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Fitch track teams off to quick start
Photo
Fitch’s Jayme Ritchie clears a hurdle on her way to a first-place finish in the 300-meter event during Tuesday’s All-American Conference track meet Tuesday at Fitch High School in Austintown. Ritchie finished with a time of 47.7 seconds, and the Falcons girls won the meet.
Fleet Falcons run away
from conference rivals
East, Harding, Howland
By Ryan Buck
AUSTINTOWN
“Wind-aided” might as well be substituted for “wind-affected” for any and all results from the opening All-American Conference track meet for East, Howland, Warren Harding and host Austintown Fitch.
Still, on a Tuesday afternoon when wind gusts reached 40 miles per hour and the flag pole at the northeast corner of Fitch Falcon Stadium at times seemed poised to topple, the home squad needed little help. The Falcons’ boys and girls teams earned convincing victories in the four-team meet.
The Fitch boys (94.5) ran away from Howland (68), Warren Harding (46.5) and East (29), igniting ideas of another run to the Division I state meet at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Stadium. The girls were even more impressive as they scored 104.6 points compared to Howland’s 67.3, Warren Harding’s 55 and East’s 14.
If the Falcons—boys and girls— are looking to sweep their respective county, conference and district titles for the second consecutive season, the confidence they possess in their boys’ sprinting events is a good place to start.
“It’s expected, I feel like,” said Fitch senior sprinter Nathan Bowlen, a standout on the Falcons’ 4x100 meter, 4x200, and 4x400 relay teams. “We trained all indoor season and knew there wasn’t much competition. We needed this to get us back in this meet. It was pretty important.”
Bowlen and teammate Joe Harrington, a junior, finished just behind 400 winner Gary Gibson (51.6 seconds) as they gave Fitch a first, second and third-place finish in the event.
“After running inside for three months in indoor, it’s nice to get back out here in the elements,” said Gibson, a senior. “But it’s a tough transition to go from indoor tracks to outdoor tracks. Today’s more like a workout in the 400 meters so we really need this.”
In the meet’s last event, the three led Fitch to another win in the 4x400 relay, finishing in three minutes and 42 seconds.
“Chemistry is everything,” Harrington said. “I’ve been running with these guys since I’ve been in high school. They’re the best.”
Bowlen took it a step further.
“We all get along,” he said. “No problems — ever. We’re like brothers.”
All three were parts of multiple school record-breaking relay quartets last season.
One of Howland’s bright spots was sophomore miler Ethan Petrilla.
The brace-faced star of Howland’s distance events broke free from the pack in the final lap of the 1600 meter run to win in a time of 4:47.7. He finished his win in style, bypassing the judges, teammates and coaches and toward a blue trash can along the fence.
“My mouth was dry and I started dry-heaving,” Petrilla said. “I sprinted that last 100 (meters) and I was done after that. My coaches wanted me to pace behind them and let them take the wind, but when the race started I kind of wanted to just take the lead.”
Fitch thrower and Louisiana State signee Gabby Figueroa swept the shot put and discus as she looks at another run to the state meet. Jayme Ritchie won the 300 hurdles in a time of 47.7 seconds.
“Bigger expectations this year,” Gibson said as the night ended. “A state title, right?”