Nordonia boys track runs down fourth in Suburban League

Regardless of what happens in the fast-paced post season meets, Matt Hayes showed why he is one of the elite athletes in the area in track and field.

The Nordonia standout demonstrated his value all over the place at the Suburban League National Conference Championships in Twinsburg as Hayes made his presence felt in a variety of events.

Nordonia co-head coaches Mike Martin and Ron Gura were elated with Hayes, who was a double champion in the hurdle races!

Hayes captured the 110-meter high hurdles crown in 15.198 seconds. In his 300-meter hurdles title, Hayes repeated as champion with a time of 39.38 seconds, which was his best this season.

Last spring, Hayes broke the meet record in the 300-meter hurdles with a clocking of 38.49 seconds.

For good measure, Hayes also won the high jump title as he amassed a whopping 36 points in the meet! He reached 6-feet to win the crown.

Hayes is expected to be a major threat in a few events as Nordonia hosts the Division I District Championships Wednesday and Friday as the top four athletes in each event for the boys and girls will advance to the Austintown Fitch Regional Championships May 25 and May 27.

Thanks to Hayes, Nordonia placed a strong fourth in a deep boy’s race.

Stow-Munroe Falls won the team crown by nipping Hudson 146.5-146 while Twinsburg was third at 115 points. Nordonia placed a strong fourth with 104 points.

“Matt continues to show he is one of the best track athletes in Northeast Ohio by winning three events,” commented Martin.

“In addition, Matt also ran on the third-place 1,600-meter relay, which posted one of the top times in the state at 3:21.42,” said Martin.

That 1,600-meter relay also included Matt Cooper, Dylan Henson, and Alex Bye.

Chris Turner also had a sensational meet for the Knights and is quietly having a banner season.

The Knight staff is thrilled with Turner, who won his first league championship in the 3,200-meter open race with a blazing time of 9-minutes and 33.70 seconds.

“Chris just finished outside of the school record of Chris Campbell and he had a personal best time,” said Martin.

“The boys are getting faster (overall) heading into the district meet and we are excited to see how the post season progresses,” pointed out Martin.

Nordonia’s girls team also had some bright performances and finished sixth in a strong meet with 58 points as Twinsburg edged Hudson for title honors 137-125.

Headlining the girls for Nordonia was the efforts of Emily Eterovich in the pole vault.

Eterovich had a sensational effort in the pole vault with a season best vault of 12-4 feet. She threatened the meet record of 12-6 set in 2013 by Green’s Morgan Estes.

While the meet record was missed, Eterovich didn’t miss on the school record! Eterovich’s effort broke the 2016 school mark of 12-3 feet set by Rachel Coghill.

“The girls team again were led by Emily Eterovich and Alexis Hives,” noted Martin.

“Emily won the pole vault with a school record vault and she was also on the third-place 400-meter relay,” added Martin.

“She (Eterovich) was disappointed in her false start in the 300 hurdles,” pointed out Martin as she was one of the top seeds in the vent. “Emily will not run the hurdles in the district meet as she will be focusing on the pole vault and relays in the post season.”

Hives starred for the Lady Knights by capturing a championship in the long jump. Hives beat top seed Sydney Sheppert, of Stow, as she leaped 16-feet and 11.25 inches! Hives also ran fifth in the 100 hurdles in 16.71 ticks.

“Alexis continued with some great jumps by winning the suburban league and she placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles, was a member of the (third-place) 400 relay and the sixth-place 800 relay,” offered Martin.

Saidah Adeyemi also had an outstanding meet for the girls.

Adeyemi scored big with a third-place in the high jump as she lifted to 4-10 feet. She also ran well in a power-packet 400-meters race. She crossed fourth with a blazing time of 100:81.

“That was a lifetime best for Saidah in the 400-meters and she also remained consistent in the high jump, plus ran in the 800 and 1,600-meter relays for us,” observed Martin.

Tamia Hameed also ran well for Nordonia. She was timed at 26.25 in the 200-meter finals to finish fourth overall.

“In the 200, that was a season best for Tamia,” noted Martin.

Grasping third-place in a deep 400-meter relay, the Knight’s crew was clocked at 50.56 seconds behind the running of Hameed, Eterovich, Hives, and Rachel Dudich.

In the open 800-meters, Nordonia scored with top times from Riley Barwidi (2:30.46) and Analeise Artino (2:31.87).

The 800-meter relay took sixth in 1:51.56 with Adeyemi, Hives, Dudich, and Hameed.

Nordonia’s 3,200-meter relay ran strong to place seventh with a fast time of 10:27.20. This cast had Sarah Sedor, Payton Pelkowski, Barwidi, and Artino.

“Barwidi and Artino also led the 3,200 relay to a season best time,” remarked Martin.

Also placing seventh was Cammie Becker in the shot put with a good toss of 29-4 feet.

The 1,600-meter relay also ran seventh in 4:24.86 with Barwidi, Hameed, Vegas Roganish, and Adeyemi. Leading the team in the discus throw was Bailey Chapman, who had a heave of 84-8 feet.

“I think we have a great opportunity to move some of our relays and individuals at the district meet,” noted an optimistic Martin.

Nordonia’s boys had some impressive scoring as well to support Hayes, Turner, and the 1,600-meter relay.

An improving Trevor Rhoden finished third in the long jump for the Knights with a leap of 19-7 feet.

Bye stood out for the boys as well. He ran well in a deep 800-meters competition as he was clocked at 1:57.59.

“Alex ran three very good races,” said Martin. “Anchoring the 3,200-meter relay to a fourth-place finish, that group had a season best of 8:06.7. He also had a personal best in the 800 and anchored the 1,600-meter relay with a 50.0 split.”

Another superb race for the Knights came by Nathan Gerhart, who seized fourth-place in the 3,200 with a swift time of 10:00.34.

“Nathan ran a lifetime best,” noted Martin.

Making up the fourth-place 3,200 relay for Nordonia was Turner, Bye, Gerhart, and James Jackson.

Martin also was pleased with Myles Fountain’s fourth-place effort in the high jump. Fountain lifted to 5-8 feet.

“Myles Fountain had a nice meet,” said Martin, who also got two solid races in the 200-meter dash with Henson and Daylon Brown, who crossed fourth and fifth, respectively. Henson was timed at 22.79 ticks and Brown, at 22.94.

The duo also ran in the club’s fourth-place 800-meter relay as Brown led off, followed by Henson, Josh Toker, and Cooper.

“Dylan Henson and Daylon Brown had strong meets contributing in the relays,” said Martin. “Dylan ran on the 1,600 relay with a 49.9 split. Daylon ran on the 800-meter relay and also ran on the 400 relay.”

“Matt Cooper had a strong effort in leading off the 1,600 relay and had a nice effort in the 800-meter relay as well,” added Martin.

The 400-meter relay ran fourth in 44.33 ticks with Javon Gartrell, Toker, Vince Natali, and Brown.

“Javon (Gartrell) had a nice meet placing sixth in the long jump (sixth at 18-2.25 feet) and running on the 400 relay,” declared Martin.

Martin was also pleased with senior Will Busse, who placed fifth in the discus with a strong throw of 120-06 feet and placed eighth in the shot put with a toss of 40-1.5 feet.

Another senior who stood out was Jacob Colbert.

“Jacob ran a person best 4:39.63, placing sixth in the 1600-meter run,” offered Martin, who also got scoring from Ryan Kinch in the 400 as he ran seventh in 53.04.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Nordonia boys track runs down fourth in Suburban League