Cross steps in to save East relay squad

May 24, 2019 at 12:05a.m.

AUSTINTOWN

Airess Cross had to step in for a state-title contender.

When East senior Jahniya Bowers was injured in her first event of Thursday’s Division II regional track meet at Austintown Fitch, the freshman was pressed into service on the 4x200 relay, which is the reigning state runner-up.

“I was nervous. I didn’t imagine running with this group of girls because to me, they’re just so magnificent with everyone looking up to them. I look up to them,” Cross said. “Running with them, it’s a lot on me. It would crush everybody if something went wrong. It would have been on me. It would have set my precedent for the next three years.”

East had to reconfigure its lineup to adjust to losing its Youngstown State-bound anchor, but still advanced to Saturday’s finals with a fourth-place finish in its preliminary heat.

“I love [Cross]. She works hard. She doesn’t talk back or question anything,” Kyndia Matlock said. “She trusts us and she executes.”

Coach Kevin Cylar had Laniya Lewis lead off followed by Matlock and Cross with DeShante Allen as the anchor. Bowers injured her hamstring during the 100, but still managed to take second. She returned for the 4x100 relay and the Golden Bears won their heat, but she did not race in the 200 where she was originally assigned.

“We’re playing it safe and just trying to get her to qualify,” Cylar said. “Don’t expect her to be chasing any records.”

Cylar said East has six girls practicing in its 4x200 and 4x100 relays. He found Cross on the junior varsity basketball team.

“I told her all through the season that she was going to run track and she said, ‘No, no, no.’ I said, ‘Yes you are,’ ” Cylar said. “She has a motor and she has heart. You can’t teach that. As the season went on, she got in better shape and she never ran before. She just kept pushing herself.”

Seven Mahoning Valley athletes punched their ticket to Columbus on Thursday with three from the boys discus and Salem’s 4x800 relay team of Trey Double, Jackson Corbisello, Cameron Christopher and Hunter Christopher clinched with a third-place finish.

The Quakers’ Cooper Stockman won the discus, beating Garfield’s Dylan Wilson by two inches with a throw of 160 feet, nine inches on his first try to set a new personal best by nine feet. Girard’s Daryl Smith and Hubbard’s Seth Jones took third and fourth, respectively.

“I threw a big fist pump in the air and I ran and gave my coaches some big hugs,” Stockman said.