North Robinson - Throughout the regular season, Colonel Crawford coach Preston Foy emphasized the importance of the team's track side.
“We feel like that’s how you build a track and field culture,” he said.
Sometimes this means attending events you don’t usually attend to to maximize your potential. The Hawks beat the boys and girls for the first time since 2019, and Friday’s North 10 title was the climax of a season of selfless titles.
“It really depends on coaches (Todd) Roston and (Joey) Ball, who have been on this roster since they lost last year,” Foy said. “They have a strategy and they know other teams better than some of their own coaches I think.
"Many kids are asked to do things they don't usually do. Don't worry about time, worry about placement. We have a game plan that can insert kids into places we need them and keep changing, but today's game plan is perfect. Thanks to our kids, because they bought it, they competed in a great game today."
Junior Dom Dean ranked second in the two, placing the batting champion (51-2) and discus (148-5) as early wins. His sophomore teammate Luke Christman finished second in the discus competition, and classmate Lane Burge ranked fifth in the shot put.
"He said he wanted to go there today to win both," Foy said. "I don't think he'll do it, but he's doing it great. He's been working very hard over the past few weeks and has started to get a little confident. He didn't throw last year due to transfer rules, so he really started to peak at the right time."
Senior Adam Scott beat Seneca East's Owen Gahring to beat the 800-meter run, while teenager Jacob Cochran ran 200 runs SE's Bryler Beamer, finishing the only other first place the boys have. But that's a lot of second, third, fourth and fifths, which add up to the 153 points needed for Seneca East, which put the Tigers in a four-year dominance.
Cochran finished second in the dash of 100 and 400, with 32 points, plus third place in the high jump, winning his 200 titles.
"Jacob is a different manufacturer today," Foy said. "He had to go with the best sprinter in the league with his toes under his feet. This was the first time we asked him to do this and then he served it."
It's the usual business for girls who lead the league title with senior Gabby Roston in pole vault (11-0).
Holt is also runner-up in 200 dashes, with Edgington second, senior Olivia Hardy second in the 1600 and third in the 800, sophomore Brooklyn Goodn and freshman Emmi's Emmi Powers second and third in the long jump, Sydney junior Sydney Disney Disney Boole (Sydior Sydior Sydior Sydior Bieldbaugh) third in the Youth Club, Roston runner in the 300 Hurders.
In less than a week in the playoffs, the Hawks will shift their focus from team development to maximizing individual success.
"It will be their time," Foy said. "We're going to let them decide where to get the most success, and we want them to play with fresh legs. You won't see Mira Holt do what she does today because she's a team player all year because she's a team player all year. Today our distance is a tough day and they'll be able to focus on what they want in the playoffs."
Ivan Pirnstill has been successful in pole vault all season. But going to the N10 conference, he didn't sow the seeds first, which meant he had to do something about it.
"Ivan is a special character and I never know what he will do," said Blouse coach Kevin Boggs.
On Friday, Piensteel won his first league title 13-0.
"He's working on pole vault all winter, and that's his business," Boggs said. "He loves it, but he's having a good time. We know if he can be 13 and he'll kick off. He keeps calm and challenging, his pole vault coach is in the trailer, so he's very good at finding self-correction."
It was when he finished eighth in the tie with a 5-6 advantage in the high jump and sixth in the long jump.
"His goal is to do three field events, and that's what he does," Boggs said. "But his athleticism is that, he can do whatever I put him in. That's where we need him, so he jumped up, jumped far, and arched up."
Junior Karter Boggs won the miles in 10 seconds ahead of Seneca East runner-up, Evan Schiefer, but Schiefer will make Boggs better with 15 seconds in two miles.
"Karter was on a mission, he thought it out and won because he didn't like losing that last year," Coach Boggs said. "And he knew Evan was strong in two miles, so just be as long as possible."
Thanks to some high scores from Sprinters, Redmen ranked fourth with 81.5 points, especially runner-ups at 4x10 and 4x200, and third place in Hall and 100 Dash in 110 obstacles.
"The N10 is so tough, we know we're coming, we're going to be eliminated," Coach Boggs said. "My sprinter and distance, we're very balanced, but (but) thrower is young. Maseo (Hall) is beaten so I had to pull him out of a hurdler...but he said I'm going to get it out (relay). Da'shawn (Cosey) (Cosey) (Cosey) (Cosey), Demaris (Munn-Page) (Munn-Page), Christian and Maseo Ran ran were great."
Wynford's senior Anthony Evans set a new N10 record in 400 DASH at 50.86, while Buckeye Central Senior Corbin Bloomfield won the long jump with a 21-10¾ mark.
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