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Fitch boys, Harding girls win AAC Red titles
All-American Conference Red Tier Division
Gallery
Fitch boys, Harding girls win AAC titles
By Steve Wilaj
Canfield
Before each 4x400-meter relay, the Warren Harding girls squad of Chyna Stroud, Emily Stevens, Aisha Jackson and Nautica Hill repeat the same ritual.
Team prayer. Warm-ups and stretches. Another team prayer. And then ...
“Then we come out here and do what we gotta do,” Jackson said.
The usual result — like at Tuesday’s American Athletic Conference Red Division meet at Canfield High — is a first place finish.
“We came here with a purpose,” Jackson said. “We came here to win — nothing less.”
It was one of many victories for the Raiders girls, as Harding took home the AAC championship with a team score of 126 points. Meanwhile, Austintown Fitch won the boys AAC title with 132 points.
“We take pride in winning the conference for whatever conference we’re in, and for us to win the AAC our first year in it, it’s a good feeling,” Raiders coach Charles Penny said. “We’ll go home and celebrate it tonight. But tomorrow we’ll wake up and get ready for districts.”
In addition to being on the 4x400 team, Jackson won the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and the high jump.
“Today I wasn’t running times that I expected I would, but to come out on top always feels good,” the sophomore said. “I planned for it to be raining, but since the sun was out I was like ‘change of plans.’ You still gotta come out here and do what you gotta do.”
Jackson added that she was pleasantly surprised by her personal-best high jump of 5-feet-2.
Other Raiders that were victorious were Justice Richardson in the 100 and 200 and Nautica Hill in the 400. The Harding 4x200 team of Stroud, Hill, Richardson and Stevens also placed first.
On the boys side, the Fitch relay teams dominated.
The Falcons 4x200 squad of Nathan Bowlen, Gary Gibson, Darrin Hall and Joe Harrington placed first while the same group also won the 4x400.
“It was nice to come out and win,” Bowlen said. “We train hard and we’re trying to peak at the right time. We save it up and save it up and that’s what it is. If we train hard and get good weather, we’re dangerous.”
Individually, Bowlen took first place in the 400 and 200. His teammate, Sam Ortz, won the high jump and 300 hurdles.
“It’s not the best times I’ve ran, but feeling good going into districts and regionals,” Bowlen said. “It’s a good confidence-booster for our team.”
Also winning two events on the girls side was Canfield’s Devin Foley, as the senior took first in the 800 and the 3200. Cardinals coach Mike Yankey said it was good to see considering Foley is coming off an early-season injury.
“I worked really hard these past four years and it’s really coming together,” Foley said. “I’m trying to PR [run a personal record] and get to state. But the key [today] was to just pace myself and not let someone get in front of me.”
Howland’s Ryan Sullivan won two events as well. He was the top finisher in the 1600 and 3200.