Area track teams open season with strong early performances

Track season is off and running for area high school teams, and athletes from Highland, Buckeye and Cloverleaf all had moments in the sun, when there was any, in the early going.

In the Ned Weingart Relays in Cleveland Heights on April 4, Highland’s girls came in fourth place in a strong 22-team field. The Hornets totaled 81.5 points, trailing a dominant performance by future Suburban League rival Solon (173.5) and runner-up Shaker Heights (90). The boys team finished eighth with 31. Solon also won that half with 116.5.

For the girls, junior Kate Schuler won the 1600- and 3200-meter runs, and sophomore Bria Riedy won the pole vault. For the boys, John Hildebrand won the 3200 and led a team that included Andrew Welch, Braden Gryskiewicz and Colton Klein to victory in the distance medley.

Prior to that, Highland hosted the Hornet Invitational a week earlier. Girls team scores were not available, but Riedy had a stellar day, winning the 200-meter dash and pole vault. Schuler matched that double by winning the 1600-meter run and 3200-meter run. Senior Allison Gryskiewicz won the long jump. The Hornets also won the 4x100-meter, 4x400-meter and 4x800-meter relays. Highland’s boys finished in fourth place with 75 points. Nordonia won with 123. The boys won the 4x800-meter relay.

Buckeye’s boys team had a strong showing at the Newton Falls Tiger Invitational on April 4. The Bucks placed fourth among 13 teams, totaling 89 points. Mineral Ridge won with 152.5. Buckeye’s girls finished 11th out of 12 teams with 15 points. Rittman won with 128. Senior Brady Salazar and junior Dimitry Pshonyak highlighted Buckeye’s boys team’s day with wins in the 800 and 1600, respectively. The Bucks’ 4x400 team also won. For the girls, the 4x100 relay placed third.

Cloverleaf’s boys 4x1600 relay team of Caleb Neville, Noah Mion, Clay Gucker and Gavin Forbes won its event at the Jim Hauser Pirate Relays in Sandusky, hosted by Perkins High School. The girls 4x800 team of Leah Monhemius, Elise Mion, Emily Myers and Lily Dluzynski placed third to pace Cloverleaf’s girls. The Colt boys finished sixth out of eight teams, totaling 49 points. The girls were seventh with 37. Perkins won the boys title with 118. Bellevue won the girls with 121.

Buckeye and Cloverleaf met head-to-head at the Cloverleaf Earlybird Relays on March 28. Cloverleaf’s boys edged the Bucks 73-68, with the two finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, among seven teams. The girls were the opposite, with Buckeye coming in fourth with 74 points, just ahead of Cloverleaf’s 69. Firelands won both halves, the boys with 102.5 points, the girls with 109.5.

Buckeye’s boys got a win in the 4x800 relay. Junior Leah Bengough won the pole vault for the girls team. Cloverleaf’s girls won the distance medley and got wins from freshman Keegan Wittman in the triple jump and junior Amelia Ryncarz in the shot put.

Girls flag football

While track was kicking off its season, this sport was kicking off its history for some area teams. Cloverleaf fell 23-6 in its opener, with Madison Steele and Rylee Winkelman connecting on a touchdown pass for the Colts’ lone score. The Colts also fell that day to Midview 32-0. The new program, which has 13 freshmen among a 14-girl roster, did not manage to win any of its first five games, but with everything being so brand new, that’s almost to be expected. The Colts return to action on April 12 with games against Oberlin and Medina at Sandusky.

Highland, which fielded a team last year but is part of the OHSAA this year, kicked off its season March 29 against North Royalton in what was the Hornets’ only home game. Details were scarce, but the Hornets will return to action April 10 with games against Kent Roosevelt, Streetsboro and Copley, all at Bedford.