Hudson's first indoor track season yields huge results

The first Hudson indoor track and field team recently completed its inaugural season with fabulous results for both the girls and boys teams.

With Jeff Hildebrand as indoor head coach, the Explorers produced big results.

Hildebrand, who is the head girls track coach and an assistant football coach for Hudson, guided the Explorers to a successful season that will have measurable impacts on the boys and girls track teams that will be opening their seasons soon.

“In previous years, indoor track athletes practiced and competed pretty much on their own,” said Hildebrand. “Hudson never had an official indoor track team and the need was there to get organized. Our association has been pushing for more organized participation for the benefit of the kids and the sport.”

“We had a great turnout with over seventy kids joining the team,” offered Hildebrand.

Entering the season, Hudson officials didn’t know what to expect, but the presence of an organized program should benefit the outdoor teams.

“Coming into the inaugural season for our indoor club track and field team I really didn’t know what to expect,” said Hildebrand. “Getting huge numbers of participants, sending so many to the conference and State Championships, and setting several school records, is a real indicator of just how hard the team has been working all winter.”

Highlights of the season included 29 athletes qualifying for the conference All-Star meet and twelve qualifying for the State championship meet.

As a member of the huge Northeast Ohio Indoor Track Conference, with over forty schools competing, qualifying for the All-star meet was no easy task.

Hudson shined at the Feb. 17 NEOITC Meet at Spire Institute in Geneva.

For the girls, sophomore standout Ellie Miele qualified for the 60-meter dash (and placed sixth overall), the 200-meter dash, and the 400-meter race. Freshman Katie Will qualified in the 1,600-meter run and was a runner-up while sophomore Savannah Reaper qualified in the 3,200-meter race, and sophomore Madilyn Forst qualifying in the 60-meter hurdles.

Three of the girls relay teams qualified with Miele, junior Kristine Roegner and sophomores Brooke Iuston and Samantha Rosenberg forming the 800-meter relay.

The 1,600 relay team consisted of Will, freshman Jillian Paolucci and juniors Sofia Boyle and Quinn Regan. Running in the 3,200 relay were Will, Paolucci and juniors Ellie Gallagher and Leah Clemens.

Hudson’s boys had great success in the all-star meet as well.

Senior Colin Levan captured the title in the 800-meter race while senior Aikido Gogusoglu qualified in the 60-meter run (placing sixth), junior Reece Bacak in the 200-meters (eighth overall), sophomore Tyler Ginther in the 1600-meter run, senior Scott Bayliss in the high jump, senior Blake Toth in the shot put (placed sixth) and junior Brogen Kapela and sophomore Maximo Bangayan both competed in the long jump.

In all, three boys relay teams qualified with Gogusoglu, Bacak, sophomore Kaito Suzuki and junior Derek Huminsky competing in the 800 relay. Gogusoglu and Huminsky, along with LeVan and senior Brendan Root also ran in the 1,600 relay.

Root, Ginther, sophomore George Barker and freshman Bradley Schuster took part in the 3,200 relay.

Hudson also had positive results at the OATCCC Indoor State Championships in Division I, held March 4 at Spire Institute in Geneva.

“The season ended with the state championships and we advanced twelve team members to this prestigious event,” remarked Hildebrand.

The boys squad sent Toth to the state meet in the shot put toss, Gogusoglu in the 60 meter dash as well as LeVan, who crossed fifth overall in the 800-meter run.

Representing the girls were Meile in the 400-meter dash, (10th overall), junior Ruby Jacops ran ninth overall in the open 800, and Will, who sped to eighth-place in the 1,600-meter run.

The girls 800-meter relay of Miele, Iuston, Rosenberg and Roegner also qualified along with Will, Miele, Regan and Jacops in the 1,600 relay.

“Several school records were broken this season,” stressed Hildebrand.

“Miele, in addition to her record in the outdoor 200-meter dash, now holds five school indoor records. She is now first in the 60, 200 and 400 meters and part of the record setting 800 relay along with Roegner, Iuston and Rosenberg. She is also a member of the record 1,600 team which included Jacops, Regan and Will. Will also broke the record in the 1600 meter run at the state championships.”

“The boys relay squad of Gogusoglu, Huminsky, LeVan, and Root set a new school record in the 1,600 in the state finals,” he added.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: First season for Hudson indoor track team dubbed a success