Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
Bulldogs dominate WBL trimeet
By Gary R. Rasberry
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard
Celina's Ashley Coon slips over the bar during the pole vault at Tuesday's trimeet, which included St. Marys and Shawnee. The Bulldogs' boys and girls swept the team titles by over 40 points each.
CELINA - With the Western Buckeye League track meet just over two weeks away, Celina and St. Marys got tuned up as the Bulldogs hosted the Roughriders and Shawnee at Varsity Track in a league trimeet.
Celina's boys and girls had dominant days, winning both team points titles. The Bulldogs' boys scored 91 with St. Marys taking second with 51 and Shawnee third at 33. The Celina girls also pulled away with 92 1/2 points as Shawnee was second at 50 and St. Marys third with 32 1/2.
The Bulldogs' Derek Pease captured first place in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs while distance mate Chris Nusbaum won the 3,200 meters. Janson Finkbeiner won the pole vault as the only participant to clear 13 feet. After getting the win, Finkbeiner came close to setting a new personal best, but could not clear 13-9. Celina also swept all four relays.
"Janson went for a personal best in the pole vault. Steffan Miller did well in the hurdles, got beat by the best kid in the WBL, maybe," said Otten. "Distance guys did okay. Throwers did okay today. .. Overall, it wasn't the greatest weather with the wind, but we needed a meet with no rain, good conditions temperature-wise. Very productive leading into the Bryan Invitational."
St. Marys' Devon Fitzgerald swept the 110 and 300 hurdles and picked up a third win in the high jump, while Freddie Hardin outdueled Celina's Derek Jones to sweep the shot and discus.
"I saw a lot of good things from our team again," said St. Marys' coach Kathy Sites. "Devon in the hurdles, again. ... Freddie got a personal best and just did well over there."
On the girls' side, Celina won nine events to coast to the team victory. Lizz Carr picked up wins in the high jump and 100 hurdles while Hannah Fleck captured first in the 800 and 1,600 meters.
St. Marys' Mekayla Breland dominated the throwing events. Breland won the shot put by 5 1/2 feet against Celina's Kayla Fortkamp, then outdistanced Paige Dorsten by 11 1/2 feet in the discus. Kelly Heitkamp added a win for the Roughriders in the pole vault as she reached nine feet in fewer tries than Celina's Alex Parker, who also went nine feet.
"We were hoping, with Shawnee coming in with the girls, it would be a real test because they're one of the three best (in the WBL) with Defiance and us," said Otten. "We were expecting them to come full bore at us. It was a convincing win. They had some people moved around, I think. Alex Parker had barely gotten seven feet, today she goes nine feet. Lexi Mills comes through in the 300 hurdles. The distance girls: Hannah and Andrea (Bell, who won the 3,200) did their thing."
Shawnee's Alonda Benton won the 100 and 200 meters.
"Sara Walker (who finished third in the discus and fourth in the shot), this was her first meet back (after a concussion)," said Sites. "She and Mekayla are going to do, hopefully, wonderful things at league."
Celina travels to Bryan on Saturday for the Golden Bear Invitational while St. Marys stays in Auglaize County, heading to New Bremen for the Cardinal Invitational.
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard
St. Marys' Devon Fitzgerald helped the Roughriders finish second with three wins during Tuesday's WBL trimeet in Celina. Fitzgerald won the 110 and 300 hurdles and also was victorious in the high jump.
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard
St. Marys' throwing standout Mekayla Breland was a double-event winner on Tuesday as she won the shot put by over five feet while beating the competition by over 11 feet in the discus.
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard
Celina's Alex Parker clears the bar during pole vault during Tuesday's WBL trimeet in Celina against St. Marys and Shawnee.
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard
Celina's Mikel Martinez gets set to release the shot put during Tuesday's WBL trimeet in Celina against St. Marys and Shawnee.
