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Cavalier legacy is part of Rocket
By Tom Williams
LOWELLVILLE
Mark Cavalier’s legacy as Lowellville High’s top distance runner lives on.
And it’s not just Lowellville athletes who are aware of how the Rocket Track and Field Invitational pays tribute with trophies awarded to the winners of the boys and girls 1600-meter race.
South Range’s Ryan Roush, this year’s boys winner with a record-setting time of 4:39.4, knew Thursday’s meet had a special prize.
“I’ve been aware of it the past two years so we know the significance of it,” said Roush who finished third in the 1600 last year. “My friend Floyd [Kenney] previously held the record.”
Lowellville’s Natalie Frank edged teammate Emily Carlson to win the girls race in 5:45.
Cavalier, a 1980 Lowellville graduate, still has the school record for the mile (4:23.4). At age 26, Cavalier and his 2-year-old son Chad were struck by a runaway vehicle and killed.
Cavalier’s parents — Jack and Rose — presented Mark Cavalier Mile trophies to Roush and Frank.
“It means a lot,” said Frank, who added that she just started running the 1600 this year.
“I always ran behind [Lowellville graduate] Monica [Ciarniello] who won [the trophy] the last three years,” Frank said. “It just means a lot to be in the same spot.”
South Range won the nine-team boys event with 128. Struthers was second with 120.5, followed by Springfield with 85. For the girls, Newton Falls won with 125, followed by Lowellville with 114 and South Range with 79.
Like everyone tired of the rain, Frank enjoyed running under a sunny sky for a change.
“It’s nice out but pretty windy,” Frank said.
Roush, who also won the 3200 in record fashion (9:54.7), agreed that the wind was a factor.
“Pretty much all the meets this season have been like that,” Roush said. “They like to put these tracks up on a hill, I guess. There was a lot of wind on the front stretch and it doesn’t really help you on the back stretch.
“But this [weather] was much better,” Roush said. “Most of them have been rainy. I’ll definitely take the wind over the rain.”
Springfield’s Hailey Sullivan, a member of the winning 4x200 race, agreed wind was an issue.
“The backstretch was horrible, I didn’t feel like I was running at all,” Sullivan said.
However, Frank said the wind “pushes you on the other side so ...”
One of the most competitive races was South Range’s Andrew O’Leary edging Campbell’s DeWaylon Letlow in the 400.
“I could hear him for the last 100,” O’Leary said. “I just tried to go as fast as I can and not let him catch me. That ties my season best so I’m happy with it.”
O’Leary’s teammate Ethan Witmer won both hurdles races while Newton Falls’ Jenn Bjelac won the hurdles and the long jump.