'It was really great': Tuslaw's Wood gets big win in 200 at Orrville District meet

ORRVILLE — As Hailey Wood crossed the finish line Saturday, all she could do smile.

Check that, with 50 meters to go in her 200-meter dash final, the Tuslaw sophomore had a grin from ear-to-ear.

And who could blame her?

Wood clocked a personal-record time in winning the event — one of two district titles won by locals in final-day action at the Orrville Division II District — and helping the Mustangs to a fourth-place team finish.

When asked after if she always smiles when finishing a race, the sprinter was quick with a response.

“No, only when I know that I won,” Wood said. “For prelims, I knew there were a lot of fast girls and it's all in God's hands. I just knew that if it's in God's plan I will win.

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“I felt good today and went out and gave it all that I had. It was really great.”

Wood came around the turn with a little more than 100 meters to go with a slim lead, but found an extra gear as the crowd got louder at Red Rider Stadium, holding off Rocky’s River CeAujanay Grant in the closing moments in clocking a career-best 27.04.

Wood headlines a large list of local athletes that earned a spot in next weekend’s regional meet at Austintown Fitch’s Falcon Stadium.

Not too shabby for an athlete who, less than five months ago, was running the 800 and, well, not enjoying it.

“Last year I mentally wasn't good, running events that I didn't enjoy, and this year I feel good, and these events are my events,” said Wood, who also qualified in the 100 and as a member of the 4x200 relay team. “I ran cross country, so last year I ran the 800 and, during indoor, my coach was like you need to sprint for us.

“It’s been really great … I didn’t think I would get to where I am this year.”

Chippewa’s Izzy Lattea was the other area champ in Saturday’s action, and like Wood did it with a personal-best performance.

Without a miss throughout the entire pole vault competition, and already having a regional spot locked up, Lattea tried to clear the bar at 9-feet-8 and — on her second attempt — hit the career mark.

Her result matched that of defending district champ, Orrville’s Catrina Race, but the one-miss day for Lattea was enough to claim the title.

“Once In realized I was in the top four, I was just jumping for myself,” said the senior, whose previous-best was 9-6. “I just wanted to have fun. I knew that it was there and I just had to tap into that side and just have fun with it.

“We've put so much work in the offseason and I trained all winter; so, this feels really good. Really rewarding.”

Chloe Albrecht of Orrville also advanced in the pole vault with a third-place jump of 9 feet, while Race was a multi-event regional qualifier as she was fourth in the 100 hurdles in a career-best 17.03.

Triway’s sprinters also had a strong day as both the 4x1 and 4x2 relays — both consisting of Zoey Baker, Addison Hudson, Cierra Kemery, and Ava Gaffey — were runner-up in season-best times of 50.89 and 1:48.89, respectively. Kemery also was second in the 100 (personal-best 13.18), while Gaffey was third in the 200 (27.32) and Wood placed fourth in the 100 (13.31).

For Gaffey, who also qualified in the long jump (4th place, 15-11¾), to move on in multiple relays again this season makes it even more special.

“It feels really good,” she said. “After last year going to state (in the 4x1), this feels good to be able to move forward again. We have a new addition with Kemery (from last year) and she's done really well; it's been a great experience.”

Both Tuslaw’s Paige Marthey and Ashley Eberhardt also earned returned trips to the regional meet with third-place finishes in the 300 hurdles and 800, respectively. Marthey, Eberhardt, Wood and Vanessa Sibila also advanced in the 4x4.

Coming off a career-best 47.84 in Thursday’s prelim, Marthey followed it up with another sub-48 second performance, as the sprinter-turned-hurdler is advancing in the postseason for a new event.

“I only did hurdles this year because our team had only one hurdler,” said the sophomore, a member of a regional-qualifying 4x2 last season. “I was like, 'Well, we're going to need some points, so I’ll do it,' but I wasn't expecting to do this good. I like it. I don't know, I'm just competitive.”

Eberhardt, who helped the 4x8 team to a regional berth earlier in the week, led her 800 final before Elyria Catholic’s Gracie Jones and Ella Feskanich passed the senior on the closing lap. The veteran, who was battling flu-like symptoms, was able to battle through.

“I had a fever this morning, so I haven't been feeling good all day … that made it tough,” she said, after her run of 2:28.80. “It's nice. I really wanted to win, but I'm glad I made it.”

Triway’s Ella Wigal also earned a regional spot in the 3,200 run, thanks to a run of 13:13.86, while Chippewa’s Grace Castello advanced in the high jump on Thursday.

Orrville D-II District

Girls

Team standings: 1. Firelands 124, 2. Elyria Catholic 102, 3. Brookside 83.5, 4. Tuslaw 65, 5. Triway 50, 6. Northwest 49, 7. Fairview 47.5, 8. Orrville 36, 9. Chippewa 32, 10. Holy Name 27, 11. Lutheran West 23, 12. Keystone 21.

Results

(Top four in each event advance to regionals; winner and locals in the top-6 listed)

Shot put: 1. Zuriah Radeff Koonce (B) 40-2½, 6. Emily Baxter (Chippewa) 30-5¼. Discus: 1. Alina Tabb (HN) 119-6, 5. Brynn Shearer (Tri) 94-3. High jump: 1. Teaghan Jasinski (F) 5-2, 4. Grace Castello (Chippewa) 5-0, 5. Katelyn Eberhardt (T) 4-10, 6. Chloe Albrecht (Orrville) 4-8.  Long jump: 1. Zuriah Radeff Koonce (B) 17-1, 4. Ava Gaffey (Tri) 15-11¾, 5. Addison Hudson (Tri) 15-9¾, 6. Alissa Maier (Tus) 15-1½. Pole vault: 1. Izzy Lattea (C) 9-8, 2. Catrina Race (O) 9-8, 3. Chloe Albrect (O) 9-0, 5. Kaycee Gabor (C) 8-0. 4x800: 1. Elyria Catholic 10:11.36, 3. Tuslaw 10:22.96. 100 hurdles: 1. Avery Davis (B) 15.48, 4. Race (O) 17.03, 5. Paige Marthey (Tus) 17.15. 100: 1. Zuriah Radeff Koonce (B) 12.90, 2. Cierra Kemery (Tri) 13.18, 4. Hailey Wood (Tus) 13.31. 4x200: 1. Firelands 1:46.25, 2. Triway 1:48.89, 4. Tuslaw 1:50.99. 1,600: 1. Madelyn Begert (Nw) 5:32.05, 6. Georgia Huffman (Tus) 6:02.32. 4x100: 1. Brookside 50.57, 2. Triway 50.89, 5. Chippewa 53.83, 6. Orrville 54.27. 400: 1. Audrey Smith (F) 1:00.47. 300 hurdles: 1. Ariannah Floyd (F) 44.14, 3. Marthey (Tus) 47.96. 800: 1. Gracie Jones (EC) 2:26.79, 3. Ashley Eberhardt (Tus) 2:28.80, 5. Tess O’Donnell (Tus) 2:31.87. 200: 1. Wood (Tus) 27.04, 3. Gaffey (Tri) 27.32. 3,200: 1. Begert (Nw) 12:26.01, 4. Ella Wigal (Tri) 13:13.86. 4x400: 1. Firelands 4:08.32, 3. Tuslaw 4:19.83, 5. Orrville 4:27.83.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Girls Track and Field: Tuslaw's Wood, Chippewa's Lattea place first