Granville track vast talent pool expanding
GRANVILLE — Spencer Beckett knew he was fast on the baseball diamond.
The Granville senior wanted an opportunity to see how that speed translated on the track. Beckett is measuring up quite well, and he helped the host Blue Aces take runner-up in the 400 relay Friday at the Granville Invitational.
“I was definitely faster in baseball, but the competition out here is off the chart. Everybody is fast,” said Beckett, who joined classmates Andrew Klaus and Blaine Wenning and junior Connor Hare in running a strong time of 44.77 despite consistent winds of over 20 mph. “Fast in track is a whole new meaning.”
Beckett previously played baseball in the spring, but two successful stints with indoor track team during the winter convinced him to stick with his new teammates. He also placed third in the 200 (23.51) and fifth in the 100 (11.54) on Friday.
“I have played baseball since I was 4 or 5,” Beckett said. "I made a difficult decision. It’s my senior year, final hurrah, so I wanted to give it a shot. I am happy with the choice I made. It’s been a blast so far. It’s good to have the guys around you to support you. It’s a really inclusive atmosphere. They do a great job of lifting you up.”
Hare also is in his first season after previously playing baseball, and he and Beckett have given a boost to a sprint corps that was hurt by graduation. Klaus, classmate Owen Kirkham, junior Corbin Bell and sophomore Will Ebner took runner-up in the 1,600 relay (3:38.30).
“I am really excited about it,” Klaus said. “We have some guys that previously didn’t get the opportunity to run in a meet like this. It’s really great for them to step up and show out in front of all of the people.”
Granville’s girls team dominated the sprints, and it helped the Blue Aces rack up 179 points to win the championship, finishing well ahead of Olentangy Orange’s 136.5.
Sophomore Charlotte Turner came from behind to win the 200 by two-thousandths of a second (27.523). She also joined juniors Avery Ogg and Hope Mahl and freshman Ivy Miller on the winning 800 relay (1:50.70) and Ogg and seniors Caitriona Sproul and Kara Bergeron on the winning 1,600 relay (4:11.29). Not to be outdone, Sproul, Mahl, Miller and sophomore Ayla Cook won the 400 relay (51.00).
“This season, we have improved a lot,” Sproul said. "We have a lot of strong runners, and the last few meets have shown that. Our relays are strong because we have a lot of people who can fill in. Our team is growing in talent.”
Cook also won the 100 hurdles (16.41), and Bergeron won the 1,600 (5:16.90) on the track. Junior Nora Carrington won the triple jump (31-feet-11) in the field.
“I did pretty well,” Cook said. "I was hoping to do a little better; however, I am not disappointed at all. I am really just trying to get down my three-step (technique). Right now, I am four-stepping, which isn’t doing me bad, but I am growing out of it.”
Newark freshman Kyren Shumate won the long jump (15-8.5). Runner-up finishers in the girls meet were Granville junior Talia Barbuto in the hammer throw (99-4), sophomore Annie McCracken in the pole vault (10-0), junior Megan Cummiskey in the high jump (4-10), sophomore Audrey Ames in the triple jump (30-5.5), junior Sophia Poling in the 1,600 (5:28.84) and Sproul in the 400 (1:03.28).
“In the 400, I am just trying to get to regionals again this year,” Sproul said. “I don’t really have a time (goal). I am just working on my last 100 meters and getting a better kick.”
In the boys meet, Newark senior Ethan Stare and Granville’s Kirkham worked together like teammates in the 800. They soon will be as they are both headed to Wright State.
Kirkham placed third (2:00.72) and Stare fifth (2:01.12). The top five finishers were separated by less than two seconds.
“This is my first open 800 of the year, but my buddy Owen Kirkham, my job was to stay as close to him as possible,” Stare said. “I got a little out-kicked at the end, but that is what we are going to keep practicing.”
Kirkham added, “Especially in weather like this, it takes who is in better shape out of the equation and shows who really wants it fighting the wind. It’s always fun competing especially in a home meet.”
Newark senior Ayden Bidwell won the discus (142-4) and took runner-up in the hammer throw (150-7).
Granville sophomore Cade Roberts won the high jump (6-0), and senior Greyson Ingle took runner-up in the pole vault (12-0). Junior Cohen Stump added a third-place finish in the 1,600 (4:42.82).
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville Blue Aces track talent pool expanding
