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PREP BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
Jets claim OHC championship
It's Northeastern's first conference boys track title since 1966.
Friday, May 16, 2008
MECHANICSBURG — The streak is finally over — Northeastern High School has finally won another conference title in boys track and field.
The Jets took home the boys
Matt Allender of Northeastern anchors the 400-meter relay Thursday, May 15, at the Ohio Heritage Conference track and field championships at Mechanicsburg High School. Northeastern won the 400 and 800-meter relays with Allender anchoring both races. Staff photo by Barbara J. PerenicOhio Heritage Conference title at Mechanicsburg High School on Thursday, May 15, beating out West Liberty-Salem 149-125.
It's the school's first conference title in 42 years. It last won the Mad River Valley League in 1966.
Northeastern boys track and field coach Doug Cosner didn't know how to react.
"I'm almost speechless," Cosner said. "It's a very high level of coolness. I couldn't be more thrilled."
Northeastern senior Jared Collier won the discus with a toss of 156 feet, 1 inch. He also took home the shot
put title on Monday with a toss of
56 feet, 5½ inches, breaking a
41-year-old school record set by
Mike Catanzaro in 1967.
"It was awesome," Collier said. "I've been trying to break it for awhile."
The Jets also won the 400-meter relay, the 800 relay, the 3,200 relay and finished second in the 1,600 relay.
Senior Matt Allender ran the anchor of the 400 relay (45.68) with Nathan Hufford, Josh Arthur and Caleb Raines. He also ran the anchor on the 800 relay (1:33.88) with Arthur, Raines and Tyler Markley.
"They gave me such a big lead," Allender said. "I couldn't let them down."
Raines (23.266) and Allender (23.270) finished one-two in the 200, with Raines beating his teammate by four one-thousandths of a second.
"I owe it to (Allender)," Raines said. "I learn everything from him."
Allender didn't care about getting beat by his younger teammate. All he wanted was to help the team win.
"We needed that," Allender said. "It was big points."
Northeastern's Alek Erwin won the 1,600 (4:44.39) and the 3,200
(10:34.73). He also helped teammates Michael Lanning, Garrett Phillips and Nick Precek win the 3,200 relay
(8:30.76) on Monday.
Hufford won the long jump on Monday with a leap of 19-4½.
Northeastern assistant coach Jack Arthur was there to see both titles. He was a member of the team which won the MRVL title in 1966.
"I'm just glad it's over," Arthur said.
Cosner said he was happy to see his seniors go out with a bang.
"All the kids have worked so hard in every aspect, and that's what it takes," Cosner said. "We've got a good core of athletes."
