Track and Field | Colby Morlock, Isaiah Portis headline early state qualifiers

JOSHUA McWILLIAMS and Alex Tichenor, The Daily Record
·2 min read
Isaiah Portis, shown here earlier in the season, punched his state ticket in at least one event Wednesday, winning the long jump in the Div. III Massillon Regional.
Isaiah Portis, shown here earlier in the season, punched his state ticket in at least one event Wednesday, winning the long jump in the Div. III Massillon Regional.

Norwayne's Colby Morlock and Isaiah Portis are very different track and field athletes.

Morlock is one of the strongest throwers in the state, a real threat to set local records every time he competes in the shot put or discus. Meanwhile, Portis took some time away from the sport before returning as a star sprinter and long jumper.

Both earned regional titles Wednesday, leading a host of local automatic qualifiers at day one of the Division III Massillon regional meet.

Norwayne's Colby Morlock (pictured here throwing shot put at the WCAL meet) fell just shy of tying the area's all-time record in the discus of 192-6 set by Triway's Matt Hess in 2002 with a toss of 192-5.
Norwayne's Colby Morlock (pictured here throwing shot put at the WCAL meet) fell just shy of tying the area's all-time record in the discus of 192-6 set by Triway's Matt Hess in 2002 with a toss of 192-5.

Morlock's throw of 192 feet, 5 inches was good enough to win the discus by nearly five feet and Portis' long jump of 21-7¼ was more than four inches better than anyone else at Perry High School. Morlock's toss was a personal record and just one inch from tying the area's all-time record of 192-6, set by Triway's Matt Hess in 2002.

"It was a good week in practice, I felt good going into the meet, had good weather and it was just letting it rip," Morlock said. "It was really nice to see that big throw come through."

Five other local athletes also punched their state tickets — Northwestern's Emily Thompson, Norwayne's Dillon Morlock and Nic Graham, Rittman's Evan Rastorfer and Smithville's Abby Hartzler.

Dillon Morlock finished third in the discus with a throw of 185-6 and Graham was third in the pole vault, clearing 13-0. That gave Norwayne four automatic qualifiers before the main day of competition.

"Seeing Dillon make it (to state), it makes it a ton more special," said Colby Morlock of his younger brother. "He has been with me these past few years, and it just feels right having him there."

Rastorfer picked up the final automatic state bid in the long jump, leaping 20-8½ to beat the fifth-place jumper by a quarter-inch.

Meanwhile, Thompson continued her impressive year in the shot put, placing third with a throw of 37-3¼. Hartzler was the runner-up in the high jump with a leap of 5-2 to get to state.

Waynedale's 4x800 relay of Alyce Yoder, Sydney Reber, Kylee Gray and Clara Sundberg placed fifth in 9:59.45, earning an at-large state berth.

The rest of the final events will take place Friday at Perry High School.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Track and Field: Colby Morlock, Isaiah Portis win regional titles