The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Comet girls, Avon boys rule at LCAAA meet
Hooks takes two events for Amherst, Avon’s Rennette shines in discus, shot
Every athlete wants to get pushed by strong competition.
The Lorain County Athletic Administrators Association Invitational at Amherst on April 13 did just that, where area athletes got their wish competing against the best in the area.
The Amherst girls repeated as champions with 155 points, edging Avon (148). The Avon boys took home first-place hardware with 109.5.
Amherst sophomore and reigning state qualifier Taylor Hooks swept both her sprint events, and anchored the winning 4x100 relay (50.61). She won the 100 (12.67) and 200 (26.24) and it’s the second year in a row she has done so.
“I feel very happy with what I did today,” Hooks said. “I wish my times were a little lower, but I’ll take it. I enjoy the competition because I’m kind of used to seeing the same people, and now I get to see and meet other people.”
One of Hooks’ career goals is to win the county meet all four years, and so far, so good.
“Right now I feel like I’m on the right track, but I have to stay in shape the next two years,” she added.
The Comets’ girls 4x800 relay took first (9:58.65), thanks to Marisa Gillam, Kalyn Potyrala, Cara Giannuzzi, and
Kayla Snowden. The 4x400 relay of Gracen Siegenthaler, Marisa Gillam, Audrey Fayer and Alexis Alston won with a 4:12.6.
“It’s very special because we got to represent the Comets,” Alston said, who also won the 400 race. “Especially me coming in as a freshman and it felt good.”
Amherst sophomore Josh Hill broke the county meet record in the 1,600, clocking in at 4:27.05. The prior record was 4:27.66 held by Maiorca Francesco (Avon Lake) in 2012.
“It wasn’t something I expected to do,” Hill said. “I knew what the record was, but my previous PR was a 4:36 indoor. I kept pretty even splits between 6667. The competition here is pretty good. I got to run with people the first lap and a half and I never get to do that. In the first lap I was pushed, but then I took the lead in the second lap.”
Avon senior Nick Rennette impressed in the discus (154-10) and shot put (46-11.2), sweeping both events. The discus throw set a new PR for him, and he got it on his last throw.
“I just wanted to win and I was in a zone on that last throw,” Rennette said. “I knew I had to have a bomb to win and that’s what happened.”
His teammate Sam Gerak didn’t compete because of spring break vacation. Gerak won the Avon Lake Invitational in both events two weeks ago, and Rennette acknowledged both of them push each other.
“Sam is better at the shot put than me, he probably would have thrown 55 feet,” he said. “But him and I have been neck-and-neck at the discus. We’ve been best friends since the eighth grade and we make fun of each other, which fires us up. I don’t think we ever tell each other that we’re good. But we mess around, smack each other on the back and make weird faces at each other. It’s fun.”
Keystone senior and state qualifier Mitchell Coe won the 100 (11.55) and 200 (23.03). In the 200, he barely edged out former teammate — Avon Lake’s Caleb Burr (23.04) for a thrilling finish.
“I thought Caleb had me and if there was a meter left, he probably would have,” Coe said. “I wasn’t pleased with my times but I gave it my all.”
Lorain’s 4x100 relay team of Ashaun Echols, Chris Cintron, Mike Harrell and Daesean Brooks took first with a 43.87. Missing state champion Zion Cross (100 meters), the relay team still wanted to prove they can step up.
“To come in here and win without Zion, it just shows Lorain has a lot of great athletes,” Brooks said. “We knew coming in Zion wouldn’t be here, but we got a lot of fast people and we can’t just rely on him. It’s the next man up and we took care of business.”
Avon Lake’s Victoria Harper swept the shot put (38-10) and discus (1163), and added that at this point of the season, she feels strong where she stands.
“I was a little short on my discus, but my shot put was my season best by about 5 inches,” Harper said.