To become one of the top track and field athletes in the state of Ohio certainly takes a high level of commitment and dedication to the process of improvement.
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To become one of the top track and field athletes in the state of Ohio certainly takes a high level of commitment and dedication to the process of improvement.
For Geauga County athletes from Cardinal, Chagrin Falls, Chardon, Kenston and West Geauga, this devotion culminated in competition in the OHSAA State Track and Field Tournament on June 6 and 7 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at The Ohio State University.
Earning All-Ohio honors were Kara Deister (West Geauga), Tommy Mooney (Chagrin Falls), Max Soltis (Cardinal) and Natalie Zalud (Chagrin Falls).
Deister, a junior from West Geauga, competed in three events including the high jump, 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles.
In the high jump, Deister finished fourth (5 feet, 5 inches) to secure a spot on the podium. In addition, she finished 10th in the 300m hurdles (46.13) and 13th in the 100m hurdles (15.36).
Deister was happy to compete at the state level for a second consecutive year.
“It’s really a great atmosphere (at the state tournament),” Deister said. “The stands are packed, parents are coming out. It’s great having support from everyone.”
Leading up to the tournament, Deister’s outdoor track season was complicated by injuries.
“It was hard to push through, but we got here,” she said. “Getting down here in three events is hard. You’re splitting your time between high jump, hurdle technique, longer workouts.”
On making All-Ohio in the high jump, she added, “It felt good. I moved up a place since last year. I was proud of myself for that one.”
Also finishing on the podium was Max Soltis from Cardinal, who threw 157-10 in discus, good for seventh place.
Soltis said earning All-Ohio honors took a lot of hard work and commitment over the long term.
“It’s been a long process for sure,” he said. “I’ve been putting my head down, getting the work in all the time. This is the hardest I’ve ever worked in the off-season. Then it paid off pretty well, so that’s pretty cool.”
Starting off in the first flight at the tournament, Soltis said he was able to get the distance needed to advance to the finals, where he was ultimately pleased with his throws.
“Didn’t have the mark I quite wanted in the prelims, but it got me enough to (get to) finals,” he said. “Then I popped a halfway decent throw. I am pretty happy with it.”
The Chagrin Falls Tigers saw two athletes earn All-Ohio Honors.
Tom Mooney earned a spot on the podium in the 1600m as he ran a 4:13.01 mile, which was good for sixth place.
Advancing to the state tournament and making the podium was a great way for Mooney to end his high school track career.
“It was definitely a very special experience for me,” he said. “Being a senior, never being at this meet before, I was just really excited for the opportunity. I am grateful for all the work I put in this year, and it’s finally seemed to pay off.”
Strategically, during the 1600m, Mooney said he knew it was going to be a very fast start, so he decided to stay back in the pack of runners early on — a tactic that worked great, as he completed the first half of the race in 2:07. He said at the point, he was feeling great.
During the last 800m, Mooney continued to feel energetic.
“I got through the 1200m at 3:12, and I’m like ;Oh my goodness, I’m with the top guys right now.’ And I just felt so good, it was such an electric moment,” Mooney said. “It just all came together today. Words can’t describe how happy I feel.”
Finishing on the podium for the Tigers was junior Natalie Zalud, who earned All-Ohio honors with an eighth place finish in the pole vault (11-0).
In doing so, Zalud continued an excellent junior season, as she had also earned All-Ohio honors at the Indoor Track State Championship.
“It’s so exciting to be here after not making it last year,” Zalud said of the outdoor championships. “It’s just a great experience, and getting podium my first time being at (outdoor) states, it’s just really fun.”
The key to having a successful performance and earning All-Ohio Honors at the state tournament for Zalud was to be confident.
“I just made sure to tell myself that I could do it,” she said.
Additionally, competing for the Tigers at the state tournament was Chagrin Falls’ girls 4 x 200m relay team (Olivia Horvath, Lilly Stukus, Mackenzie Verderber and Molly Wheatley) and Gabby Byrne (3200m).
The Tigers girls 4 x 200m relay team finished 16th with a time of 9:54.92, and Gabby Byrne finished 10th in the 3200m with a time of 11:17.74.
Representing Geauga County in the Division I Track and Field State Tournament were Caleb Hewitt from Chardon and Brianna McIvor from Kenston.
To qualify for the state finals in the 100m, Hewitt broke the Chardon school record with a 10.6. He went on to finish 9th in the 100m (10.93) and 10th in the 200m (21.64) at the tournament.
McIvor also broke her school’s record in order to qualify for the state finals in the 3200m, with a time of 10:54.27. At the tournament, she would finish 16th in the 3200m (11:22).
