22 Year Old Record Broken

On March 22, the Roanoke Maroons Distance Medley Relay team broke a 22 year old record at the Roanoke Track and Field Invitational with a time of 13:15.96. 

Congratulations WRA T&F Alum and former Iron Lady, Margot Warner '13! 

Preseason Pool Workout

Local members of the team getting in a pool workout - Longstreth Relay's is not far off!

PreSeason includes a clinic for shot and discus

Last Saturday, sophomore Madison Clark-Bruno (extreme left in photo) accompanied Coach Khalila and Geno to a clinic for throws (shot and discus) held at Licking Valley High School, some two hours away.  The clinic, which lasted from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm, was attended by some 40 throwers and 8 coaches from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York focused on the glide shot put and the rotational discus. Though long and a lot of work, "it was a lot of fun," commented Madison on the ride back to Hudson.

Pre-Season meet at KSU

Nina, Tricia, Sophie, Wade-Watta, and Geno at the KSU indoor meet

Indoor High School meet hosted by KSU

This past Sunday, four members of the WRA Girls' Track & Field team did something that no other girls' track group had done before: they competed in the Indoor High School meet hosted by Kent State University. Hoping to test the training they have endured with Geno since just before the holiday Break in December and simply to get some competition under their belts before our competitive season begins, these girls -- co-captain Tricia Cunningham in the 200m, Wade-Watta Kamara in the 400m, Nina Tekelenburg in the mile (a completely new distance for her), and Sophie Arzberger in the high jump -- joined for a 7:45 team breakfast before their 8:15 departure to brave the elements en route to the KSU Field House. It was the last of three such meets and it turned out to be the final opportunity for most of the high schoolers competing there to notch a performance that might qualify them for the State Indoor Championships, which occur next weekend. As a result, there were literally hundreds of entries in numerous events -- 60m dash; 60m hurdles; 200m; 400m. Just counting the girls' events, there were 18 heats of the 60m dash; 20 heats of the hurdles, 21 of the 200m and 14 of the 400m. This made for an incredibly long wait for each of their events. Thankfully, each girl was entered in an event that did not require prelims or semi-finals; otherwise, this story would actually encompass an even longer day. In fact, this meet in previous years was a two-day affair; however, since KSU had to host the MAC indoor championship meet on this same weekend this year, the high school meet was condensed to a single very long day. What is more, with so many heats – that were not known until just before the event, it was quite difficult to execute a proper warm-up strategy with regard to the progression of the finals in each event.

Despite it all, it was a tremendous experience for the Lady Pioneers, and for all except Wade-Watta, it was their first indoor meet ever; for all, it would be the first time running on such an odd-sized track -- 292 meters instead of the usual 200m ovals that predominate the indoor facilities around the country. Incidentally, there are even several 300 meter indoor tracks; however, 292 meters is an odd configuration, indeed. And while that made it all the more interesting, it also rendered a coach's task of getting interval split times that were anywhere near accurate nearly impossible. Let that fact serve as a quasi-disclaimer for the "guesstimated" splits for Nina's mile.

Sophie actually got it all started for us with her performance in the high jump, which began over an hour later than the program had originally indicated. Entering at 4' 7" (instead of 4' 3", where the competition began), she cleared the first two heights (4' 7" and 4' 9") cleanly on her first attempts. As the bar moved up to 4' 11", she needed all three jumps to make the clearance. And though she had three close attempts at 5' 1", she had to bow out at that height, finishing in 10^th place among 25 jumpers (actually in a 6-way tie for 5^th). Interestingly enough, Sophie had a goal to clear 5' today, and given the nice clearances she had at the previous heights and the closeness of her attempts at 5' 1", it is almost safe to assume that she might have made 5', had the bar been placed there after 4' 11". Nonetheless, her jump of 4'11" is the highest jump we have had among the girls in well over 7 years, and signs are that she will jump even higher once our outdoor season is underway.

Next was Nina in the third of 5 heats in the mile.  Let’s bear in mind that this is Nina’s first foray into track itself, and although she has worked with the mile before in cross country (the mile is not an event in the track season for us), she, too, had never dealt with a 292 meter oval. At any rate, she handled the novelty (all aspects of it) of the race quite well. In fact, her time of 6:07.2 at a distance that is a bit longer than the 1600m was three seconds faster than the time trial she had posted in the 1600 a week ago. This was a revealing performance for her, to say the least, especially as it points toward even faster times this spring.

Wade-Watta, after multiple warm-ups and sessions of stretching, finally lined up for her heat of the 400. I actually do not recall which heat or how many heats there were in total; there were over 100 participants in all with a max of 6 per heat. Starting in a weird spot on the track (to account for the 292m oval), she powered away to a strong 1^st 200m and held on to post a finishing time of 62.3, which was 1.5 seconds faster than her time trial last week. This, too, is promising, for once we return to the standard 400m track where she will be able to execute the different phases of the run, Wade-Watta will be looking at this time through her rear-view mirror.

Lastly, our co-captain Tricia, who had the longest time to wait for the shortest race, took to the track at well after 5pm in heat 10 of 21 in the 200 meter dash. Suffering through the same warm-up frustrations as Wade-Watta, Tricia was actually ecstatic to run and have at it.  In fact, I would venture a wager that her relief at finally being at the start line far exceeded the nervousness that accompanies most sprinters, especially when they have had to watch and hear the blistering times of so many others in the previous nine heats. Fortunately, the 200m is a race that involves very simple strategy:  run fast; then keep on running fast until you have to stop. Being out in the last lane, however, is a bit daunting for even the elite runners in our sport.  You are the target for everyone else, while you, on the other hand, have no one to use as a gauge of where you are in the race. That aside, Tricia pushed herself around what was an inordinately long turn to finish in 30.1, slightly faster than her opening 200 in our season opener (Longstreth) last year.  Once again, her performance affords an optimistic lens through which to prepare for the competitive outdoor season this year.

In sum, I could not be prouder of these ladies – surely for the great sacrifice of time and the eagerness to enter this meet, but most importantly for their overall sacrifice of time this winter to put in the sweat and work in hopes of entering our season with a sharper edge. Their results at this meet give ample validation to their hard work, and I hope that it fills them with as much excitement and optimism for our season that it does me.  They, in particular, and we, as a team, are all the better for their efforts; and for that, they deserve a very hearty Thank-you from all of us.

Vaulters!

Pole Vaulting Squad

Juniors Daniela Sullinger and Ana White hope to bring to their debut with the track team all the new knowledge and experience they earned at the recent Slippery Rock University camp for beginning vaulters.  They were joined by senior Alex Balli, new vault coach, Mr. Adam Yankay, and WRA alum, Anthony Boerio.

Speedsters

What a quartet! 4-by-fast! 4 x 100; 4 x 200; 4 x 400, with new records in 4 x 100 (50.9) and 4 x 200 (1:48.0). Look out next year!

Rock and his two girls, daughter and advisee

Seniors form bedrock of team this year

10th Annual Jason Manse Relays

10^th Annual Jason Manse Relays

Canton Central Catholic High School

18/May/2013

In their last outing of the season, seven girls [co-captains Margot and Christine, fellow seniors Daisy and Lucy, juniors Trish and Annie, and sophomore Cat] traveled to Canton Central Catholic High School to participate in the 10^th Annual Jason Manse Relays.  While the initial intention was to compete in only the pole vault, the 1500m run, and the three relays (4 x 100m, 4 x 200m, and 4 x 400m), two quick developments changed those plans. First, Captain Margot Warner was truly under the weather and not feeling well at all; hence, a joint decision that she not run the 1500.  At about the same time, we heard that the officials were wondering if WRA was entering the high jump relay.  Two of our sprinters, Cat and Daisy (who, incidentally, had been playing around at the high jump pit after a workout only a few days earlier) decided that they would like to enter as a relay just for fun.  And fun it was!! Without warm-up or practice, they entered the competition and, as a two-person relay, captured 2^nd place, with Cat clearing 4’ 6” (barely missing 4’ 8”) and Daisy clearing 4’ 10” (with very close attempts at 5’).

In the interim, Lucy had equaled her own school record of 8’ 6” in the pole vault and had a couple of close attempts at 9 feet.

And that was the start of a very exciting day for the Lady Pioneers.  The foursome of Trish, Cat, Annie and Daisy, stepped onto the track, knowing that in order to break the record that they were chasing in the 4 x 200m (1:48.8, set in 1986), they would have to do everything just right. They had come close two meets earlier with a time of 1:49.3; so, they knew that it was in them. The gun sounded; off they went.  As I watched the passes (where I thought those extra tenths of a second might get shaved), I was worried, as they were not as crisp and fast as they had been in practice the day before.  But, then I glanced at the first split from Trish, and she was under the time that we knew she needed if that record was going to fall. This scenario played itself out with each successive pass; not the best passes, but Wow, did they run in between!! Each girl was hitting the split that would bring them closer to that record.  At the end, upon glancing at the final time, I held my excitement, knowing that the official time would rule the day.  Then, the official word came: Western Reserve Academy, 3^rd, with a time of 1:48.0, precisely the time that I had captured.  Screams of joy!!!

Next, Chris stepped onto the track for her run at the 200m hurdles, a strange event, indeed. Two developments:  one – she and I had been practicing with an extra hurdle, 6 instead of the 5 with which she was presented today.  Well, she negotiated that surprise reasonably well enough to capture 4^th place with a time of 32.6 (6-tenths of a second faster than she had run in that event last year).  But wait; they discover that one of the hurdlers had one fewer hurdle than the rest of the group.  This glitch meant that they would need to re-run the event.  The decision was to have the “do-over” after the final scheduled event, the 4 x 400m.  That would mean that Chris would need to gear up to run it again in less than 20 minutes.  The second running occurs and Chris not only runs the same time (now on legs a bit more tired) as in the first running, she also moved up a place, snagging 3^rd in the final of the 200m hurdles.

Between the two episodes of the 200m hurdles, the sprint relay foursome have to head back to the track to attempt another run at one of those old records. This time, it was the 4 x 100m, a mark that had been standing since 1985.  Once again, the thinking was that everything had to be right if they were to dip under the 28-year old time of 51.1.  Again, they had brushed against the record two meets earlier with a time of 51.8.  So, where would we shave off those 8-tenths of a second? And once more, we looked to the passes and possibly some extra push from each girl.  Well, the gun exploded and Trish had us on the way.  This time that first pass was a bit crisper, then, the second pass happens, and I see that they are right on track.  In fact, there was visible determination in the way they were running at this point.  That third pass goes lightning fast and here comes Daisy down the home stretch.  She crosses the line in fourth, but that was hardly the aspect that interested me then.  Again, I had to restrain myself, hoping that the girls would not look up and ask me if they had done it.  My stopwatch had a nicely frozen final time that excited me, but I had to go down to the official for confirmation.  Before I could reach the finish line, that confirmation came; my time of 50.88, rounded as it should be to 50.9, was enough to re-write the record.  And screams of joy once AGAIN pierce the air.

During that second celebration, we realized that Trish really was hurting, and the decision to forego the 4 x 400m was made with little hesitation, which actually came from Trish herself, wanting to push through the 400 so that Daisy would have a fitting close to her high school track career with another chance at breaking 60 in the 400.  Graciously and unselfishly, Daisy would have none of it; we were not going to run the 4 x 400m, and that was more than fine by all of us. 

Can you believe it? – With only six competitors, we entered only 5 of the 16 events AND we did not finish last.  This sextet scored well enough to finish 7^th overall in the meet.

This day had been even more joyous than had we tried to script it.  And although we were not sure if it counts as the type of result that merits ringing the victory bell, we did it anyway.  And it sounded great!!!!

Congratulations, ladies.

Papa G

East Canton Hornet Relays

On Saturday, May 11, the Girls’ Track & Field team concluded its season at the East Canton Hornet Relays, where we earned the 2^nd place trophy.  It was a nice close to a great season.  The girls turned in numerous personal best performances and a couple of season best performances.  On top of it all, we set two meet records.  The highlights were the following:

Earning 3^rd place honors were the high jump and discus trios.

In 2^nd place, we had the Distance Medley and the Shuttle Hurdles.

And capturing 1^st place were the long jump trio, the 4 x 200, and the 4 x 100 quartet of Tricia, Cat, Annie and Daisy not only came in first, they also set a meet record of 51.8. 

That same foursome came back a few minutes later to duplicate their earlier efforts with not only a win in the 4 x 400, but also a meet record of 4:14.8, which was also a Season Best time for the group.

Congratulations to all the girls!!!!  It has been a great season!! 

Cuyahoga Heights Relays

On Saturday, May 4, the Girls traveled to Cuyahoga Heights to participate in the Cuyahoga Relays, where we finished in fourth place.  Despite our overall final place in the meet, we had a good number of Season Best performances and Personal Records.

Some of the highlights were:

• The DMR had a Season Best in its 4^th place finish, while the 4 x 800, in 3^rd place also ran a Season Best
• 2^nd place for the pole vault relay, where Lucy tied her own school record, and both Lisie and Charley had PRs.
• Also capturing 2^nd place and running a Season Best time was the 4 x 1600
• The 4 x 400 ended the meet with another exciting race, running a Season Best and coming in at 2^nd.
• The Shuttle team captured our only 1^st place medals.

Congratulations to the hurdlers and 
ALL of the girls for a great job!!!

Laurel Meet - April 30, 2013

Here are the results/splits for the final open meet at Laurel, principally an opportunity for younger, newer kids (who typically do not go to the big meets) to compete, or for other varsity athletes to try something new or to use the meet as an additional training day. 

It was great to see the improvements that the "Young Guns" have made this season, and for the most part, they, too, were pleased with their results. I could not be happier for them; their consistent hard work has paid off, and we coaches hope that the progress that each of these young ladies has made this year will serve as a strong foundation for their next season of track and as a key element in their continued enthusiasm for the sport.

Geno

East Palestine Relays

This past Friday, Girls’ Track & Field traveled to East Palestine to compete in the East Palestine Relays.

Although we finished in 5^th, nearly every relay group had a Season Best performance.  There were three races – 4 x 100; 4 x 200; 4 x 800 -- where the top three teams (which included us) were bunched within a second of each other at the finish line.  Very exciting running, to say the least.

Our highlights:

Shot and discus relays were 6^th, while the high jump duo, which came in 4^th, turned in their best combined total of the year.

Finishing in 3^rd place and having Season-Best times were the 4 x 1600, the Distance Medley, and the 4 x 800. The long jump relay also in 3^rd, had their best combined jump total of the season.

We had 4 relay teams that captured 2^nd places.  These included the Shuttle Hurdles and the 4 x 400, that had a 3-second season best time. Also coming in 2^nd place was the quartet of Trish, Cat, Annie and Daisy, who ran both the 4 x 100 and the 4 x 200, and in each event, came within a second of the school record.

         

Great job, Ladies.

Geno~

Laurel Open Meet Results

The girls did quite well, and although most of the "Young Guns" improved upon their previous time trials, special props go to:

• Shivani in the 800m w/ 2:44.9
• Irina in the 1600m w/ 6:24.7
• Morrisa w/ 30.2 in the 200m
• Diane w/ 13.5 in the 100m and 12' 7" in the Long Jump
• Caroline w/ 15.3 in the 100m
• Jelly w/ 13' 1.25" in the Long Jump
• Madison's PR w/ 85' 7" in the discus

Overall good day.

G

Girls take 2nd at Perry Relays

Perry Relays - April 20, 2013

Nordonia Relay Results

Nordonia Announcement

This past Saturday, Girls’ Track & Field (also) competed in the Nordonia Relays, where we finished in 10^th place among a field of Division I big schools. Although we unfortunately had to scratch from four events, the team did manage to score in 5 of the events we entered, with each relay running faster times than at our previous meet.

Highlights were:

The 4 x 200 came in 8^th, while the 4 x 400 was 6^th

The 4 x 800 was 5^th and the 4 x 100 captured 3^rd .

The Iron Ladies Relay, with Jessie, Maya, Madison and Maggie, came in 2^nd place.

Speaking of Iron Ladies, Emma Presley notched a PR in the shot with 28 feet, 6 ¾ inches.

Nice Job, Ladies.

2013 Longstreth Relays