Perry boys prevail for posterity with Division II regional track and field crown
May 28—YOUNGSTOWN — Typically for Day 2s at the Division II Austintown-Fitch Regional, Perry is one to mill around, such is the Pirates' quality across the facility.
May 28, as D-II concluded for another spring, the Perry boys had good reason to mill around at Fitch — in fact, the best reason of all.
Javin Richards secured a 300-meter hurdles crown and was second in 110 hurdles, Brayden Richards anchored the Pirates to a 4×200 title and was runner-up to his older brother in 3s, and Perry captured the boys regional team championship with 59 points, edging Glenville (56).
"This is great," Brayden said between celebratory pictures after the meet. "This is the first time in school history. We've been a runner-up, but this is the first time we've been regional champs, boys and girls. It's a great feeling. All the hard work paid off, and it's fantastic."
The 4×2 first was a particular highlight. With Javin Richards gutting through nagging back and hamstring ailments, he was subbed out. So Perry went with Brock Sivon, Jackson Roberts, Jaden Hacking and Brayden Richards in a modified quartet. Hacking attacked well on his third leg, especially 125-175, to set the table for Brayden Richards to see out the win on the anchor with a time of 1 minutes, 28.86 seconds. It marks Perry's first boys 4×2 state berth since 1949.
#NHtrack Here's my usual NH area video meet highlights, from Day 2 of the D2 Fitch Regional pic.twitter.com/KG5NXT42kF
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 29, 2022
"Without Javin, that's insane that we still won the region and qualified for state," Brayden said. "It was a great race. It was fantastic."
#NHtrack @Perry_Pirates' Jaden Hacking discusses the Pirates' boys team title & a 4×2 win in 1:28.86 at the D2 Fitch Regional
Obviously, they had to adapt with Javin subbed out, & Jaden REALLY stepped up on that 3rd leg — set the table beautifully for Brayden pic.twitter.com/HJXavQXHFW
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 29, 2022
Javin Richards' fortitude was on full display in that 3s win. In visible pain on the homestretch, the reigning D-II state champion found enough to eke it over the line with a 38.66 that would have been laudable for most Ohio hurdlers in optimal health. He wanted it so badly, in fact, that he crossed and immediately took a tumble on the track. As a fellow competitor checked on his wellbeing, his look of combined satisfaction and relief spoke volumes.
2022 state track and field qualifiers from News-Herald coverage area schools list
He was also second in 110s with a 14.92, also gritting out the last few hurdles there.
"Oh my gosh, mentally it's incredibly hard," Javin said after 3s. "Physically, it's even worse. I had everyone telling me I just need to quit. And that's not me. I run through it. I want to compete. Even if my hamstring feels like it has glass shards in it, I'm still doing my thing, keeping up with everyone else and qualifying for state.
"I just want to beat everybody else. That gives me a lot of adrenaline as it is. I do say a little prayer right now before I run, hoping that it just holds through. Other than that? I just do my thing."
PHOTOS: Division II Austintown-Fitch Regional track and field (Day 2), May 28, 2022
A cavalcade of other News-Herald coverage area fixtures also did their thing en route to Columbus.
Hawken's Makayla White, in appointment viewing showdowns with Akron SVSM's Kya Epps, took second in both sprints, with a 12.39 in open 1 and 25.11 in open 2. The senior, as she claimed her third career state berth in her trademark 2, seemingly found the necessary gear last 40 to thwart Epps. Epps had the final say, but White is optimistic as another trip to state looms.
"This is always kind of a wakeup meet for me," White said. "It's like my first time running against really, really good competition in the state. So it was good practice. It was a great race, so I was really excited to push myself.
"I think I might have hit (that 200 gear) a little too late. I had some time to gain some ground. But you know, it's always fun to run against her. So I'm excited for state."
Benedictine's Brandon Boyd earned his second straight state berth after going as an at-large last spring in open 4, taking second with a 49.90. It is the 11th state berth for the Bengals all-time in open 4, and finding an elusive sub-50 will serve him well heading to Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium next weekend.
"I'm very pleased," Boyd said. "I was looking forward to it. I'll practice more and lower my times into the 48s soon.
"(In the regular season,) I was more focused on getting some of the events in at district and regional. I wasn't really running it a lot during the regular meets, but I was prepared for it coming in. I felt good coming in here."
#NHtrack @HawkenAthletics' Christian Anderson discusses he & Jordan Harrison hitting for sub-22s in open 2 to get to state out of the D2 Fitch Regional, along with (of course) some 4x1 talk as that quartet stays red hot heading into Columbus pic.twitter.com/sUMsXm2hIn
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 29, 2022
The Hawken boys sprints assembly line rolled its way south, as Jordan Harrison was second in 100 (10.94) and 200 (21.75), Christian Anderson was fourth in open 1 (11.09) and third in open 2 (21.86) and continued to somehow normalize sub-42 4x1s. This run from the Hawks was a 41.85 for a regional crown, not far off their record-breaking form last week at the Perry District when they hit for a 41.75 in prelims and D-II state and all-time News-Herald coverage area standard 41.53 in prelims.
"I know sub-22 is what we've been trying to do for a while at Hawken," Harrison said of he and Anderson's objectives in open 2. "I'm glad to do it here. I'm glad to see more competition in the regional than I'll see maybe at state, or adding a few people. So it's nice to get this in now.
"(The 4x1) felt really good. Coming down, I just kind of knew that we were in the lead. I tried to have good form and stride it out. I know my teammates have got me. It's probably the most fun race for me. The 1 and 2 are a little stressful. But the 4x1 is kind of like, 'All right, we've got to run these fast times.'"
Coming soon
For more from this meet, with profiles on NDCL's Brian Bates and Beachwood's girls sprint relays, check back during state week on News-Herald.com and in our print edition.
#NHtrack @HawkenAthletics' Andrew Bukovnik discusses the Hawks' 4x1 1st with a 41.85 at D2 Fitch Regional & somehow normalizing 41s
Was glad to track him down — wires got crossed & missed him last week at Perry as that group made history pic.twitter.com/GLHcxI7J6B
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 29, 2022
#NHtrack @NDCLathletics' boys 4x4 (Tim Herczog, Andrew Ryan, Javon King & Danny Yanick) discusses gutsy 4th in 3:24.60 to get out of the D2 Fitch Regional
Proud of these guys — got that D2/3 state indoor , found sub-3:30s outdoor & handled their business on the big stage pic.twitter.com/u9SeLMpgds
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 29, 2022
#NHtrack @HawkenAthletics' Leila Metres discusses her 2nd in open 4 with a 57.62 at the D2 Fitch Regional for 1st Hawken girls open 4 state berth since program legend Brook Turner in 2004
That got dicey last 75, & sophomore did well to hang in there in a quality field pic.twitter.com/8T7sO71l7R
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 29, 2022
#NHtrack @BisonAthletics' David Steckner discusses the Bison's 1st in 4x4 with a scintillating 3:20.61 & open 4 4th in 50.17 to advance to state out of the D2 Fitch Regional
Gutsy anchor to stave off Glenville
I've been impressed watching his growth throughout the spring pic.twitter.com/mJSVYt5FCP
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 29, 2022
#NHtrack @LakeTrackXC's Claire Duricky discusses her 4th in 3s with a 45.73 to get out of the D2 Fitch Regional
Brief interview, but was deserving of the spotlight after another late rally to become Lake's 1st girls 3s state qualifier since Je'Rica Sanders in 2011 pic.twitter.com/KC8d80iqEH
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 29, 2022
#NHtrack @BisonAthletics' Amelie Cotta discusses Beachwood's 4x2 & 4x1 titles at the D2 Fitch Regional
49.10/1:42.57 with usual precision is nice work heading into Cbus
(BTW, saving a Lauren Luxenburg interview from today for a Beachwood sprint relay feature story for state week) pic.twitter.com/s38qCIpZeU
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 29, 2022
#NHtrack @Perry_Pirates' Addy Trefzger discusses her 4th in PV, clearing 9-8, to qualify for state out of the D2 Fitch Regional
41st Perry PV state qualifier all-time
Goes from, like, 7-6 at regular season invites to 9-8 & a state berth — good for her pic.twitter.com/jJP2Akn9VG
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) May 29, 2022
