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Tolich hopes Ashland can get her to promised land
Submitted photo
Photo
Ali Tolich and the rest of the Fitch High track team have been preparing for the outdoor season by competing in several indoor meets.
By Jon Moffett
AUSTINTOWN
Ali Tolich basically could have thrown a dart at a map of the United States and gone to college wherever the dart landed.
And the throw would have been right on the mark, too.
Tolich, the most sought-after female field athlete to come out of the Mahoning Valley in years, had interest from schools in Florida, Texas, California and many others for her golden arm. But the Austintown Fitch senior discus and shot thrower decided to stay in Ohio and pursue her dream of a spot on the 2016 Olympic team.
Tolich will attend Ashland University next fall and work under the tutelage of renowned throwing coach Jud Logan.
“It was a really difficult decision,” Tolich said. “I think what it came down to was just coach Logan. He and I have a really good connection and I think he is the coach that can get me to the Olympic trials. And along with him being a great coach, just the small-school atmosphere was nice. I felt at home there.”
Tolich’s resume is enough of a reason schools were lining up and hoping to get her to sign a letter-of-intent. She won the state championship in both the discus and shot last season. She never lost in a discus event and lost only once in the shot. She also has several school and Federal League records.
Oh, and her academics aren’t bad either. Tolich has a 3.8 grade point average — while taking honors classes exclusively.
Fitch throwing coach T.J. Koniowsky said Tollich is the total package when it comes to a high school athlete. An alumni of Ashland himself, Koniowsky said the school — or any school for that matter — is getting a special person.
“She’s probably in terms of a high school athlete all you can ask for,” Koniowsky said of Tolich. “In the four years I’ve coached her, she’s never said no to a workout, never made any excuse. That includes Saturdays and Sundays and during the weekend.
“As far as the commitment is concerned, she was the most committed athlete I’ve ever seen.”
And humble, too.
Tolich said she started to blush when she heard what her coach had said about her.
“That makes me feel really good,” she said. “I’m actually smiling right now. I do take a lot of pride in what I do, and I’m happy people take notice.”
Oh, they’ve noticed.
Koniowsky, who still talks with Logan — who competed in four Olympic games — said the coach and school already have big plans for Tolich.
“They’re already banking on her being a national elite in the hammer throw as a freshman,” he said. “And I want to see her as a freshman make the national meet in the discus and the hammer throw. But it’s hard for me to even gauge how good she’s going to get.”