Tayala plays it safe, then lets loose in discus
By joe scalzo
NAVARRE
When Matthias Tayala was a freshman two years ago, he entered the Division III regional meet as a district discus champion and left as a very talented — and very frustrated — spectator.
Tayala fouled on his first three throws and failed to make the finals, a finish that still haunts him.
“I don’t really get nervous a lot but today, I had butterflies,” he said. “That [freshman finish] was in the back of my mind a little bit.”
Tayala entered Wednesday’s regional meet with at least a 30-foot lead on his competitors, so he knew, outside of a meteor strike, he was going to win. But to be sure, he stayed conservative on his first toss and threw 166 feet, which would have won by 15 feet on but is well below his personal best of 193.
“After my first throw, everything calmed down,” he said.
Tayala won the meet with a throw of 179 feet, helping Trumbull County athletes win five of Wednesday’s seven finals at Fairless High School. The top four in each event advanced to the state meet.
Tayala’s teammate, senior Joh’Vonnie Mosley, successfully defended her regional shot put title and Maplewood junior Jordan Moxley also repeated in the high jump.
Mineral Ridge junior Dan Skiba, last year’s state long jump champion, won a regional title in the event and Maplewood’s boys 4x800 team of A.J. Grayson, Aaron Harrison, Wyatt Hartman and Eric Rupe won that relay in a school- and regional-record time of 7:50.83 despite running in pretty sweltering weather.
“For the 800, I don’t think it hurts you,” Rupe said of the heat. “If anything, it relaxes your muscles.
“It’s like an enormous heating pad on your legs.”
Maplewood’s previous school record was 7:55.21, which it set at the 2003 state meet. The Rockets won state titles in the event from 2001-03.
Skiba finished third in the long jump at last year’s regional, then stunned himself (and many others in the state) by jumping 22-103/4 in Columbus to capture the state title.
“I never expected to win state,” he said. “I never even expected to go to state.
“This year is different. I’m definitely more confident.”
Skiba jumped 21-2 on Wednesday and has only surpassed his state record jump once this season, and that was by a quarter-inch. He’ll need another big day if he wants to repeat.
“I like it,” he said of the bulls-eye on his back. “I like competition.”
Mosley threw 42-41/4, just missing the regional record of 43-01/2. Still, she had three throws over 42 feet and was happy with her consistency.
“My goal was to get into the finals, get into the top four and go after the record,” said Mosley, who finished ninth in the event at last year’s state meet. “I’m just happy with my results and that I’m moving on to state.”
Moxley, who placed sixth in the high jump at last year’s state meet, reached 5-6 on Wednesday. The top three finishers at last year’s state meet were seniors, so Moxley enters next week as one of the favorites — especially if she can match her career high of 5-8.
“I’m really excited this year,” said Moxley, who is also an elite swimmer. “I’ve improved a lot and I’m consistently over my best height from last year [5-5].
“I’ve been in big competitions and I know I can handle the pressure, so I think that’ll work out in my benefit.”