Euclid girls second to lead brave area charge in downpour at Division I regional track and field
May 27—YOUNGSTOWN — By their own admission, the Euclid girls don't bring a bus chock full of student-athletes to the Division I Austintown-Fitch Regional year after year.
What the Panthers may lack in volume, though, you can always be rest-assured they will compensate with value — about as trusted as it gets in that regard among News-Herald coverage area track and field squads.
On Day 2 at Fitch, Euclid delivered that value to an extent it hasn't experienced since the golden era of Jessica Beard.
The Panthers delivered in a downpour.
Eve Clark won the 200-meter dash, was third in 100 and paced Euclid's winning 4×200 and third-place 4×4, Alexis Cain gutted out an open 4 win and Euclid accumulated 47 points to take second to Massillon Jackson (60).
It marks the Panthers' first time in the top two at Fitch since Beard's sophomore campaign in 2005.
#NHtrack Euclid girls 2nd as a team with 47 points
Larry & I were talking — that's their 1st top 2 at Fitch as a team since Jessica's junior year, which was 2006 pic.twitter.com/Uu8P4V74JN
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 28, 2022
Obviously, that having been 17 years ago now, Clark doesn't remember that. But the brilliant sophomore sprinter will long remember the night she and her Euclid teammates ran through heavy rain and the competition to take some hardware back to East 222nd Street.
"It's really good, considering how small our team is," Clark said. "It just shows that we win a lot, which gets us a lot of points. We were able to get up there. We were aiming for everyone, but we got 2, which is still good. It just shows all our accomplishments and how hard we work as a team."
2022 state track and field qualifiers from News-Herald coverage area schools list
Clark and all the student-athletes competing at Fitch had the misfortune of one of the worst weather Day 2s ever at that venerable facility. Midway through the running finals, until roughly the open 2s departed the track, the heavens opened and made events miserable.
The returning first-team News-Herald girls track and field all-star captured open 2 in those awful conditions with a time of 24.89 seconds, a minor miracle under the circumstances.
PHOTOS: Division I Austintown-Fitch Regional track and field (Day 2), May 27, 2022
"OK, so ..." Clark said with a smile, as she began to explain just how atrocious it was. "When we first got here, it was kind of like drizzling. Then it stopped, which was really good. As soon as I started to run my 200, it was pouring and I could not see where I was running. Shivering, freezing cold. And then, once my 200 is done, it stops. I'm just like, 'Really?!'
"I was still able to run a 24.89 in that terrible weather, so go me."
#NHtrack Here are my usual NH area video meet highlights, from D1 Fitch Regional Day 2
For those who didn't make the trip, this will give you a sense just how bad the rain was for a large stretch in running finals ... yuck pic.twitter.com/AObuhAyy3Y
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 28, 2022
And go Panthers as well, as their 4x2 encouraged amid their aforementioned win with a 1:40.79. Clark was third in 100 with a 12.33 and led that 4x4 third in 4:01.98. Cain, clearly not 100%, rose to the occasion anyway, hitting a 55.40 in open 4 and digging into her vast reserve for a solid 4x2 split.
#NHtrack Euclid's Dajanay Bailey discusses the Panthers' team runner-up & an encouraging 4x2 win with a 1:40.79 at the D1 Fitch Regional
She had a REALLY nice 4x2 leg — they made an adjustment with starts that made a big difference
Good to see them sub-1:41 again pic.twitter.com/hK3htiu446
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 28, 2022
Brush's Asia Nicholson had an afternoon and early evening to remember, too, prevailing in 300 hurdles and anchoring the Arcs' 4x1 to a state spot in fourth.
Nicholson, at the height of the rain downpour, somehow managed to nail down a 44.71 in 3s. The senior multi-sport staple was not about to be denied at the curve and on the homestretch, powering through hurdles as if the rain wasn't even there. She is the first Brush girls 300 hurdler to advance to Columbus since Asya Reynolds in 2015, and that 4x1 state berth is the first for the program since 2006.
"It's very special," Nicholson said. "The whole season, I've wanted to run a 44. And as the season was going on, I started to get closer and closer.
"Today, the only thought in my mind was to PR and run a 44. I was nervous, but I did it. When we were coming around the curve, (Solon's Morgan Blackford) was my biggest competition. She's actually beat me. The only thing I was thinking about was catching her. Normally throughout the season, I didn't have anybody to catch. As we started getting toward the finish line, I had somebody to catch. So I pushed myself way harder than I usually do. It was my PR today, and I'm very proud of myself."
Mentor's Brett Greer had a breakthrough in 110 hurdles, earning a regional title with a 14.61 in a tight final. Greer and Tai Malone, who was fourth in 14.81, are the first Cardinals' boys 110 hurdlers to advance to state since 1997.
"It's incredibly special," Greer said. "Last year, I made it here and kind of flopped it. But I came back here, looking to take it, and I did it. It was great.
"I was pretty worried (it was going to rain hard during 110s). My mom was like, 'Oh, you've got to wear all this stuff.' I was prepared for it. Last year was the same thing, maybe a bit colder. But luckily, it cleared up just in time for us, and I managed to perform."
#NHtrack Geneva's Connor Boland discusses his 4th in open 4 with a 48.79 at the D1 Fitch Regional to become the Eagles' 1st boys open 4 runner to state since 1961 pic.twitter.com/sO8U3WU9ky
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 28, 2022
#NHtrack US' Danny Napoli & Andrew Merritt discuss a 4th in 4x1 with a 42.39 for a 2nd straight state berth at the D1 Fitch Regional
New-look group with Danny & Rich back & Andrew & Brian coming in, dialed in amid awful weather & booked state return
Crazy it took 42.39 to get out pic.twitter.com/BF3UW7KuZ7
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 28, 2022
#NHtrack Mentor's Tai Malone discusses 2nd in HJ at 6-4 & 4th in 110s with a 14.81 for state berths out of D1 Fitch Regional
Really proud of this young man — obviously, LJ didn't go well WED after NH area record 24-0 at district, but he zeroed in for Day 2 & handled his business pic.twitter.com/uAzaAg1pvp
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 28, 2022
#NHtrack US' Nate Miller discusses his 4th in open 8 with a 1:56.66 for his 2nd straight state berth out of the D1 Fitch Regional
Had the right general idea — DO NOT GO WITH NICK PLANT — & had to go super wide on the homestretch but got that deal done pic.twitter.com/A3xiPdqrNx
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 28, 2022
#NHtrack Mentor's Makenzie Stuckert discusses her 4x4 anchor to reel in an automatic state berth in 4th in 4:03.64 & her open 4 runner-up with a 57.00 at the D1 Fitch Regional pic.twitter.com/OYRNl11SjD
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 28, 2022
