State Track Preview: West M athletes aiming high

FALLS TOWNSHIP — West Muskingum's 4x100 relay team shattered the school record when it mattered most last week at the Division II regional meet at Muskingum's McConagha Stadium.

Sophomore Lane Kennedy, freshman Jaxon Prang, senior Ty Shawger and junior Rashid Sesay saved their best race for the most important time, posting a :43.38 that trailed only champion South Point (:43:03) and Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (:43.28).

Now the task gets even bigger.

The Tornadoes' speedy quartet is among an extensive list of teams who will run at the state meet, set for today and Saturday at Ohio State's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

In Sesay's case, he will also compete in the 100 after placing third at the regional. Throwers Rebecca Strunk (shot) and Mykell Bowen (discus) — both were regional champions — will represent the Tornadoes' girls.

Preliminaries for all but the 4x800 relays and select field event finals will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, with all other running event finals set for Saturday. The top nine finishers in each prelim reach the finals, while the top eight placers earn All-Ohio.

Sesay and Shawger, both football standouts, are in the 200-pound range and usually don't pass for the typical sprinter body usually associated with those events.

The times suggest they more than hold their own with some of the best. Sesay has timed at :10.89 in the 100 and :22.26 in the 200, and he feels his size actually gives him an advantage in certainly weather conditions.

"I am like 20 pounds heavier than last year and even getting faster," Sesay said. "That just shows that Coach (Zach) Durfee knows what he is doing."

It's Durfee's training that helped Sesay and Shawger make significant strides in their athleticism and speed. That translated to big years on the gridiron for both players, even as they fought injuries.

"Before Durfee, I really didn't buy in to track," Sesay said. "I thought it was all about the weight program — just lift and lift and lift. Sure, that makes you strong, but where is the athleticism and explosiveness on the football field? That's where he has helped.

"The position I am in (as a running back), I started buying into Durfee," Sesay said. "I was becoming a better athlete, more bouncy and more athletic. That is important. That's what the guys at the next level do."

Durfee said his philosophy is about training speed and sprinting as fast as possible.

"If you train your maximum velocity to get faster, you're going to be able to move way faster and be able to lift heavier, be able to jump higher," Durfee said. "All of my kids, they all know because we have chips that time them. We get direct feedback on how many miles per hour they can run at top speed. So they know they are getting better and faster."

Shawger watched from afar as a spectator at least year's state meet after falling short of qualifying. One of the area's most versatile track performers — he also competed in the triple jump, high jump and discus — today will mark the first time that he can devote his time and energy to one event.

He still doesn't think they've reached their pinnacle.

"I have only stood on a state championship podium one time (during indoor track) and it would be awesome to be able to do that again," Shawger said. "I am hoping we can break 43 (seconds). We get all the pieces together, I think we can break it, especially if we can execute all of our handoffs."

Shawger said the youth of Prang and Kennedy hasn't shown in competition. Kennedy finished just outside of the finals at regionals in the 100.

"We knew it was going to be some tough competition," Shawger said. "Everyone ran their best race and so did we. Doing it on the biggest stage with all of the chips on the line, that was awesome. Now we have to do it again."

Sesay said they aren't just going for participation trophies.

"I'm very excited for the experience, and excited to be there, but I am showing up with the mentality that I want to achieve something that no one has really done in our school," Sesay said. "With our 4x1 team, we aren't just there, we're there to win. We just have to really dial in."

Strunk dominated the Muskingum Valley League during the regular season and followed it up with district and regional titles. She threw 38-5 3/4 to win the region, just ahead of John Glenn's Chelsea Sotherden (37-11).

Bowen's final throw was her best at the district, marking at 122-02, just ahead of Sheridan's Lily Dennis.

Durfee said he's excited to see how his pupils perform on the grand stage, something he feels will be an easy adjustment for Sesay and Shawger after playing before large crowds in football the past two years.

"They have been battle-tested all year," Durfee said. "Ty and Rashid have been with me since November with indoor, and we've competed with those dudes we're going to see all indoor season".

Morgan hurdler eyeing more

Morgan senior Odessa Smith is no stranger to state meet success, having placed sixth in the 300 hurdles and seventh in the 100 hurdles as a junior. She has been even better this year, ranking among the state's elite in both events.

She and John Glenn's Kara Fields, her future teammate at Ashland University, have two of the top three qualifying times in the 100 hurdles behind Marengo Highland's Juliette Laracuente-Huebner.

Smith, Fields and Sheridan's Claire Shriner are among a tightly packed contingent in the 300 hurdles, where Smith's qualifying time of :45.18 is the second-fastest in the first heat and fifth overall.

"I'm just going to go in and run my times," Smith said, adding she was disappointed in her state finishes last year. "It's definitely going to be a lot closer with so many of us packed together."

That means precision will be paramount. A self-taught hurdler, Smith said that she has all but remolded her form this year to improve her times. That meant breaking plenty of old habits and creating new ones.

"Usually if I hit even one hurdle it takes one-tenth (of a second) off my time," said Smith, who said she wasn't pleased with her form at the regional, yet still broke 15 seconds in the 100s.

She admitted that the 100 hurdles are her favorite event, in which she clocked at :14.58 last week. That, she said, was despite not being in top form.

She added the 4x400 relay and pulled out of the long jump during the postseason, in an effort to build more stamina. She feels it has paid off — her regional times would have placed in the top five at last year's state meet.

She has purposely practiced in the heat of the afternoon this week to prepare for the impending heat expected both days.

"I'm just trying to prepare myself as much as possible," Smith said.

John Glenn banking on experience

The Muskies have one of the largest area contingents heading to Columbus, led by senior Kara Fields, who will compete in both hurdles, the 100 and 300. She was All-Ohio in the 100H last year after finishing eighth and believes that experience was beneficial to her approach this year.

"Last year prepared me on how to handle a big stage and control my nerves in that setting," she said. "My focus is to run my own race. In the 100, I will focus on part of my technique and in the 300, I try to sprint as far and long as I can. Both races come down to me doing what I know how to do."

Sophomore Jessica Church, who qualified for the 400 last season, will run the 100 and 400 and sophomore Brayden Snider returns to the state in the pole vault after placing 10th in the event last season.

Having a year of experience is crucial, noted Church, who was 15th in the 400 last year. She also believes the 100 can assist her in trying to reach the podium.

"I know the track better, and the 100 will be a good warmup for the 400. My goal is to improve on last year," Church said. "I've run (the 400) well all season, and I know what my strategy is. I need to trust my ability and run with the effort I have all season.

"It makes it more fun to have a lot of teammates there," Church added. "I'll root for all of them, and they'll be rooting for me. It's nice to know that support will be there."

Junior Chelsea Sotherden will throw the shot and junior Ava Hoffman will take part in the high jump for the John Glenn girls, while senior Cash Smith will represent the boys in the 110 hurdles.

Sotherden was returning from a knee injury she suffered as a sophomore. She admitted being apprehensive about it early in the season, but she has confidence in her knee.

Sotherden should also benefit from previous state experience. As a freshman, she finished 13th in the shot at the state meet.

"This year was me trying to beat the odds of overcoming a knee injury and getting back to state," she said. "I've seen that level of competition, and it helps with my approach and getting into a throwing mindset. I want to make sure my body is rested, and my mind is in the right place so I'm ready to go on Saturday."

Hoffman earned one of the wild card berths by clearing 5-2 in the regional, which was a personal best. She has seen some of the top competition, including Meadowbrook's Camden Black, who won the region at 5-5. It comes down to focusing on her skill, Hoffman noted.

"We talked about going to state and knew it was possible. My mind was still blown when I heard I earned a berth," Hoffman said. "I get a chance to compete with a lot of the girls I know. I need to stay out of my head and just do what I know how.

"It's really nice to know my teammates will be there, cheering me on," she added. "I'm hoping to get in a few more good jumps, and I'm super excited to get this chance."

The team's success has been highlighted by balance, and it's no surprise the Muskies will be represented in numerous events. Coach Doug Joy will keep the routine as normal as possible.

"We didn't treat the district or regional meet any differently than anything else. We're going to do the same with state," Joy said. "We have high expectations for Kara with her experience. We have other kids who have a chance to be on the podium. We need to compete like we have all year, and hopefully, the results will be there for us."

Sheridan girls aiming high

Sheridan girls coach Doug Cattran has high hopes for a group of qualifiers he said has been driven from the season's outset to return to Columbus.

They are led by mid-distance specialist Beckett Strong and hurdler Claire Shriner, along with discus thrower Lily Dennis and the 4x400 relay team of Nora Covey, Shriner, Siennah Ramirez and Strong.

Strong will run the 400 and Shriner will be one of three MVL girls in the 300 hurdles.

"I'm exceptionally proud," Cattran said. "This has been a very talented team. We're very young and that's exciting, in addition to Lily with the throws. She has a chance to make the podium, and she has more in her."

Cattran said that Shriner "has been running like a girl possessed," and finally broke the elusive 45-second mark against Smith in the 300 hurdles at the regional. That competition has driven her to improve, he said, and she now sits just :00.2 off the school record.

"I think having a girl like Odessa in our league really gives Claire something to aim toward," Cattran said. "She really wants to have that same type of success and I know she is capable of it."

Sheridan's boys will be represented by its 4x800 relay team of senior Cooper Winders, juniors Simon Conrad and John Skinner and sophomore Tate Ruthers, who have the 16th-best time among 18 teams.

Philo set to make most of the opportunity

Anna Stutes battled through it all to finally represent the Electrics at the state meet. Coach Kara Harris noted COVID canceled Stutes' freshman season, while an injury affected Stutes' sophomore season. Last year, Stutes was trying to return to form, but this year, it has all come together.

She will compete in the long jump and provides the upperclassmen leadership for the 4x200, which includes sophomore Makenna Staker and freshmen Aubree DeLong and Angelina Myer.

"She worked hard in the offseason and made the long jump for the indoor state meet. Plus, she's having a blast," Harris said. "She's been able to do her thing and has set the school record a few times in the long jump. Her confidence is through the roof, and she's focused and determined. It's why she's peaking at the right time."

Having someone like Stutes on the relay has assisted the underclassmen's growth. Harris credited her leadership in giving the relay this opportunity.

"Anna was in the fieldhouse working with them on handoffs and leading stretches during the regional meet. She's taken those girls under her wing," Harris said. "The young pups have performed well, and I want them to have fun and enjoy the experience. We're two seconds from the school record, and that's something we're aiming for. They're a great group of kids who deserve this opportunity."

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: State Track Preview: West M athletes aiming high