TRACK AND FIELD | Wingate hopes to keep historic season going during end-of-season meets

Minutes after breaking the area record in the 1,600-meter run, Norwayne's Jaylee Wingate took a second to enjoy the moment with her teammates.

Five minutes later, she was back to work getting prepared for her next race.

That focused mentality has helped Wingate to an historic season as she has already broken the local mark for both the 800 and 1,600, as well as registering the third-fastest 3,200 time this past week.

"I've stepped up my training and it's been a huge confidence boost," said Wingate, who competed at the Adidas Indoor Nationals in the winter. "Just the mindset that everything is that next level, it's really exciting."

Wingate is one of a handful of talented distance runners that are scheduled to take part in this weekend's Wayne County Athletic Championships, which start Friday at Chippewa's Community Stadium. She will be joined on the starting line in various events by the likes of Pyper and Merrick Gibson (Rittman), Kylee Gray (Waynedale) and teammate Annabel Stanley.

As the final month of the prep season has arrived, Wingate has made been downright impressive.

From breaking the area mark in both the 800 (2:12.82) last month at the Nikki Reynolds Invitational, which was previously held by West Holmes graduate Hannah Clark (2:13.50), to her run in the 1,600 (4:56) this past weekend in front of the home crowd at the Dwight Schar Invitational to became the first local to break the five-minute mark, the record books have needed a lot of editing this spring.

Wingate also recorded a career-best 11:00 in the 3,200, not to mention being among area leaders in both the open 200 and 400.

And the standout runner has no plans on slowing down, figuratively or literally, anytime soon.

"It's been really eye-opening," Wingate said of the year. "Last year, I was running 5:25 (in the mile) on a good day and this year I'm running 5:03 on a bad day. It's just that difference between last year and this year, just the change that's happened. It's really exciting to see what can happen this year."

Dialing long distance

A host of other distance runners locally have had stellar first halves of the season.

Like Wingate, Rittman's Pyper Gibson — an All-Ohioan a year ago — also moved up the area all-time leaderboard. Thanks to an impressive 10:57.67 at the Tusky Valley Thrilla in Zoarvilla, the junior solidified her spot as the second-fastest two-miler in local history. Only Gibson and former West Holmes standout Michelle Hostettler have broken the 11-minute plateau.

“Last year, I wasn't where I wanted to be (at this time of the year), because I was trying to get to these times at the end,” Gibson said earlier this season. “I'm starting to get them now and I'm excited.”

• Waynedale's Jonathan Varner and Kylee Gray also have put up impressive times in the 3,200. Varner clocked a personal-record 9:26.38 to place second at the Optimist Meet last weekend, with Gray checking in at a career-low 11:36.03 to win the Mapleton Night Invitational. Gray also ran an impressive 5:29.08 in the 1,600 earlier this spring.

• A state runner-up in the 800 last season, Tuslaw's Malena Cybak also has been among state leaders in the mid-distance events. Cybak was recently tabbed as Stark County Distance MVP, along with breaking both the meet and stadium record at the GlenOak Elite Invitational earlier this season.

• Ashton Dunlap has also been having an solid season as the Wooster senior ran a 4:26.54 in the 1,600 earlier this season — currently the fastest time in the area — and is second in both the 800 and 3,200. Tuslaw's Joe Joe Rolko and Varner lead the 800 and 3,200, respectively.

The road back

Nothing seems to slow down Cameron Soss. After a school year where the Triway senior has faced everything form partially torn MCL in the final game of the football season to a calf injury that plagued him at the midway point of the spring, Soss has still found a way to solidify himself as the area’s premier sprinter. And despite clocking a 10.90 earlier this year in the 100, and having the second-fastest 200 mark just 0.10 seconds off the pace of Norwayne’s Roman Portis, he’s still working his way back to 100 percent.

“It's a slower recovery, I wish it could be sooner,” said Soss, who also holds the school’s indoor record for the 60 dash. “I just trying to go by it, day-by-day.”

• Smithville’s Abby Hartzler has made a full recovery for a broken leg that the she sustained during cross-country season. The result for the talented junior has been a consistent performance in the high jump with the bar at 5-foot or better, including a career-best mark of 5-3 to win the Triway Invitational. The progress has Hartzler eager to make a run at the school record of 5-4 and make a long run in the postseason.

“The boys put the bar up to 6-foot and just tell me to go for it,” she said. “So, honestly, 5-4 does not look high anymore. (Triway) was my first attempting 5-4¼, but it won’t be the last. I was so close.”

• After hip surgery prior to the start of the season, West Holmes' Kyle Maltarich also has soaring to new heights in the high jump. The sophomore recently cleared 6-foot-3 at the Triway Invite last month after clearing 6-1 last season as a freshman at Loudonville to earn a trip to the Div. III state meet.

“My high jump coach approaches each high jump the same way, he says its solving the piece of the puzzle,” he said. “Each mat is different, each surface is different, so you have to kind of come in and figure it out. If you can figure it out, you have an advantage over everyone else.”

Maltarich’s mark is still behind that of area-leading Evan Rastorfer of Rittman, who soared 6-4¼ earlier this spring.

Heavy lifting

When it comes to throwing talent, the area is loaded with talent. While Colby Morlock of Norwayne and Tyler Thompson of Rittman both come in with their eyes firmly set on a push for a state title, a host of others are eager to join the tandem that each walked away from the 2021 state meet with All-Ohio medals. Morlock has been stellar once again, leading the local leaderboard with personal-record throws in the discus (185-2) and shot put (62-7), and Thompson is right behind him in the shot with a 62-3¼, but several others have made emerged as contenders. One of those guys is Dillon Morlock.

The Norwayne sophomore is right behind his brother among the top overall marks in the discus, thanks to a career-best 170-4, and another career-best toss in the shot (58-8), as he builds off of his success from the indoor campaign.

“Over the winter, I learned a lot of things about throwing and just being confident in the circle,” he said. “Just do what you know how to do and trust yourself. You just need to trust yourself and be confident in your mechanics and all the work that you put in.

“It's always nice to get recognition, but I not really worried about that. I just want to better myself and do the best that I can.”

• Fresh off of her personal-best mark in the discus at the Dwight Schar Invite, Norwayne’s Allie Morlock enters the weekend with her sights on competing for WCAL crown in both events. Morlock, who had an area-best 115-8 last Friday, isn’t alone as several others across the area will be out for their respective league titles. Northwestern freshman Emily Thompson comes into the county meet with the top shot mark. Along with Norwayne’s Grace Sparks, that should make for some interesting battles in the WCAL, while Triway’s Maddie Kline (PAC-7), West Holmes’ Amy Hughes (OCC) and Wooster’s Brenna Huffman (OCC) are all out for gold.

Why wait?

Loudonville’s 4x100-meter relay were one of the feel-good stories of the 2021 season. The grouping of Kenzie Cutlip, Corri Vermilya, Anna Templeman and Sydney Polen are back again as the all-underclassman unit from a year ago is eager to get back on the track and build upon their school-record time in the event.

“Everyone was like, 'Yeah, you guys are only sophomores and freshman, you got time,’ but we want to impress people,” Polen said earlier this season. “We lift, we run, we hang out together and get closer, and perfecting the handoffs. We just need to make sure that we can go 100% the whole race.”

• Speaking of speedy relay teams, Norwayne has loaded with it. The boys 4x1, which includes Nic Graham, Brady Lendon, Roman Portis and Isaiah Portis ran a solid 43.95 this season and the Bobcats also field both the fastest boys and girls 4x2 units. Norwayne’s girls 4x4 leads the area by over 12 seconds with Lacy Hess, Briauna Hostettler, Elise Uhler and Wingate making up the team that clocked a 4:09.10.

Final laps

Dalton sprinter Brianna Chenevey has been on a recent winning streak in both the 100 and 200, claiming the titles in those events at the Triway Invitational and Dwight Schar Invite. Chenevey also anchors the fastest 4x1 in the area that broke 51 seconds already this year with Courtney Weaver, Lauren Clos and Macy Seeman.

• Fellow speedster, Northwestern’s Weston Arthur, has had a tight hold on the fastest 400 time in the area after 52.14. The senior was a regional qualifier in the event last season, along with helping a sprint relay team advance in the postseason.

• Orrville’s Ainsley Hamsher and Triway’s Kalie Campbell area currently dominating the local standings in the pole vault and long jump, respectively. Hamsher recently cleared a personal-best 12-6 in the pole vault and has the best mark in the area by three feet, while Campbell leads the area by over five inches in the long jump with a mark of 16-10½.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Track and Field: Wingate on record pace heading into WCAL meet