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Fitch Falcons ride sweep into regional
By matthew Peaslee
AUSTINTOWN
Billy Price and Jay Jakovina are known to make headlines for the Fitch track and field team this, and the previous two years.
At Friday’s Division I finals, another pair of Falcons rose to the occasion.
“Dave Anzelmo and Sam Ortz were the unsung heroes,” Fitch boys coach Rich Kempe said.
Price set the meet record in the shot put at 62 feet, 5 inches, and Jakovina placed first in the high jump. But, Anzelmo’s third place, personal best throw of 51-61/2 and Ortz’s second place attempt of 6-4 in the high jump pushed Fitch into first place for the remainder of the meet. It took the boys title with 121 points, while the girls won with 108 points.
“The secondary guys, so to speak, made the difference,” Kempe said. “Those two events gave us the win.
“We work tirelessly through the winter and it pays off on days like today.”
The 4x200 relay of Daniel Rivera, Tarise Wolfe, Rob Venters and Nathan Bowlen won in 1 minute, 28.22 seconds, and the girls 4x100 relay of Amber Brown, Jenna Yacovone, Ebony Davis and Theresa Scott broke the meet record, set by Warren Harding last year, with a time of 48.46. It was just two days after setting the school record during the preliminary.
“We talked about it so much,” Davis said. “We wanted it.”
Davis, just a freshman, also was tops in the 200 and Scott placed first in the 100.
“It was awesome that I finished and knowing that I won it and took first,” Davis said. “I’m running against people that I don’t even know. More experienced people who have been there before and this is my first time in high school. It feels great.”
East’s Deshawn Burley and Howland’s Troy Seagraves had different feelings coming into the 400 and 800, respectively.
“I was nervous all day for it,” Burley admitted.
On the other hand, “I’ve been thinking about it as soon as [prelims] were over on Wednesday,” Seagraves said.
They both came out on top with each needing a dramatic finish to capture a title. Though different events, both runners have the same comments about them.
“It’s a man’s race,” Burley said after he edged out Boardman’s Dayne Hammond in the final 50 meters, winning with a 49.86. “I needed it all on that one.”
“It’s one of those races that’s super hard and you need to do it smart,” Seagraves said after his 1:57.99 in the 800. “I had to win or be boxed in. I had no choice. I went for it and just got it.”
Other individual champions were: Harding’s Alexandra Allen in the 110 hurdles, the Raider girls 4x200 relay, Fitch’s Carissa Jenkins in the 1600, East’s Valentino Sewell in the 300 hurdles, Canfield’s Emma Lunne and Mark Hadley of Boardman in the 3200 and the Canfield girls 4x800 relay.