The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
RIVERSIDE JUMPERS ARE RIDING THE WAVE
Beavers’ Parsons, Griebel will face tough field in Division I district meet at home stadium
Whether it’s the socks or the chalk marking his starting point, Ian Parsons knows how to distinguish himself in his home high jump area at Riverside.
The senior also realizes it’s going to take something special to distinguish himself this week when a cadre of standout jumpers descends on Painesville Township for the Division I Riverside District as the road to Columbus begins in earnest.
If the Western Reserve Conference meet was indicative, though, perhaps a little more home cooking will serve him and the WRC champion Beavers well.
Parsons took a nice benchmark into district with a WRC meet title in high jump on a humid afternoon, clearing 6 feet, 2 inches to match his season PR, which was fifth in News-Herald coverage area leaders to close the regular season.
“I was a feeling a little tough coming off the 4×2,” Parsons said. “So I had to kind of take a few breaths, calm down a little bit and I got it.
“(Warmer temperatures) definitely makes it a lot harder. Because it’s harder for you to stay calm and composed. But it definitely helps to not have those big winds and not have it really cold. It’s very weird going from winter coats to sunscreen.”
He and sophomore teammate Matthew Griebel have taken a noteworthy step in 2022, no matter the conditions.
After not cracking area leaders to conclude the regular season a year ago, Parsons and Griebel entrenched themselves in the list this spring, with Parsons going 6-2 and Griebel clearing 6-3.
“Yeah, I was getting up there. I was looking at the video with my coach a little bit, and I’ve just got to get my legs up a little bit more. And then I think we’ve got it.”
— Riverside’s Ian Parsons, on his jumps at the Western Reserve Conference meet
Griebel got his 6-3 to win the Kurt Frankel Memorial Invitational at West Geauga, and Parsons got his other 6-2 in a WRC tri earlier in May against Chardon and Madison. That quality and the daily exposure to it in practice and in competition provides a boost for both jumpers.
“Oh, it's great, because he has a lot of talent at a really young age,” Parsons said of Griebel. “And he really helps push me to get higher heights every meet.”
Parsons was fairly close at 6-3 at WRC, which yielded some hope as well given that tends to be a make-or-break height at district and regional.
“Yeah, I was getting up there,” Parsons said. “I was looking at the video with my coach a little bit, and I've just got to get my legs up a little bit more. And then I think we've got it.”
As underclassmen, both jumpers were inspired by the display of Mason Stephens a year ago. Now competing at Youngstown State, Stephens was this area's premier boys high jumper as a senior, showing 6-6 and above ability and advancing to the D-I state meet, Riverside's first boys high jumper to qualify for state since 1981 and fourth overall.
“It was great,” Parsons said. “Mason did a great job last year. He helped mentor me really well. I owe a big deal of credit to him for my success this year.”
Now comes the tricky part, because regional berths will be at a premium this week at Riverside for district.
Mentor's Tai Malone, who cleared a News-Herald coverage area-best 6-5 at Mentor Cardinal Relays and was a D-III state placer for Fairport in 2021, will be making his way east. As will University's Brian Kellon and Andrei Radjenovic, who have each cleared 6-4 this season. So will nonarea standouts Elijah Nevels and Ethan Bryant of Shaker Heights, who also have deep 6-3 and above ability.
Parsons hopes he can distinguish himself one last time in his home facility — beyond those familiar socks and chalk.
“Just keeping my composure,” Parsons said of the key at district to be a factor. “Just not worrying about what other people are doing and jumping my own jumps.
“It's crazy. I knew it was coming because I had indoor, and I saw a lot of those guys. I was looking at the standings and stuff, and I was like, ‘This year, we're going to have to work pretty hard to come out with it.'”