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McDonald sweeps Division III district track meet
By Steve wilaj
NEW MIDDLETOWN
When the dust settled at the Division III district track and field meet on Friday in Springfield, the McDonald High boys team was ordered to run one more lap.
But this time they were joined by coach Louis Domitrovich, who carried the championship plaque the entire time.
“It feels really good to see smiles on these guys faces running around the track with the trophy,” said McDonald senior Kyle Joynes.
Finishing the event with 90 points, the Blue Devils captured their seventh consecutive district title. After losing six seniors with state meet experience from last year, Domitrovich is especially proud of this team.
“To lose those seniors and to come back this year and continue to win district, it’s great,” he said.
In field events, McDonald got a boost from freshman Zach Conley and sophomore Matt Heitz in the high jump. Conley won with a jump of 6 feet. The Blue Devils also received a strong performance from sophomore Jake Foster in shot put.
“Those were things we didn’t expect to happen,” Joynes said. “It’s not that we didn’t think they could do it, but we were really pumped about that.”
McDonald battled South Range and Warren JFK throughout the day. McDonald got a lift late when Bobby Johnson and Joynes finished second and third, respectively, in the 3200.
The Eagles finished as runner-up with 79 points. Coach Robert Andrews was pleased with his team’s showing.
“Today we reached as far as we could,” Andrews said. “Whatever we got we were grateful and appreciative, and I think that’s from the effort that the kids gave.”
JFK freshman Chad Zallow was impressive, winning two individual events.
Rising to the occasion on the girls side was, once again, McDonald.
Last year’s district runner-up, the Blue Devils won handily this time with 111 points.
“It’s nice to know the girls are looking to improve and to get better,” said coach Mary Domitrovich, sister of the boys coach. “It was a tremendous team effort from everybody across the board in all areas.”
Domitrovich said the team was inspired by the performance of sophomore discus thrower Jai’Lyn Mosley, who set a meet record with a toss of 146-0. The previous record — 142-5 — was set in 2010 held by older sister Joh’Vonnie Mosley.
“It feels really good,“ Jai’Lyn Mosley said. “I didn’t think it was gonna happen. But this is my kind of weather. When the sun’s out, I love it.”
Andrew O’Leary of South Range also set a record, winning the 400 in 49.46 seconds, topping the previous mark of 49.76.