More in store for Boardman
Spartans senior Matt Moore finally reached his dream of running in Columbus.
AUSTINTOWN — After four years of training and a handful of near misses, Boardman High’s Matt Moore is finally going to the state meet — and this time not as a spectator.
The senior cast aside past disappointment in the regional by earning his first trip to the state meet where he will compete in the 800-meter run next weekend in Columbus.
Moore took second place behind defending state champion Jared Hall of Cleveland Heights. Moore made a charge for the top spot in the final 100 meters, but came up just short.
“I’m still in shock because I’ve worked so hard for this moment,” said Moore. “I’m very excited and this makes up for all the other times when I didn’t make it.
“I knew that if I could stay with Jared the whole way then I’d make it. I wanted to pass him earlier, but I got boxed in and had to wait.
“I’ve been to state before as part of that big crowd, but it will be awesome to be there running on the Jesse Owens track.”
Moore’s state berth is especially sweet after he finished fifth at the regional in 2007 in the 800 and on two relays.
Moore will not be making the trip to Columbus alone. Teammates Corey Linsley and Caleb Matthews will join him after finishing in the top four in their respective events on Friday.
Linsley won the regional championship in the shot put with a throw of 60 feet, 8 inches. The senior is a repeat state qualifier after making it last year in the discus.
Matthews overcame a disappointing fifth-place finish in the high jump, for the second straight year, to advance to state in both the 110 and 300 hurdles. He took third in the 300s and fourth in the 110s.
Canfield’s Dustin Brode will compete in both weight events at state as he finished second in the shot put Friday, after already making it in the discus on Wednesday.
The sophomore finished 14th in the shot put at regionals last year and with another year of training, made a huge leap up the leaderboard this year.
“I was hoping to make it this year,” said Brode. “After not making it to state in indoor I was angry, so I just kept throwing more. It didn’t look like I was progressing, but I guess I have.
“Throwing is just so much fun. It lets you get rid of all that energy and I like watching how far it goes.”
Warren Harding sophomore D.J. Williamson didn’t have the kind of day he was hoping for, but will still be packing for Columbus.
He will be competing in one individual and one team races after finishing third in the 100 and helping the Raiders’ 4x100 relay to a third-place effort. The other members on that relay team are Jarrale Butts, Aunre’ Davis and Joseph Threats.
Williamson nearly missed qualifying in four events, but came in fifth in the 200 and ran a leg on the 4x200 team that missed out on state by two tenths of a second.
East’s Anthony West took advantage of his final chance at a state berth, as the senior finished third in the finals of the 400 to advance.
Canfield’s Audra Frimpong will attempt to defend her state title in the long jump after winning her second straight regional championship.
The senior won the event with a regional and stadium record leap of 19-5, breaking the 10-year-old record of 18-111‚Ñ4. Frimpong’s jump came in the preliminaries and she passed on all her jumps in the finals.
Despite her efforts in the long jump, she was disappointed in how things turned out for her in the finals of the 100 hurdles.
She entered the event with the best qualifying time and was winning the race in the finals, but tripped over a hurdle and had to settle for eighth place.
“It’s definitely bittersweet,” said Frimpong. “I’m happy with the long jump record, but I should have made it in the hurdles, too.
“My motivation for next week is the state record [20-5 3/4]; I want it very badly. I think I can do it.”
Boardman’s Erin Brown joined Linsley (shot put) and Alex Lipinsky (discus) and Evan Klepec (discus) as state qualifiers in the throwing events.
The junior notched the fourth and final state berth in the discus with a throw of 118-3.