Article published May 27, 2006
D-III REGIONAL TRACK
MVCD's Sackmann, Meister tops in hurdles
By RYAN AUTULLO
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
FOSTORIA - One has been training for this moment for what seems like an eternity. The other, just six months.
Whereas one expects success at the highest level, the other can't quite believe how quickly it has come.
Perhaps the only similarities shared by Maumee Valley seniors Christopher Sackmann and Kristen Meister was displayed on a rain soaked course yesterday - they both won regional titles in hurdle events.
Sackmann, the defending state runner-up in both the 110 and 300 hurdles, won both events. Meister finished second in high jump, and, in just her six month competing in the 100 hurdles, was crowned regional champion with a time of 15.31.
"I can honestly say they're two of the best athletes I've ever coached,"said Maumee Valley coach Mark Knabbs, also the Hawks' boys basketball coach. "It comes down now that I don't even have to coach them."
The top four finishers in each regional event qualified for the state meet, to be held Friday and Saturday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus.Columbus Grove won the girls' team title with 71.5 points, outdistancing Western Reserve, which finished second with 68. The boys title came down to the 1600 relay, the meet's final event, with Liberty-Benton finishing second and getting the points it needed to top Bluffton 58-54.
"I knew it would come down to the nitty gritty and sure enough, it did," said Eagles' coach Jack Quisno.
It will be the fourth consecutive state appearance in the high jump for Meister, who finished fifth a year ago. In January, though, she took up hurdles and made a seamless transition, winning the indoor state track meet.
"It was challenging at first, especially going from the 55-meter hurdles in indoor to doing the 100 hurdles, but I made the transition after the first couple meets," she said.
Added Knabbs: "There's people out here who've been doing hurdles their whole life and haven't accomplished what she's accomplished."
Finishing second to Meister was Columbus Grove's Jenna Oard. It was the only slight blemish on a memorable day for the Bulldog senior. In addition to qualifying for state in the hurdles and helping her team capture a championship, Oard won the long jump and pole vault, breaking her own meet record in the latter event with a vault of 12 feet.
A third-place finisher in pole vault at last year's state meet, Oard, who will compete at Ashland next year, welcomes the idea of having two other events to preoccupy her in Columbus.
"I'm kind of glad I'm going in the other events to take pole vault off my mind," she said. "It helps to have other events to think about."
Liberty-Benton's coach Quisno will have plenty to think about this weekend as the Eagles will be represented in 13 different events this weekend. The boys team will bring seven, while the girls, who finished third overall, qualified six. The boys 800 relay team, comprised of Peter Benjamin, Michael Busch, Jonathon Schoonover and Sam Benjamin, was Liberty-Benton's lone individual champion, finishing in 1:32.51.
"I'm looking forward to getting down there," Quisno said. "These kids deserve their opportunities to compete."
For the second year in a row, the Cardinal Stritch girls' 1600 relay team will compete in the state meet after finishing fourth yesterday. The foursome of Amanda Miller, Julia Borysiak, Sarah Takacs and Katie Bochi, broke a three-year-old school record with a time of 4:03.23. Borysiak, a freshman, is the only newcomer to the relay team, which advanced in Division II last year.
"We were looking forward to making another run at state," said Cardinals coach Chris Fahim.
"For us to make it out of here, I think puts us in pretty good standing to make the finals."
The same finals that Sackmann has been so intent on the past 12 months. Despite two second-place finishes, Sackmann described his state experience as "not so hot." Knabbs said the setbacks were the best thing to ever happen to his runner, who is more focused this year than ever before, said the coach.
"When you come in second you really want to push yourself the next year, that's really what I'm doing right now," he said. "My times are much better than last year. I just want it really bad."
Contact Ryan Autullo at:
rautullo@theblade.com.
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