AVON, Ohio -- Rocky River's Track & Field squads registered top-flight performances at the Avon Reynolds Invitational Friday. [
Results]
The Pirates logged a fifth-place finish on the boys' side and a third-place finish on the girls'. Rocky River's day was highlighted by setting two new meet records in the girls' competition. Senior Sam Coleman conked the field over the head with an 18-second win in the 3200-meter run. Coleman crossed the wire at Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet Stadium with a time of 11:14.08. And then Coleman was in for a quarter on the Pirates posting a meet-record time of 9:55.76 in the 4x800-meter relay. That top-set podium visit included teammates Katie Stirm, Keira Arnold, and Grace Lavelle.
The River boys tallied 56.5 points, taking fifth in a field of 17 teams. The Double-R logged four medal performances in the 4x800 (first place: Grant Preto, Guillaume Carroll, Greg Ganor, Majid Abuaun), 800 (third: Abuaun), high jump (third: Isaac Linville), and pole vault (third: Griffin Sawyer).
The Pirate girls scored 77 points to edge host Avon (76) and Magnificat (74) for third place in a field of 15. Aside from the team's meet-record, gold-medal finishes, the Maroon & White also earned medals in the long jump (second: Morgyn Cruz), 400-meter dash (third: Taylor Byall), 1600 (third: Stirm), and 100-meter hurdles (third: Cruz).
Westlake (93 points ) and Twinsburg (93) tied for first place on the girls' side. The host Avon Eagles notched a dominant 135 points in taking the boys' competition.
CANNON FIRE ...
HIGH FIVES: Other top-5 performances posted by Rocky River on Friday: Greg Ganor (fourth-3200), Alan Ritvo (fifth-pole vault), and Owen Kleckner (fifth-110 hurdles). The quartet of Carroll, Linville, Braden Devorace, and Ethan Hazra too fifth in the 4x4. Other top-5s for the River girls: Madie Shoaf (fourth-discus), Brianna Chaves (fifth-3200), Caroline Sidoti (fifth-high jump). The Pirates took fourth in the 4x4 (Stirm, Arnold, Lavelle, Byall) and fifth in the 4x2 (Sidoti, Sarah Saad, Mary Sollars, Byall). ... Both River squads have now earned top-5 finishes the last two year's at the Avon Reynolds Invitational.
BELL WEEK: Rocky River will host two meets the week of May 2. The Pirates will close out their Great Lakes Conference slate with a dual meet against North Olmsted Wednesday. That event will mark Senior Day for the Double-R programs. Rocky River Stadium will than play host to the 46th Bell Invitational on Friday.
by Skip Snow