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ONTARIO - It's not often you can have fun while also preparing yourself for the type of competition you'll see the weeks leading up to, and at, state.
That's what makes the Ontario Relays a special midweek invitational. Adding in events like the shuttle hurdles, distance medley relay, sprint medley relay, mixed 4x400 relay, and scoring field events as if they were relays by combining heights or distances gives athletes something different to look forward to.
And with only one competitor from each school allowed to partake in races, it gives coaches the chance to experiment.
"You get to run different events and you get to fluctuate your lineup a little bit," Crestview coach Tim Kuhn said. "This year it's a little bit harder because this is the smallest lineup we've had in a long time. But it's like a breath of fresh air because it's something they don't get to see that often, and they get excited for it."
Crestview girls were runner-up behind host Ontario — who swept the night — and just three points ahead of Colonel Crawford. The Eagles flipped the script for the boys edging out the Cougars by one-and-a-half points for runner-up honors.
What makes it even more impressive is that Colonel Crawford and Crestview were the only Division III programs at Ontario Thursday night. The other six competing schools were either Division I or Division II.
"Last week we were at Sandusky Perkins which was even bigger," Kuhn said. "I love putting them up against tough competition, I think it makes us better. You're going to rise to your competition."
And that very reason is why Colonel Crawford was there, too.
"Coach Kuhn does a good job, and I think he and I both kind of share the same ideas," Colonel Crawford coach Preston Foy said. "To get better you gotta run better competition (because) when you get to districts and regionals — especially the regional level — you start seeing some really good teams and some competition. We want to put our kids in that kind of situation where they have to compete and see what fast really is. Times don't lie, and you know what times you have to run in the postseason.
"Winning meets, being first, getting trophies is all great, but the ultimate goal is to get down to Columbus. That's why we're here, we want to put our kids in some tough competition and get them ready for the postseason."
Both smaller programs more than held their own with the Eagles getting first place finishes from Mira Holt (200-meter dash, long jump), Gabby Roston (pole vault), Luke Christman (discus), and the distance medley quartet of Braeden Grau, John DeGray, Isaac Sturm, and Shawn Auck to go along with a slew of second and third place finishes.
Crestview had some thrilling wins with Leyna Gerich chasing down Marion Harding's Leah Price in the mile, Max Durbin breaking 40 seconds in the 300 hurdles edging out Ontario's Aiden Fox after he clipped the final hurdle, Liam Kuhn closing the gap for a photo finish (.07 seconds apart) in the final leg of the shuttle hurdles, and Cooper Brockway holding off Ontario's Xander Chitwood down the stretch in the 800 sprint medley.
"Putting your team up against bigger, faster athletes in bigger schools gives your athletes something to aim for," Kuhn said. "It's highly competitive ... we thrive in those situations."
With all the unique events, though, comes challenges for these smaller schools.
"There's so many events you have to have a very deep team," Foy said. "It's tough for schools like us and Crestview to do that, but we wanted to get everybody involved and make everyone on the team a part of the team. It also allows you to evaluate some of your athletes, too. Maybe you can find somebody who you think could plug in a spot for conference or something like that.
"We think it's a good meet. It's a little bit of a wake-up call for our athletes, but a great meet."
Sidelined earlier in the second with patellar tendinitis, Colonel Crawford senior Olivia Hardy logged another successful meet placing second in the 400 dash and as part of the 800 sprint medley, and third leading off the 4x200.
The biggest challenge she has faced hasn't been the physical aspect of recovery, it's the constant mental battle.
"Looking back at where I was last year and looking at me now, it gets to me a lot because I just want to get back to how I was before," Hardy said. "That's just the thing right now — the mental state — and I just need to get that right, stay positive, and keep improving. I think my body just needed a break, and I think that was kind of a warning. All that's on my mind right now is just to get healthy and get to where I was so I can be ready for postseason."
Luckily she was able to use the Ontario Relays as both a barometer for where she's at physically and another chance to further push through the mental barrier.
"Right now I'm really trying to stay focused on my form," Hardy said. "Form is everything, especially during the 400 and sprinting events where if you don't have good form, it really slows you down. In the (4x200) I really focused in on my knee drive, and I felt so much better. (The 400) I didn't do it as well ... but it's good that I had a bad day because I can look back and realize what I need to fix.
"Today was one of those where my form was OK, I just need to get back and get better so I can keep improving."
For the Tigers, it was a bit of a MOAC preview with Ontario, Clear Fork, Shelby, Marion Harding, and River Valley in attendance. The boys would place fifth out of the eight-team field just two-and-a-half points off Harding, while the girls were sixth a mere one point behind Clear Fork and 10 behind Shelby.
Makayla Halbisen won the two-mile and joined her sister Makenzie, Madisyn Berrios and Alayna Griffith in the winning distance medley. Zach Sallee won the 100 and 200 dash, as well as being part of the 4x100 (Trevor Shifley, Sam Evans, Camden Kuehlman) that edged out Ontario by .16 seconds. The Tigers nabbed gold in a pair of field events as well with Camron Smith clearing 5-foot-9 in the high jump and Parker Tinch leaping 19-9.50 in the long jump.
[email protected] | 419-617-6018 | Twitter/X: @Zachary_Holden
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: OHSAA track: Colonel Crawford, Crestview challenged at Ontario Relays
Continue reading...
That's what makes the Ontario Relays a special midweek invitational. Adding in events like the shuttle hurdles, distance medley relay, sprint medley relay, mixed 4x400 relay, and scoring field events as if they were relays by combining heights or distances gives athletes something different to look forward to.
And with only one competitor from each school allowed to partake in races, it gives coaches the chance to experiment.
"You get to run different events and you get to fluctuate your lineup a little bit," Crestview coach Tim Kuhn said. "This year it's a little bit harder because this is the smallest lineup we've had in a long time. But it's like a breath of fresh air because it's something they don't get to see that often, and they get excited for it."
Crestview girls were runner-up behind host Ontario — who swept the night — and just three points ahead of Colonel Crawford. The Eagles flipped the script for the boys edging out the Cougars by one-and-a-half points for runner-up honors.
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What makes it even more impressive is that Colonel Crawford and Crestview were the only Division III programs at Ontario Thursday night. The other six competing schools were either Division I or Division II.
"Last week we were at Sandusky Perkins which was even bigger," Kuhn said. "I love putting them up against tough competition, I think it makes us better. You're going to rise to your competition."
And that very reason is why Colonel Crawford was there, too.
"Coach Kuhn does a good job, and I think he and I both kind of share the same ideas," Colonel Crawford coach Preston Foy said. "To get better you gotta run better competition (because) when you get to districts and regionals — especially the regional level — you start seeing some really good teams and some competition. We want to put our kids in that kind of situation where they have to compete and see what fast really is. Times don't lie, and you know what times you have to run in the postseason.
"Winning meets, being first, getting trophies is all great, but the ultimate goal is to get down to Columbus. That's why we're here, we want to put our kids in some tough competition and get them ready for the postseason."
Both smaller programs more than held their own with the Eagles getting first place finishes from Mira Holt (200-meter dash, long jump), Gabby Roston (pole vault), Luke Christman (discus), and the distance medley quartet of Braeden Grau, John DeGray, Isaac Sturm, and Shawn Auck to go along with a slew of second and third place finishes.
You must be registered for see images attach
Crestview had some thrilling wins with Leyna Gerich chasing down Marion Harding's Leah Price in the mile, Max Durbin breaking 40 seconds in the 300 hurdles edging out Ontario's Aiden Fox after he clipped the final hurdle, Liam Kuhn closing the gap for a photo finish (.07 seconds apart) in the final leg of the shuttle hurdles, and Cooper Brockway holding off Ontario's Xander Chitwood down the stretch in the 800 sprint medley.
"Putting your team up against bigger, faster athletes in bigger schools gives your athletes something to aim for," Kuhn said. "It's highly competitive ... we thrive in those situations."
With all the unique events, though, comes challenges for these smaller schools.
"There's so many events you have to have a very deep team," Foy said. "It's tough for schools like us and Crestview to do that, but we wanted to get everybody involved and make everyone on the team a part of the team. It also allows you to evaluate some of your athletes, too. Maybe you can find somebody who you think could plug in a spot for conference or something like that.
"We think it's a good meet. It's a little bit of a wake-up call for our athletes, but a great meet."
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Hardy's road to recovery
Sidelined earlier in the second with patellar tendinitis, Colonel Crawford senior Olivia Hardy logged another successful meet placing second in the 400 dash and as part of the 800 sprint medley, and third leading off the 4x200.
The biggest challenge she has faced hasn't been the physical aspect of recovery, it's the constant mental battle.
"Looking back at where I was last year and looking at me now, it gets to me a lot because I just want to get back to how I was before," Hardy said. "That's just the thing right now — the mental state — and I just need to get that right, stay positive, and keep improving. I think my body just needed a break, and I think that was kind of a warning. All that's on my mind right now is just to get healthy and get to where I was so I can be ready for postseason."
Luckily she was able to use the Ontario Relays as both a barometer for where she's at physically and another chance to further push through the mental barrier.
"Right now I'm really trying to stay focused on my form," Hardy said. "Form is everything, especially during the 400 and sprinting events where if you don't have good form, it really slows you down. In the (4x200) I really focused in on my knee drive, and I felt so much better. (The 400) I didn't do it as well ... but it's good that I had a bad day because I can look back and realize what I need to fix.
"Today was one of those where my form was OK, I just need to get back and get better so I can keep improving."
You must be registered for see images attach
Galion impresses on rival's turf
For the Tigers, it was a bit of a MOAC preview with Ontario, Clear Fork, Shelby, Marion Harding, and River Valley in attendance. The boys would place fifth out of the eight-team field just two-and-a-half points off Harding, while the girls were sixth a mere one point behind Clear Fork and 10 behind Shelby.
Makayla Halbisen won the two-mile and joined her sister Makenzie, Madisyn Berrios and Alayna Griffith in the winning distance medley. Zach Sallee won the 100 and 200 dash, as well as being part of the 4x100 (Trevor Shifley, Sam Evans, Camden Kuehlman) that edged out Ontario by .16 seconds. The Tigers nabbed gold in a pair of field events as well with Camron Smith clearing 5-foot-9 in the high jump and Parker Tinch leaping 19-9.50 in the long jump.
[email protected] | 419-617-6018 | Twitter/X: @Zachary_Holden
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: OHSAA track: Colonel Crawford, Crestview challenged at Ontario Relays
Continue reading...
