Mooney’s DeSantis getting a jump on state meet

June 1, 2017 at 12:08a.m.

Cards’ DeSantis

among qualifiers

When the state track meet gets under way Friday at Ohio State University, the Division II girls high jumpers will begin competing at 9 a.m.

Jumping early and often is not a problem for Cardinal Mooney junior Autumn DeSantis, who spent the three-day Memorial Day weekend leaving home at 5:30 a.m. for a travel volleyball tournament in Pittsburgh.

DeSantis has committed to play volleyball at Youngstown State University. High jumping?

“I do it for fun,” the Cardinal said. And that’s what she is expecting this weekend in Columbus.

“So much fun — I’m really excited,” DeSantis said. “It’s been a goal since freshman year. I knew I couldn’t have a third year in a row of failing to make it to state.”

DeSantis won the high jump at Division II regional meet at Fitch Falcon Stadium last Thursday,. She cleared 5 feet, 5 inches — her personal best — for the first time in competition, edging Manchester’s Alyssa Matheny who failed in her 5-6 attempt. Matheny finished second at 5-4.

“I knew I had to jump at least 5-3 or 5-4 to get to state,” DeSantis said.

She hadn’t cleared those heights this spring.

“I knew this is when I had to peak,” DeSantis said.

She’s not alone in understanding the value of getting hot at the right time. Other Mahoning Valley athletes who earned trips to Columbus are fine-tuning their skills in hopes of landing on the podium.

Lakeview hurdler Jatise Garrison says improvement is possible.

“I had a real sloppy race again,” Garrison said Saturday after finishing second in the 110 race in the regional. “I’m not where I want to be at but a little more practice and it should all come together ... hopefully.”

West Branch hurdler Ethan Griffith finished fourth in the same race.

“I was not expecting [to qualify] at all — what a better way to end it,” the Warriors’ senior said. “The only thing that was going through my mind during that race was ‘keep your blinders on and run your race as fast as you can possibly for the last time running the high school hurdles.

“And it paid off,” he said. “Honestly, I thought I had finished fifth or sixth. Then I saw my name [in fourth] and I couldn’t believe it.”

Newton Falls senior thrower Kayla Barreca has graduated but she’s still going to school for practice.

Bonus high school?

“It’s cool,” she said. “I really enjoy throwing. I go to the school and people ask ‘why are you here?’ I’m trying to get to state again — commitment, you know.”

This week will be her third time competing at state. Barreca finished second last year in the discus. At the regional, she broke her personal best with a toss of 151 feet 1 inch.

“I’m hoping to go further — 155, hopefully,” said Barreca, who also qualified in shot put. “But whatever happens, happens.”

Garrison said qualifying for state “means everything to me. I have had high hopes every year, I expected to be there my sophomore year when I first started running track.

“I wasn’t nearly as good as I thought I was, so I’ve been working a lot in these off-seasons and it’s paying off, for sure.”

Girard hurdler Emily Marsico, who qualified in the 100 and 300, said the gathering is special.

“It’s such an unbelievable experience because you are surrounded by such great athletes, so high-caliber,” Marsico said of the state tournament. “It’s so great to know you’re one of those athletes.”

She competed at state last year.

“I know what to expect — that’s definitely a plus,” she said.

LaBrae is sending two sprinters — Tariq Drake (200) and Dynesty Ervin (100), who train together.

“It helps a lot with him being fast,” said Ervin, who just missed qualifying in the 200. “He can push me harder and harder.”

Drake said Ervin is “so fast ... When we’re practicing, she can come up on you out of nowhere.

“It’s just great practice because I know she’s pushing herself every day and I need to push myself every day.”

Boardman coach John Phillips is pleased that the Spartans will be represented by senior Chris Butler in the 1600,

“If there are two kids who encompass everything about our program, it’s George Wallace and Chris Butler,” Phillips said.

Wallace missed state by inches in the shot put.

“I was really sad for George, proud of his effort but sad that he couldn’t make it and ecstatic for Chris,” Phillips said. “They both work so hard.”

He said Butler’s style is “almost effortless when he’s running, never laboring. He has tremendous closing speed, he’s displayed it all year in cross country, indoor track and here today.

“It’s just a gift that he has that few runners possess,” Phillips said. “To make it from our region to Columbus in any event is a big deal and especially in the distance events.”

Lauren Dolak (Fitch) and Canfield’s Anita Mancini will race again in the 400. Last year, Dolak was seventh in Columbus.

“My goal is to place higher than I did last year,” she said.

Mancini said she’s inspired by her backyard rival.

“She’s great to run with and a really good competitor so it’s fun to race with her,” said Mancini who returned to track after taking two years off.

“So glad,” said Mancini, The Vindicator’s Girls Soccer Player of the Year. “I think it’s the best decision I made in high school.”

As for DeSantis said she’s sticking to the same practice routine that worked so well last week. Her goal was to remain stress-free and it worked.

“I tried not to think about that I choked the last two years,” she said. “I tried not to think about [what’s at stake]. And that’s what I did.

“And that’s what I have to do this week.”

At regional, DeSantis cleared 5-3 on her first try and 5-4 on her second attempt.

“I just knew” Columbus would be her next stop. She surpassed 5-5 on her second attempt.

“I had the speed, I knew I had to concentrate of form and I [felt] I’ve got this,” she said.

“Probably the greatest feeling I’ve ever had,” she said of breaking her Mooney record of 5-4.