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Fitch’s Billy Price qualifies for state in discus
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East’s Valentino Sewell clears the first hurdle during the boys 300-meter event at Wednesday’s Division I regional track meet at Austintown Fitch High School. Sewell advances to Saturday’s finals in the 300 and 110 hurdle events.
Several Div. I relays advance, Fitch’s Billy Price qualifies for state in discus
By Steve wilaj
AUSTINTOWN
Caught up in the surprise and excitement of placing first in the preliminary 4x100-meter relay, Austintown Fitch senior Theresa Scott forgot an important fact.
“T-h-e-r … how do I spell my name?” Scott said, laughing.
Excuse her mishap, because at Wednesday’s Division I track and field regional at Fitch High, Scott and fellow senior Jenna Yacovone were shocked by the 4x100 results.
“There was just a lot of schools we haven’t ran against all year. It was kind of like going in completely blind,” Yacovone said.
“We were thinking let’s just get top four for Friday,” Scott said.
So when the girls saw that they — along with Amber Brown and Ebony Davis — ran a first place time of 48.44 seconds, they were pleasantly surprised.
“We were like ‘let’s just do it, let’s kill it,’” Yocovone said. “And we did.”
Assistant coach Julie Walker said she didn’t know what to expect, either.
“The girls were a little nervous and even the coaches were nervous,” she said. “When the girls saw the results, they were super excited.”
Another exciting performance for the host Falcons, the boys 4x200 relay placed first in the preliminary with a time of 1:27.84. Tarise Wolfe, Rob Venters, and Nathan Bowlen were rejoined by Joe Harrington, who returned from a foot injury.
“I think they ran to their best abilities,” Walker said. “They’ve been working hard all season.
“I have every inkling that they will [win on Friday].”
A third Falcon winner on the day, Billy Price, qualified for the state meet with a second-place finish in the discus.
“All year you work hard [to qualify] and that’s the goal,” said Price, an Ohio State recruit. “Might as well get used to the city now.”
Canfield placed sixth in the boys 4x800 relay while the Cardinal girls qualified in the 4x400. Boardman’s 4x100 boys relay qualified for the finals, as did Spartan senior Dayne Hammond in the 400.
Representing the East High Panthers, Valentino Sewell qualified in the 300 and 110 hurdles.
“I’m happy, but the time that the first place won, I’ve ran that, too, and I feel like I can do better,” Sewell said of the 110 hurdles. “I’m trying the hardest to win my events so I won’t have any worries about placing for state.”
The final events will begin Friday at 4 p.m.