Knickerbocker builds off 100 hurdles record

April 12, 2017 at 12:06a.m.

Boardman sweeps Mooney, Ursuline

BOARDMAN

Jessica Knickerbocker has had Boardman’s 100 hurdles record on her to-do list for some time. The senior hurdler figured she was due to make it her own at some point this year, but getting it in early April seemed like a tall order.

But she surprised the Spartans program — and herself — last Tuesday, by finishing with a time of 15.83 to claim the school record.

“I’ve been looking forward to it since my freshman year, it’s been a huge goal for me,” Knickerbocker said. “To do it this early in the season is shocking.”

The previous recordholder was former Youngstown State runner Nicole Vlad (16.4), who hit the mark in 2009.

“I was really proud of her. She’s been battling knee issues throughout her career. The will was always there, but something physical is always coming up,” Boardman girls track coach Rick Sypert said. “It’s amazing to see a kid work as hard as she did and have it become as fruitful as it did for her.

“It’s one of those moments where you’re happy to be out here and see kids work hard and see things come true for them.”

On Tuesday, she came pretty close to breaking her own record again, running 16.1 to win the 100 hurdles. She helped her team defeat Cardinal Mooney and Ursuline by piling up 119 points. The Cardinals had 28 and the Irish put up nine.

On the boys side, Boardman won handily with 121 points. Ursuline scored 21 and Mooney had 17.

Knickerbocker’s left knee has taken her entire sophomore season and parts of other seasons.

“I’ve just learned to cope with it. I fix my workouts to make my leg stronger and this year, it’s kind of all come together,” Knickerbocker said.

Her goals for the season are modest, qualifying for regionals. Injuries have kept her out of that stage of the postseason.

Coming off an indoor season which she came through unscathed, she has a chance to live up to the potential her hurdling coach and fourth-grade teacher John DiPietro saw in middle school.

“Now it’s all playing out the way I thought it would,” DiPietro said.

Cardinal Mooney’s Autumn DeSantis was a bright spot for the Cardinals in the high jump. She beat out a competitive field that included returning state qualifier Logan Mitchell of Boardman. DeSantis, a reigning district champ and record holder, won with a jump of five feet.

“She’s been very good for the past two years and we’re trying to get her to state this year,” Cardinal Mooney coach Dom Daltorio said.

On the boys side, the Vindicator’s Athlete of the Year for cross country, Boardman’s Chris Butler, took the one-mile race with a time of 4:37.

“I felt good,” Butler said. “I just came out here to compete.”

Jujuan Forte, a Spartan sprinter in his first season with the team, won the 100 dash (11.2) and the 200 dash (23.2).

The Irish had two winners on the boys side. Guy-Michael Kaho took the 400 and Cody Racoff won the 800.

The Cardinals’ lone win in the boys competition came in the 4x100 relay after the Boardman relay team dropped the baton.