Madison Preston and Corey Reid will be busy today when the top Division I track and field performers invade the Jim Frank Athletic Track Complex for the regional finals.
The top three athletes in each event will advance to the annual state meet set for next Friday and Saturday at Carson High. Action gets under way at 9:30 a.m.
Preston is entered in the long jump, high jump, triple jump and the 400 relay, while Reid is entered in the high jump, 300 hurdles, pole vault and 400.
Reid won his heats of the 400 and 300 hurdles. He cleared 12-6 in the pole vault and was a handful of jumpers who cleared 5-10. In both running races, he could have coasted and still qualified. Instead, he found the extra gear.
“He has a drive to run well,” said Jim Reid, Corey’s dad and CHS assistant coach. “He doesn’t want to have a bad run. That is what drives him.”
“He doesn’t like to lose,” head coach Robert Maw said. “He’s going to have a tough battle in the 400 with (Sebastian) Feyersinger and (Connor) Ross. That should be a great race.”
Ross beat Reid by .06 in the 400, though they were in different heats. Reid is No. 2 in the 300 hurdles behind Hug’s Isaiah Clark (40.757-40.758). It will be anybody’s race.
The pole vault could be a tough one for Reid. Seven vaulters cleared 12-6 and five others went 12-feet. Maw believes that Reid should easily move on in the high jump.
Preston comes into today seeded third in the long jump (16-5 ¾), first in the triple jump (35-7) and was one of six competitors to get to 4-8 in the high jump.
Preston’s biggest competition is Wooster’s Nala Payton, who went 17-3 ¼ last week at the trials. She has defeated Preston in their last two head-to-head meetings.
“That was a wake-up call of sorts for Madison after Nala exploded with that big jump,” Maw said. “She hasn’t had much competition in the triple jump. I think if she goes 5-2 in the high jump she will go to state.”
Athena Favero (300 hurdles) and ValerieSue Meyer (400) both qualified first in their specialities. Favero clocked a 47.53 after a disappointing effort in the 100 hurdles, and Meyer eclipsed the 59-second mark for the second time in her career.
“I think Athena used the fact that she didn’t make it in the 100, and took it out (on the field) in the 300,” Maw said. “She had a great run in the 300.
“Valerie is looking strong. I’m looking forward to her facing the girl from Vegas, who has run in the 57s.”
The rest of the individual qualifiers are Lauren Hudak (800), Teresa Boehmer (shot put), Josilyn Daggs (100 and 300 hurdles).
“Hudak has an outside shot,” Maw said. “She runs with attitude. She is within three seconds of the third-place qualifier. The first two spots are tied up. Lauren is very competitive.
“I don’t think Josilyn is 100 percent, but I think she’ll be first or second in the 100 hurdles.”
Freshman Anya Woodbury was second in the triple jump trials, and Maw believes she has a 35-foot jump in her which would be enough to move her on. Teresa Boehmer threw 32-11 to qualify fifth in the shot, but that mark may have to go up two feet for advancement.
Maw has high hopes for all three of his girls relay squads. Including the 3200-meter group which won regionals a year ago.
Asa Carter is looking for a return trip to state in the triple jump, He qualified second last week at 40-11. He is also entered in the long jump where he leaped 20-3 ¾ last week.. Teammate Aaron Woodbury qualified for today with marks of 20-1 ¼ and 40-6, respectively.
“Aaron is jumping really well,” Maw said. “Asa should move on in the triple jump. It would be nice to see both of them move on in the long jump. Both are going to have to go high 20s or low 21s for that to happen.”
The 800 relay team’s success may hinge on whether Joey Thurman (leg injury) runs or not. The group clocked a 1:33.83 last week. Maw admitted the group wasn’t happy with him when he pulled Reid from the event. Besides Thurman, the group consists of Anthony Estrada, Carter and Dakota Baker.
Josue Orozco, who qualified sixth in the discus at 129-6 last week is 11 feet away from the No. 3 qualifier. Baker has a chance to move on in both hurdles races. He is seeded third in the highs and fifth in the intermediates. Daniel Jauregui is a longshot to move on in the 1600, and Anthony Cacioppo and Jauregui will have to run lights out to move on in the 3200.