The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Mentor girls regional runner-up at D-I Fitch
Floriea triples; area enjoys banner day
YOUNGSTOWN » Paige Floriea doesn’t need an old-fashioned time card to punch in for the day.
Her business day begins when she steps on the track, and May 24 during Day 2 of the Division I Austintown-Fitch Regional, the Mentor sophomore put in some work.
Floriea recorded a triple, winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the long jump, and also anchored the runnerup 4x400 as the Cardinals took second as a team to Twinsburg.
“It’s the first regional runner-up in Mentor history, the highest we’ve ever placed at a regional meet,” a buoyant Floriea said. “We’re incredibly proud as a team. Next year, I think we’re going to be holding up the first-place trophy.”
Given the Cardinals’ deep underclassmen talent returning, Floriea’s point is reasonable. But for now, this evening will suffice just fine.
Floriea hit a best effort of 18 feet, 7 inches in the long jump on her second attempt of prelims, and that was plenty for a gold medal to start her day.
Sprints were a battle with Twinsburg standout Nya Bussey in the field. But Floriea dug in for a time of 12.02 seconds in the 100 and a smooth 24.24 in the 200.
Twinsburg wasn’t going to be caught with its dynamic 4x4.
The Cardinals had a nice run there, though, with a 3:55.14.
“It was a really good day overall,” Floriea said. “Our main goal was just to keep going into next week, and obviously I wanted to go out there and win my two sprints for sure and long jump. The 4x4, we just said let’s put it all out there and try to get our best time as possible.
“I’m really happy with my sprints today. Nya Bussey is a fantastic athlete and competitor. Both races, I had to race against her as strong as I possibly could because she was going to give me as best she could. I put it all out there as much as I could.”
Madison’s Nolan Landis capped a throws sweep with another trip to the top of the podium in the shot put, uncorking a 61-0 1/2 for a regional crown after taking the discus on Day 1.
“It means a lot,” Landis said. “I’m really happy I won today and having every measured throw over 60. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. So I think that means I’m gearing up for a bigger throw next weekend.”
The Kenston girls 4x1 quartet of Megan Randall, Rhianna Patrick, Izzy Gabram and Elyse Myles has been building a nice base throughout the spring and rode it to a win at Fitch. Myles delivered a gutsy anchor as the Bombers won with a 48.43, marking Kenston’s first girls 4x1 state berth since 1985.
“It’s very special, especially because we’ve had the same group of girls for three years,” Myles said. “And we just knew that this year, we had to give it everything we had, because (the rest of the relay) are all seniors. This is our last year together, so we just tried to make it to state.”
No one was going to question how hard Chardon’s Jon McKnight tried on Day 2 at Fitch, with a brilliant run in the open 400 and on the Hilltoppers’ 4x4 with Caden Dawson, Jacob Gaspar and Anthony Zampino.
The senior hit a time of 48.76 to win the 400, including an exemplary last40 kick to capture first that featured a tumble at the finish line.
Chardon’s 4x4 was fourth with a 3:24.28, marking the Hilltoppers’ first state berth in a boys relay since 1976.
“This is what we’ve been working for,” McKnight said of the 4x4. “We have a freshman, a sophomore and me and the other senior (Gaspar) teaching them the way. So it feels great that we were able to get down there.
“(In the 400,) I kind of started to pull away at the end. I just know I work harder than anyone here, and I was able to finish it.”
Euclid freshman Alexis Cain had a memorable Fitch debut, taking second in the 400 and running a leg on the Panthers’ runner-up 4x2 (1:41.12).
Cain turned in a 55.97 in the 400, with fellow Euclid standout Kristan Ross in third with a 55.98.
They are the first Panthers’ girls 400 runners to qualify for state since Jessica Beard won her fourth D-I 400 state title in 2007.
“I think that is really special, because I’m a freshman,” Cain said. “It’s my first time in the 55s, so it’s really special.
“I was really nervous. I felt like maybe I should calm myself down and actually focus and just stretch and then just run.
“I was really nervous, so I had to stretch to calm myself down and talk to Kristan. She’s a good athlete to talk to, because we’re both going through the 400 and we’re both good at it. She calms me down.”
Other area state qualifiers on Day 2 at Fitch were Geneva’s Charlie Taylor (third, shot put), Elizabeth Joy (third, 800), girls 4x2 (third) and girls 4x4 (fourth);
Mayfield’s Marco Tramontano (fourth, shot put) and Josie Conti (second, 100 hurdles);
Euclid’s Cori Crump (third, 100 hurdles), Mentor’s Nick Kozlowski (third, 1,600);
Chardon’s Denali Selent (fourth, 1,600); Jenna Oriani (fourth, 400) and Brianna Nieset (second, 800) and University’s Justin Iler (second, 3,200).