By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

Editor’s Note: The top-four finishers in each event at each district qualified for this weekend’s regional meets.

AURORA

Junior Riley Verespej set the Aurora school record with a height of 11-4 in the pole vault in the Division I district meet May 23 at Austintown-Fitch. She will compete in the regional meet May 28 and May 30 also at Austintown-Fitch.

“Riley had been close to the school record a couple times this year,” head coach Greg Cicero said. “She vaulted magnificently. She was clean on all of her attempts until she got to 11-8. She looked great, had really good mastery of technique at the top of her vaults where she was finishing them very well. She had a super successful night.”

Ella Cicero finished runner-up in the 400 with a time of 57.94 and third in the 200 with a time of 26.34.

“Ella ran a very smart race in the 400,” said the elder cicero. “She got out very hard and started to move with the leader with about 100 meters left. Knowing that you only had to be in the top four with about 50 meters to go, she kind of relaxed a little bit. She was clearly in second and just brought it on in because she had a few more events on the night.”

Cicero, Gianna Previte, Olivia Leon and Isabelle Leindecker combined to finish fourth in the 1,600 relay, clocking in at 4:09.55. Leindecker, Abigail Rogonjic, Amelia Kilway and

Sydney Langell joined forces to place second in the 3,200 relay with a time of 9:48.22. Langell also finished third in the 3,200 (11:40.23), and Previte was fourth in the 300 hurdles (48.26).

STREETSBORO

Streetsboro freshman Alivia Simmons captured the title in the shot put with a throw of 36-6 in the Division II district meet May 22 and May 24 at Cortland Lakeview.

“Alivia can throw over that distance easily,” head coach Robb Kidd said. “We think she can approach the 40 mark if she gets a good throw out there.”

Simmons will compete in a regional meet May 29 and May 31 at Austintown Fitch.

Placing third were sophomore Emma Chamberlain in the discus (101-6), Sydney Abbuhl in the high jump (4-10) and Carman Marcini in the long jump (15-10.25).

“Emma was solid. She’s been really coming along strong. She’s been our most reliable and consistent discus thrower. We know she’s capable of pushing somewhere close to 105 to 110,” said Kidd. “Sydney didn’t have her best day. We know she can jump 5, 5-1, 5-2 or 5-3. I think she’s pretty confident going into regionals. Carman is typically a 16-plus-footer. We’ve been trying to shoot for the 17-foot mark. We know she’ll probably need something close to that to have a chance at qualifying for state.”

Marcini combined with Kylie Sladky, Kendall Epple and C-Niyah Ivory to win the 800 relay with a time of 1:48.18. Marcini joined forces with Bria Robinson, Olivia Johnson-Wilson and MacKenzie McIntosh to finish runner-up in the 400 relay with a time of 51.22. Sladky, Ivory, Epple and Jenna Fall combined to place third in the 1,600 relay with a time of 4:12.79.

Olivia Johnson-Wilson won both the 100 hurdles (15.89) and 300 hurdles (48.67). Falls was second in the 300 hurdles (49.12) and third in the 100 hurdles (16.71).

“It’s a testament to Olivia’s and Jenna’s hard work they’ve put in,” Kidd said. “Both ran well. We know they can run better, though. I think both girls have a shot of getting to state in both events.”

Ivory finished second in the 200 (27.0) and fourth in the 400 (1:00.91).

“C-Niyah has been toying with breaking into the 25s in the 200. She’s going to have to do that at regionals, and I’m pretty confident she will,” said the coach. “We know she can be under a minute in the 400 pretty easily. I think she’ll get there when it comes to warmer weather and better conditions at regionals. We think she can have a really good run.”

Team-wise, the Rockets finished second to champion Woodridge.

FIELD

Field’s Lauren Schneider captured the title in the discus with a throw of 130-6 in the Division II district meet May 22 and May 24 at Salem. MaKayla Norman finished second with a throw of 124-4. Schneider and Norman will compete in a regional meet May 29 and May 31 at Austintown Fitch.

“After winning the Metro Athletic Conference championship, Lauren continues to show up for major invitationals and postseason competition,” head coach Ed Conroy said. “We’re hoping she has a similar performance at the regional and can qualify for the state meet. Lauren has grown as an athlete and with maturity. She’s a tremendous team player, too. She went down to state with us last year and watched Raegan Daugintis throw, and I think that motivated her to be even more excited for this season. Lauren has surpassed Raegan and all the other Field throwers and has kept the discus tradition going on.”

Mollie Mathews finished runner-up in the shot put with a throw of 37-2.25. Maddie

Adams placed fourth in the 800 with a time of 2:26.24. Raegan Slusser, Lauren West, Olivia Prof and Mya Kramer combined to finish fourth in the 400 relay, clocking in at 51.36.

Team-wise, the Falcons placed sixth out of 12 teams with 52.5 points.

GARFIELD

Garfield junior Elise Edwards captured the championship in the discus in the Division III district meet May 21 and May 23 at Cuyahoga Heights. She will compete in a regional meet May 28 and May 30 at North Royalton.

“Elise has been working on the discus all year,” head coach Matt Pfleger said. “To see what she’s doing right now and what she’s going to be doing in the next week or so is pretty exciting. All that hard work is definitely paying off for her.”

Also qualifying for regionals were senior Kylie Near (300 hurdles), freshman Olivia Kuchenbecker (100 hurdles) and Hannah Timmons (discus).

SOUTHEAST

Southeast’s Julia Wheeler won the championship in the 3,200 with a time of 11:39 in the  Division II district meet May 22 and May 24 at Cortland Lakeview. She also was runner-up in the 1,600 with a time of 5:13. She will compete in a regional meet May 29 and May 31 at Austintown Fitch.

“Julia ran really strong in the 3,200,” head coach Melinda Furr said. “She was smooth throughout the race and pulled away in probably laps five to six.”

Wheeler also joined Claire Dillner, Kristen Campball and Jenna Canale to place second in the 3,200 relay with a time of 10:02.

Lilly Massrock placed third in the shot put (33-8). Leila Evans tied for third in the high jump (4-10).