior Derek Garrod fulfilled his pledge of not placing sixth in the 100 and 200, which he did in both events last year.
Garrod contended for the state title in the 100 before falling short to Marion Pleasant's Justin Williams (11.10). Garrod finished second in 11.20.
"It's a heckuva lot better than sixth place," Garrod said. "State runner-up, that's all right. I wanted to win it, but I ran my race and I felt good.
"I'll accept the second," he added. "It's an accomplishment for me. At least it wasn't sixth."
Garrod also avoided sixth in the 200, but not by much. He placed fifth in 22.80.
High jump
Leetonia junior Freddie Gray found the right time to reach his personal best in the high jump. Gray leaped 6 feet, 4 inches to tie Strasburg-Franklin's John Strauss for third place.
"I expected to be on the podium, but I didn't expect to be there," Gray said of his third place.
Gray's path to 6-4 wasn't easy. He missed 6-3 twice before clearing it on his final attempt, then jumped 1 inch higher.
"I told myself I was going to do it," said Gray, who gained inspiration by watching friend Scott Kyser in the state shot put and discus last season.
McDonald junior Kevin Stonestreet placed fourth in the 800 (1:59.18), while South Range junior Jim Kusiowski was sixth (1:59.86).
richesson@vindy.com