Correspondent photo/Robert Hayes Girard sophomore Sieasia Triplett begins the 4x400 relay Saturday afternoon, having plenty of success after a run to state last spring.

AUSTINTOWN — Despite an ominous forecast, the rainy weather subsided for the 41st Optimist Meet Saturday afternoon, with a slew of local teams eyeing event wins against the likes of St. Vincent-St. Mary, Field and Twinsburg, among others.

Girard sophomore Sieasia Triplett never had the opportunity to become the first leg of her team’s 4×400 group, normally finding herself as the third runner, but was given a new opportunity to mix things up.

“Just to stand in the lane the whole way, I’m usually a catcher, but it was different, it wasn’t that bad. I like third but first isn’t bad, at first I didn’t think I was going to like it, but it wasn’t that bad,” Triplett said, the Indians taking second with a 4:09.60.

Triplett has been on a roll lately, earning multiple meet MVP awards, and quickly making a name for herself within the Mahoning Valley for Girard. She made a run to state last spring in the 100m, finishing seventh, but realized that she could place even higher if the right amount of work was put in.

Safe to say, much of those additional practices and workouts have paid dividends so far this year.

“Last year I didn’t work as hard as I did this year and I didn’t really do lifting, but I still made it, but now I’m lifting and eating better and I think I’m going to be up there,” Triplett explained. “We didn’t have a freshman year because of COVID, I understand that I could have gotten better and I could have got up there, but I didn’t do anything during COVID. I’m getting better and I’m trying to push myself and hopefully get first place in state.”

After a last minute scratch Friday from a previous meet, defending Division III cross country state champion Brady Yingst stepped onto the track in Austintown, but what awaited the middle distance runner was Canfield senior Nick Plant.

Like two titans of the synthetic rubber, Plant and Yingst duked it out in the 1600, nearly matching each other move for move, before Plant finally did what he does best – pulling away on the final leg of the race.

“That’s my favorite part of the race, the last 100 all out, it hurts all the time — first lap was really fast, faster than it should have been,” said Plant, setting a stadium and meet record with a time of 4:10.39. “It’s what it’s all about I guess, I like to just do my best and just finish out the best I can, I just dug deep and gave it all I had.

“It’s really fun, it’s always exciting running against new kids, getting to meet and talking to them, I’m just happy and excited to be in the position I’m in.”

Later on, Plant set yet another meet record with a 1:51.73 in the 800m on an afternoon where conditions may have been windy and a bit rainy at times.

When considering where to run in college, one of the biggest factors was going somewhere nearby so his friends and family can follow his exploits at the next level. The easiest way to check that box is to just stay home, becoming the main reason why Austintown Fitch senior Donnie Ellis chose to commit to Youngstown State.

“It was a big thing, and a big thing for me and my family, so we’re just ready to get to work,” Ellis said, helping the Falcons 4×100 team earn an event win Saturday afternoon with a time of 42.40s. “Just talking to my family, staying close to home and staying with my friends I think was the right decision at the end of the day. I’m ready to put on a show not just for my family but for my friends and in Youngstown.”

Ellis was a member of the 4×100 relay team that concluded their 2021 season with a sixth place finish in Columbus. On top of earning an event win on Saturday, he also placed 10th with an 11.59s in the 100 dash.

It may not have been the result Ellis wanted individually, but he was more than thrilled with the 4×100 win along with teammates Cam Smith, Dan Evans and Brody Herman. Being prepared for any type of weather, the wind didn’t seem to phase the Falcons sprinters.

“We got a good bond going straight from football into indoor (season) then outdoor — we always stick together, we’re good friends, so that always creates a good bond,” Ellis explained, commenting about the grind of having three seasons in a year. “School plays a big part, stay focused in school, straight to practice and just stay focused.”

NOTES – Fitch won the boy’s side of the meet with 80 points….Twinsburg won the girl’s side with 110.50….McDonald’s Ryan Henry continued his tear, winning both the shot put (66-1.75) and discus (177-2), his teammate Dante Mediati was second with a 166-1….Fellow Blue Devil Megan Hipple won the 3200 with a 11:17.03…Girard’s duo of Dom (22-4) and Mia Malito (17-0.75) won the long jump…Fitch’s Nick Tibolla won the 110 hurdle (15.11s)…Kristin Yeager won the 1600 for Fitch with 5:18.9.

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