GMC track meet Mason comets
Mason hurdles past competition
Thursday, May 22, 2008
FAIRFIELD — They came. They competed. And in their first season in the Greater Miami Conference, they conquered.
The Mason boys and girls track teams dominated Friday's GMC championships at Fairfield High School, taking home 10 individual titles – six girls titles and four boys titles – in the process.
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The boys (126) finished far ahead of second-place Hamilton (83); while the girls (194) almost doubled runner-up Middletown (105).
"This is huge for us. This is what we've been training for since December," girls coach Tony Affatato said,
Perhaps more impressive than the 10 individual titles was the overall depth of the program: the Comets posted 43 top five finishes in the meet's 34 events.
"This was such a team effort," junior hurdler Rachel Harley said. "(The girls team) qualified someone (for the finals) in every event."
Friday brought even more good news for the Comets: freshman Zach Wills was named GMC male runner of the year, and Lindsey Ossim was named GMC female field athlete of the year.
Wills seems to have fully recovered from a hip injury he suffered earlier in the season. He took home two GMC titles, winning the 1600 (4:24.27) and 3200 (9:39.22).
"We started thinking that winning the GMC's was possible when we saw how well (Wills) was running in the fall," boys coach Chip Dobson said.
Ossim was in a class of her own in the discus event; her throw of 128 feet, eight inches was more than 14 feet farther than the second-place finisher.
"I probably need a 140 (to win a state title)," Ossim said. "It'll be tough, but I think it's possible."
Senior Rachel Weber won the 400 with a time of 57.70, several meters in front of the second-place finisher. Junior Molly Culbertson won the 800 (2:19.77), a split second faster than Mason junior Emily Staresinic, who finished second (2:20.03).
Harley won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 44.64 seconds. In the 100 hurdles, Harley finished second (11.27) behind Mason sophomore Erin Milner (11.01).
The final female individual title came from junior Kierstin Wones in the pole vault (10 feet, eight inches).
Mason's lone relay win came in the boys' 4x800, as the team of Wills, junior Jordan Grant, junior Tim Huesing and senior Brendan Caprio finished with a time of 8:06.70, almost 15 seconds faster than second-place Oak Hills.
The tenth and final title came in the boys shot put event: junior Kenderick Davis won with a throw of 51 feet, one inch.
Mason hosts its district meet, which began Wednesday and concludes Friday.
