Track & Field | Marlington and West Branch will send 13 athletes to state championships

AUSTINTOWN — It was a banner day for Marlington and West Branch, which combined to advance 13 athletes in 11 events to next week’s state meet during the Division II regional track and field finals held at Austintown Fitch’s Greenwood Falcon Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The top four finishers in each event advanced to Columbus.

Marlington advanced eight athletes in as many events to Columbus, including three regional champions — sophomore Colin Cernansky (boys 1600 meters), junior Bella Graham (girls 3200) and senior Noah Graham (boys 3200).

“I don’t think we could have scripted it any better,” said Marlington boys coach Bob Dagenhardt. “It really worked out perfect for us. These guys are so strong and I think there’s a lot left in the tank for all of them, so I’m optimistic about what we can do next week at the state meet.”

Cernansky was impressive in winning the 1600 in 4 minutes, 18.30 seconds, including an all-out sprint to the finish line in the closing 300 meters.

“I ran a 4:18, tied my PR and won the regional,” said Cernansky. “I felt really good out there today compared to last week when I didn’t feel too good. I kind of did exactly what I wanted. I wanted to go out there, stick with the top pack and with about 700 [meters] to go I made my move, went for the lead and held it.

"I’d like to place high on the podium in Columbus and set a PR, so I definitely have some good goals for the state meet.”

Bella Graham won her regional crown by capturing the 3200 in 11:12.07.

“For some reason this season I have been struggling in the 2-mile when I’m alone,” said Graham, who had hoped for a lower time. “Last season I would really focus on keeping my splits down and being disciplined in the middle laps, and for some reason this season, I just get it in my head that I can’t run fast when I’m alone.

"At state, I want to go as high as I can on the podium for the 2-mile and have a PR. I want to go low 10:40’s and really focus on just competing.”

Graham also qualified in the 1600, finishing third in 5:00.62.

Noah Graham paced with Waynedale’s Jonathan Varner for the first seven laps of his 3200 final and made his move with 350 meters left to win the race in 9:26.67, over three full seconds ahead of Varner.

“I felt fine, I kind of knew what the expectation was coming in,” said Graham. “I just wanted to walk away with the win today.

“I’m taking things one at a time. The ultimate goal is in Columbus next week and all the glory to God for this. I’m pretty happy with how far we’ve gotten.”

“They all looked great today, all of them,” said Marlington distance coach Melissa Graham-Perkins. “Colin is a young sophomore and took command of the 1600 and this is Liam [Blake’s] first time individually qualifying to state, which was great.

"And obviously, Noah in the 2-mile had an individual title and Nash [Minor] made it and Bella looked good.”

Blake qualified with a fourth-place finish in the 1600 (4:23.38) and Minor was third in the 3200 (9:34.59). Also state-bound for the Dukes were Ariana Painter (second, girls long jump, 17-0) and Elizabeth Mason (fourth, girls 100 hurdles, 15.81).

“It’s really cool,” said Mason. “I could kind of see the other girls and I saw the two in front of me and I kind of saw the girl from Field, so I knew I just had to keep going.”

“Now, hopefully, I want to get a PR [in Columbus] and try to make it to the finals,” she added.

Painter is making a repeat trip to Columbus after finishing 10th in the long jump last year.

“It feels good, really good,” said Painter. “Today I jumped 17 flat and I have very consistently been jumping 17’s. My goal at state is I want to make it to finals. I really don’t care what I place, I’m just hoping for a PR, do my best and have fun because it’s my last meet.”

Minor was thrilled to qualify after finishing third in the 3200.

“Last year I was fifth in this event with a time about a half-second slower,” he said. “So this year I’m happy to finish third and not have to wait for the wild card spots. Next week, I just want to give it my all at the state meet and hopefully that includes a PR and a nice place.”

Blake paced with the lead pack in the 1600 and made sure he was Columbus bound.

“I didn’t feel too good last night, I had a little trouble sleeping but I was just coming here and I needed to qualify,” said Blake. “It’s not my best race, a 4:23, not my fastest, but I’ve got next week.”

Meanwhile, West Branch saw its girls 4x100 and 4x200 relays punch their tickets to Columbus.

The 4x100 of Lauren Gossett, Kennedy Berger, Zoe Sanders and Anna Lippiatt finished third in a clocking of 50.58.

“I think for this year, that was a PR, so we did pretty good today and I’m happy about it,” said Lippiatt. “We want to set a PR [in Columbus]. We did not go last year, we got fifth place [at the regional] so we really wanted this relay [to go].”

“It’s awesome that we got the chance to go,” added Gossett. 

“I thought I did pretty good,” said Berger. “Now we want to get a PR [in Columbus] and do the best we can.”

“It feels really good because we missed it by just a little bit last year,” added Sanders. “Honestly, I didn’t see it happening this year because I just had surgery five weeks ago, so I didn’t think all of this would be possible, but it’s great that we did it. It’s awesome , I wouldn’t want to go with any other girls.”

West Branch’s 4x200 relay of Gossett, Berger, Sophia Gregory and Lippiatt advanced to the state for the second consecutive season after finishing fourth in 1:44.92.

“This one feels the same because last year we got fourth here too,” said Gossett. “We were off our school record by a tenth of a second.”

“I think last year it might have been a little more exciting because it was the first time [qualifying to state] but it’s still great," added Gregory. "It’s going to be really fun.”

“I’m just very proud of us and glad we’re going,” said Berger. “We want to get a PR again and get better.”

“When I got the handoff I think we were in third and one girl passed me, so I knew I at least had to keep fourth place,” added Lippiatt. “I was hoping that would happen so I’m just happy it worked out.”

Gregory also qualified in the 400 meters, finishing third in 57.92. She will be making her second appearance at the state meet in the event after finishing fifth last season.

“Lane 6 is a hard lane for me,” said Gregory. “I like [others] to be in front of me and the wind was very strong at the beginning and it didn’t help. I want a 56 [in Columbus] because my best is a 57 and a 56 would be really nice.”

Other area athletes finished in the top eight on Saturday and earned regional team points. Those included West Branch’s Josiah Hicks (eighth, boys’ 1600 meters, 4:29.99), Warrior Ryan Irwin (sixth, boys’ 110-meter hurdles, 15.54) and Marlington’s Colin Cernansky (eighth, boys’ 800 meters, 1:59.02)

Other area participants and their finishes on Saturday included Marlington’s Lauren Keithley (11th, girls’ discus, 105-8), West Branch’s Josiah Hicks (12th, boys’ 3200 meters, 10:13.26), West Branch’s Clarice Martin (12th, girls’ 1600 meters, 5:43.65) and West Branch’s Kaylee Burcaw (16th, girls’ 800 meters, 2:31.88).

The West Branch girls’ 4x400 relay had the seventh-fastest time going into the finals but scratched out of the event after many of the same members qualified for state in earlier relays.

The state meet has returned to Jesse Owens Memorial Track at The Ohio State University this weekend after being run at three separate high schools in the greater Columbus area last spring. The state meet will get under Friday.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Marlington and West Branch competed in the OHSAA Division II regional