NORTH CANTON — It was an evening of individual champions for Dover and New Philadelphia at the Division I district track and field meet at North Canton Hoover’s Memorial Stadium Friday evening.
The Dover boys’ and girls’ teams each had an individual champion, and the New Philadelphia boys’ also claimed an individual champ.
The top four finishers in each event advanced to next week’s DI Austintown Fitch Regional meet slated for Wednesday and Friday evenings.
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Gold and bronze as Dover dominates boys’ 110 hurdles
Dover junior Issac Blickensderfer, a returning state qualifier, was a district champion and teammate Justice Hughes was third as the Tornadoes’ dominated the competition in the boys’ 110-meter high hurdles.
Blickensderfer clocked a school-record 14.45 and had a strong finish to win it, and Hughes wasn’t far behind, finishing third in 15.24, as both hurdle standouts advanced to the Fitch Regional.
Blickensderfer said having strong competition in practice helps both he and Hughes make each other stronger.
“Absolutely,” said Blickenderfer. “Without us like that, it just wouldn’t be the same because you always have people pushing you in practice and any time you’re in a meet.”
Blickensderfer said many elements go into being a successful hurdler.
“Great coaching, my coach is fantastic, and just driving through it and making sure you better yourself every time."
“Next week at Fitch is definitely just to qualify and get to the finals and make sure I make it back to state,” he said.
Dover’s Stevenson captures 800 crown by 25 yards
Dover junior middle distance star Sydney Stevenson, a returning state qualifier, decided to skip Friday’s 1,600 meters where she had the second-fastest time coming in, to concentrate all her efforts in the 800 meters.
The plan worked to perfection as Stevenson won the district 800-meter title in a blistering time of 2:13.14 and literally was 25 yards ahead of the second-place finisher.
“It (the 2:13.14) was a PR,” said Stevenson, who seemingly got stronger as the race went on. “My previous best was a 2:13.18. I love it (the cooler weather),” she added.
Stevenson knows having previous state meet experience can only help her.
“My goal is to podium at state in the 800,” she said.
New Philadelphia’s Rieger runs a season-best to win 800
New Philadelphia middle distance standout Preston Rieger, a senior, used a different philosophy in his race Friday and it helped propel him to a district title and spot in the regional with a clocking of 1:52.46.
“That was a personal best by a full second,” Rieger said. “It was a 1:53.65 before.”
Rieger then talked of his new race strategy he tried for the first time.
“For this race I came out a lot faster in my first 400 than I was used to,” he said. “It was a new race strategy, and it paid off.”
Rieger finished 12th at the state meet in the 800 last season.
“I think the way I raced tonight is how I want to race continuing on and hopefully to the state level,” he said. “I want to go back there this year and hopefully make it on the podium. The crowd that I ran in at the state meet last year is bigger than any crowd I’ve ever run in front of before, so I think running (at state) last year has helped me gain some confidence."
Clark, Hughes finish top four in 300 hurdles
Dover’s Daylen Clark was a district runner-up and teammate Justice Hughes was third in the finals of the 300 hurdles.
Clark clocked a 39.80 and closed strong at the end of his race.
“I was pretty nice,” said Clark of his finish. “I didn’t PR, but I still qualified. We (both Dover hurdlers) push each other in practice every day, so that’s super nice.”
Clark added a big part of being a successful hurdler comes down to a couple things.
“It’s trying to cut down your steps and listening to your coaching,” he said. “It’s really important to take coaching.
“I’m trying to go sub-38, I’ve got a 39.1 right now,” he said. “I think around there (would get to state).”
Hughes, like Clark, qualified for the Fitch regional with his third-place time of 40.05. Hughes is regional bound in both the 110 and 300-meter hurdles.
“The 300 hurdles was pretty good, I PR’d by a half a second there,” Hughes said. “There was a lot of competition pushing me.”
Zobel finishes third in 400
Dover junior Ava Zobel ran a season-best race to earn third place in the district and move on to the Fitch regional with her clocking of 58.44.
“I think I PR’d,” said Zobel, whose previous best was 58.69.
“I made it to regional finals last year and got seventh and I want to get back there, of course, but I really want to try to make it to state this year. I’m just excited for the next race.”
Quakers’ Adelman is regional runner-up in 3,200
New Philadelphia’s sophomore Marcus Adelman broke from a pack in the middle of the race to finish as a district runner-up in the 3,200 meters. Adelman’s time was 9:23.90.
“You just have to push through in a big race with this big of stakes,” said Adelman. “This was perfect (cooler weather).”
Adelman just missed going to the regional last year and said it fueled his determination to qualify for it this season.
“I got fifth (last year) by like .3 (tenths) of a second, barely missed it and I had that in the back of my mind as I was running,” he said. “Next week, I want to be in the top four again and make it to state.”
Dover’s Mast grabs final qualifying spot in shot put
“My best throw was 41-7 today,” said Dover’s Jaxson Mast, who entered the meet seeded sixth in the shot put and had a great performance to grab the fourth and final regional qualifying spot.
He threw his 41-7 on his third throw of the prelims.
Mast, who played football for Dan Ifft at Dover and will continue his gridiron career at Baldwin-Wallace in the fall, will make his first appearance in the regional meet.
“I’m stoked,” he said, smiling. “I thought the 47-1 was good, but there’s always something to work on. My goal is 50 (feet) at the regionals, and I feel if I work and get everything down, I can hit 50. It’s technique, but you also have to be strong mentally, too. You can’t let one throw affect you mentally.”
Regional qualifiers
Dover girls’ 4x400 relay: Ava Zobel, Natalie Bambeck, Sydney Stevenson and Emilyn Feller placed fourth with a time of 4:05.28.
Dover’s Luke Jones, 800: The junior earned the fourth and final qualifying spot with a time of 1:54.77.
New Philadelphia’s 4x400 relay: Alec Adelman, Tyson Autry, Elliot Brady and Preston Rieger finished third in 3:23.54.
New Philadelphia's Jesse Brown, pole vault: The senior earned the fourth and final qualifying spot with a height of 12-6.
Dover’s district placers
Scoring district team points but just missing regional berths were Dover’s Jameson Marlatt (fifth, boys’ shot put, 45-6), Morgan Karam (fifth, girls’ discus, 107-6), Emmy Rodriguez (fifth, girls’ long jump, 16-1.25), the Dover girls’ 4x200 relay of Emilyn Feller, Caycee Albaugh, Maria Alberts and Lainie Keith (eighth, 1:49.20), the Dover girls’ 4x100 relay of Bridget McCrate, Maria Alberts, Caycee Albaugh and Lainie Keith (seventh, 50.85), the Dover boys’ 4x100 relay of J.J. Barton, Daylen Clark, Isaac Blickensderfer and Justice Hughes (seventh, 43.32), J.J. Barton (seventh, 400 meters, 52.55) and Pearce Mowrer (eighth, pole vault, 11-6.)
New Philadelphia’s district placers
New Philadelphia junior Kayla Kaput just missed a regional berth in the girls’ 300-meter hurdles, finishing fifth in a time of 48.01. Another Quaker who just missed a regional trip was sophomore Wyatt Lendon who was eighth in the 3,200 meters in 9:47.26.
District team champions
GlenOak claimed the boys’ district team title with 111 points, outdistancing second-place Jackson, which ended with 88.50 points. Dover had an excellent district to finish tied for fourth with host North Canton Hoover as both schools ended with 54 points. New Philadelphia was seventh with 40 points.
GlenOak also won the girls’ district crown with 121 points, while Jackson was runner-up with 103.50. Dover finished 10th in the standings with 32 points and New Philadelphia was 12th with 13 points.
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