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Lord fulfills discus dream
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Mike Kurjan, of Poland, participates in the 4x800 relay at Ravenna Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
REGIONAL COMPETITION
The Hubbard senior was one of three area athletes to qualify for next week’s state track and field meet.
By Joe Scalzo
vindicator sports staff
RAVENNA — Over a 70-second span on Thursday afternoon, Hubbard High senior Zack Lord looked over six years worth of work and tried to come up with a few sentences that could properly describe his joy — and his relief — at qualifying for the state track and field meet.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “I can’t believe it.
“I can’t even describe how I feel right now. I can’t believe this.”
OK, so he had some trouble.
But he did just fine in the ring, throwing the discus 151 feet to finish third at the Division II regional meet at Ravenna Stadium and earn his first trip to Columbus.
Lord missed qualifying for last year’s regional meet by 2 inches and admitted he was nervous entering Thursday’s meet, knowing this was his last chance at moving on.
“I’ve been working for six years at this and finally just exploded everything into one throw,” said Lord. “I’m just happy I finally got out there. It’s been my dream all through high school.
“I’m about to freak out.”
LaBrae senior Steve Woodyard placed second in the discus — the top four advanced — to earn his second straight state berth. His 162-foot throw broke a 20-year-old school record held by former Ohio State offensive lineman Len Hartman (161-3).
“I’m happy to go to state again,” said Woodyard, who placed 13th last year in Columbus. “I’m hoping to place this year.
“Last year I choked. I didn’t know what to do, what to expect.”
He’ll have more confidence this year, he said, adding that he’s happy to be throwing against Lord for one more week.
“I’m real happy for him,” Woodyard said of Lord. “He’s worked hard all year. I kept telling him to come down with me.
“It’ll be good to have somebody I know. He’ll cheer me on and I’ll cheer him on.”
Thursday’s meet was delayed more than two hours because of thunderstorms and the discus was one of just two boys finals.
The long jump and pole vault were both postponed to Saturday because of rain. The pole vault will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday with the long jump at 10.
No area teams finished in the top four in the boys and girls 4x800-meter relay — Thursday’s only running finals — and the Valley was also shut out in the girls high jump. Also, 60-meter indoor champion Fitzgerald Toussaint false-started in the 100. Toussaint, a University of Michigan running back recruit, had been one of the favorites to win that event next weekend.
Newton Falls senior Keri Kazimer was the only area qualifier in the shot put, placing third to earn her first trip to the state meet.
She follows in the footsteps of former teammate KaiCee Kubicina, who qualified for Columbus in the shot and discus last spring.
“KaiCee and I were pretty close,” said Kazimer, adding that Kubicina’s success in the shot put was due in part to Kazimer’s emergence.
“I started doing good in the shot put and she kind of said, ‘I’ve got to beat her because I don’t want to get beat,’ ” said Kazimer, who didn’t qualify for last year’s regional meet. “I watched her and I wanted to go where she went last year.”
Next week could be the final track and field meet for Kazimer, who is joining the Air Force reserves after high school. Kazimer, who said she may try to walk on to the track team at Kent State, is involved with the ROTC and comes from a military family.
“I’ve always wanted to go into the military,” she said.
In the meantime, she’s got a different dream to fulfill.
“I feel good,” she said of qualifying. “I’ve got to work on it some more. I”ll try to get a littler farther and hopefully I do good at state.”
scalzo@vindy.com