Southview’s Johnson, Whitmer boys soar

Amherst Steele wins girls meet at Clay

5/11/2013
BY DONALD EMMONS
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
  • SPT-claytrack10

    Southview’s Malcolm Johnson, center, checks the competition as he wins the 100 meter dash ahead of teammate Jeremy Cook, and Liberty Benton’s Chase Cook.

    THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON
    Buy This Image

  • Southview’s Malcolm Johnson, center, checks the competition as he wins the 100 meter dash ahead of teammate Jeremy Cook, and Liberty Benton’s Chase Cook.
    Southview’s Malcolm Johnson, center, checks the competition as he wins the 100 meter dash ahead of teammate Jeremy Cook, and Liberty Benton’s Chase Cook.

    Southview’s Malcolm Johnson considered his outing at the Clay Eagles Invitational on Friday evening a “solid” effort.

    The junior sprinter only crossed the finish line first in every event he took part in during a meet in which rainfall and brisk winds played a role in how the track and field athletes approached their events.

    Johnson dashed his way to victory in the 100 meters (11.67), 200 meters (23.38), and 400-meter relay (44.58). He ran the anchor leg on the Cougars’ victorious relay team that also included Keith Gilmore, Jeremy Cook, and Keith Caldwell.

    Johnson, who set the meet record in the 200 (22.32) a year ago, said the weather had an effect on him.

    PHOTO GALLERY: click here to view

    “It wasn’t the best that I’m able to run, but it was solid,” Johnson said. “I’m not a very good runner in the rain. I’m a hot-weather runner.”

    Despite Johnson’s outing, it wasn’t enough to lead the Cougars to the boys team title.

    Whitmer claimed the boys championship with 105 points by finishing first in four events, including Reid Wolin, Chris Butler, Jake Wyrostek, and Zach Larkin coming together to win the 3200-meter relay with a time of 8:28.50.

    Wolin also provided the Panthers with an individual victory after crossing the finish line first in the 1600 with a time of 4:37.47, holding off St. Francis de Sales’ Dan Siebenaller (4:39.38). Siebenaller did take the victory in the 3200 (10:04.93) where his teammate Jason White was second (10:04.99).

    claytrack10 Oregon Clay runner Jack Nagy clears the final hurdle ahead of Anthony Wayne's Jamar Allen, left, and Whitmer High Schools Nate Holley, right, to win the 110 meter hurdles at the Clay Eagles Invitational track meet at Oregon Clay High School, Friday,  May 10, 2013.
    claytrack10 Oregon Clay runner Jack Nagy clears the final hurdle ahead of Anthony Wayne's Jamar Allen, left, and Whitmer High Schools Nate Holley, right, to win the 110 meter hurdles at the Clay Eagles Invitational track meet at Oregon Clay High School, Friday, May 10, 2013.

    Jeff Harman won the discus with a toss of 150-7, and Tyler Szychowski claimed the win in the pole vault by clearing 13-6 to help Whitmer’s cause.

    Southview finished second in the boys team results with 87 points, followed by Liberty-Benton with 75, St. Francis 74, Amherst Steele 69, Anthony Wayne 52, Clay 39, and Northview 26.

    The Steele girls track team won eight events to run away with the girls team title with 158 points. Northview placed a distant second with 83 points, followed by Clay 76, Liberty-Benton 75, Whitmer 47, Southview 45, Anthony Wayne 36, and St. Ursula 7.

    In the boys competition, Clay’s Jack Nagy won the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.63, and Northview’s Adam Downing won the 300 hurdles with a time of 41.50.

    Clay’s Derin Dominique, Carlos Saenz, Israel Jeanlouis, and Damon Dominique won the 800 relay (1:32.64).

    Liberty-Benton’s Chase Cook won the long jump (21-5.25), and Brian Miller claimed victory in the high jump (6-5) for the Eagles.

    Southview’s Jenard Pinckney placed first in the 400 (51.00) before running a close second to Johnson in the 200 (23.56). Pinckney also was key for the Cougars winning the 1600 relay (3:34.23).

    AW’s Jayden Corbitt topped the shot put field with a toss of 53 feet, and Liberty-Benton’s Zack Smelcer was second with an effort of 52-6.50.

    In the girls meet, Clay junior Erin Gyurke provided the host Eagles with their only victory after she won the 3200 with a career-best time of 11:21.62. She came up just shy of the meet record of 11:20.20 set in 2009 by Northview’s Meredith Wagner.

    “It’s always exciting to win a race, but this was exciting because I came close to the record,” said Gyurke, who had never run the 3200 in a track meet until Friday.

    AW’s Brittney Darah ran a distant second with a time of 11:58.22.

    Liberty Benton’s Michaela Butler wins the 100 meter dash ahead of Amherst Steele’s Lindsay Sands at the Clay Eagles Invitational track meet in Oregon.
    Liberty Benton’s Michaela Butler wins the 100 meter dash ahead of Amherst Steele’s Lindsay Sands at the Clay Eagles Invitational track meet in Oregon.

    The meet also proved exciting for the Steele girls track team, particularly for hurdler Sara Moore, who swept the 100 and 300 hurdles with times of 16.00 and 48.47, respectively.

    Liberty-Benton freshman Michaela Butler pulled off an individual sweep of her own by winning the 100 and 200 with times of 13.02 and 26.88, respectivley. Butler also placed fourth in the 400 (1:03.33), which was won by Steele’s Sher Champe (1:01.47).

    Steele’s Erin Kasper won the long jump (16-5) and high jump (5-4).

    Northview’s Robin Foster, Mallory Small, Abby Masters, and Janelle Noe bested the 3200-relay field by winning the event with a time of 9:44.40.

    Whitmer’s Kaitlyn Barber won the pole vault by a foot after clearing 10 feet. Liberty-Benton’s Alex DeVincentis won the shot put (40-0), and Liz Streaker won the discus (136-11) for the Eagles.

    Contact Donald Emmons at: demmons@theblade.com419-724-6302, or on Twitter @DemmonsBlade.