Track Notebook: Triumphant return for C-M’s Mathis, Waynesburg’s Layton
Waynesburg's Daniel Layton cruises to a victory in the 110-meter hurdles at the Washington-Greene County Coaches' Track & Field Championships at Peters Township High School.
Ed Thompson/For the Observer-Reporter
Waynesburg’s Daniel Layton clears the bar in the pole vault Saturday afternoon at the Washington-Greene County Coaches’ Track & Field Championships.
Cerena McBride of Canon-McMillan is on her way to victory in the 100 hurdles Saturday at the Washington-Greene County Coaches Track & Field Championships.
Waynesburg's Caleb Shriver lands in the sand after his long jump attempt at the Washington-Greene County Coaches' Track & Field Championships Saturday afternoon.
McMURRAY – Scan over last year’s results of the Washington-Greene County Coaches Track & Field Championships and you won’t find the name of Tamara Mathis.
She didn’t compete.
In fact, she didn’t run track at all last year, preferring to concentrate on basketball. It worked because she secured a scholarship to Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio.
With that out of the way and the pressure from recruiting removed, Mathis decided a return to track for her senior season at Canon-McMillan High School. Everyone, except possibly her opponents, is glad she did.
Mathis put on quite a show at Peters Township High School Saturday, winning three individual events and helping the 400-meter relay team set a meet record.
Not bad for a basketball player.
“I thought it was going to be really close between me and (Trinity’s) Faith Gandy,” said Mathis. “I only ran track my sophomore and senior seasons and she beat me as a sophomore. She got MVP but it was really a close race. This was the first time I raced against her.”
Mathis won the 100 in 12.95, nipping Gandy by .03 seconds; she captured the 200 in 26.75 and the 400 in 59.26. Mathis joined Trista Miller, Skylar Sobansky and Cerena McBride to win the 400 relay in 50.11, breaking the mark of 50.24 set by Washington in 2014.
Layton gets redemption
The gusts of wind didn’t make life any easier for Waynesburg’s Daniel Layton, but he finally got his redemption and gold medals.
Layton, the highly decorated vaulter and hurdler for the Raiders, never had a first-place finish at the county coaches’ meet. As a sophomore, he was disqualified in the 110 hurdles and finished in second in the 300 hurdles and pole vault. Last year, a sprained ankle kept him from competing.
That changed Saturday afternoon.
In his two events, the 110 hurdles and pole vault, Layton battled the winds to take home gold in both. He cleared 13-2 in the vault and finished the high hurdles in 16.08.
“It feels good to redeem myself,” Layton said. “It was rough with the wind. I had to go up a pole and change my run in the vault. We were running into the wind in the hurdles, so I had to drive a lot harder. I was hoping I could or beat the pole vault record, which was set by (former teammate) Will Behm last year. It just wasn’t the day for it.”
Martin makes return
After suffering a strained hamstring as the anchor of the Canon-McMillan 400 relay during an invitational in West Virginia, sprinter Kamden Martin returned to competition for the first time in three weeks.
He finished in second place in the 100-meter dash.
“Working back was more difficult than I thought it would be,” Martin said. “I’m happy to be back.”
Martin was in search of a third consecutive gold medal in the 100. He ended up losing to Burgettstown’s Seth Phillis.
“When you don’t win, you are disappointed,” Martin said. “Of course, I’m upset that I didn’t win, but looking back, I’m glad I could run today. I’m happy to be back.”
Martin finished third in the 100 at the WPIAL Class AAA Track & Field Championships last May.
“Today, the focus was on getting my confidence back,” he said. “After the injury, I couldn’t worry about running the same times I used to. A third championship today would have been great but I take things as they are. Winning a WPIAL championship, along with qualifying for states, are at the top of my list of goals.”
Close calls for Trinity’s Chakos
It was an impressive day for Trinity’s Julia Chakos. But a few ticks of the clock here and a few inches of dirt there would have made it extremely special.
Chakos anchored the 1,600-meter relay that finished second to Fort Cherry by five seconds. In the 200 dash, Chakos came within .17 seconds of beating Mathis. And she came up six inches shy of catching Lilly Simmons of Peters Township in the triple jump (34-02).
“Our track was redone this summer and we couldn’t practice for a while,” said Chakos. “We were off our practice schedule. We tried to get the reps in but it was hard. Hopefully, by WPIALs, I’ll be ready.”
No one could come close to Chakos in the long jump, her specialty. Chakos hit 17-04 1/4, beating beating Simmons by more than seven inches.
Mixed bag of MVPs
Three different MVPs from three different schools.
No one particular individual dominated the boys’ events.
Canon-McMillan’s Trenton Jubin was named the Track MVP, Trinity’s Brent Clutter was named the Field MVP and Peters Township’s Jimmy Kartsonas was the overall MVP.
In the individual events, Jubin finished first in the 200 run and third in the 100 run. He was also part of the Big Macs’ 1,600 relay team, which won gold, and the 400 relay, which finished in second.
Clutter’s lone gold came in the shot put. He finished in second place in the javelin and long jump, then added a fifth-place finish in the discus.
Kartsonas finished the day with four medals, including silver in the triple jump and 110 hurdles. He took first in the long jump and was part of the Indians’ 400 relay team that finished fourth.
“I thought it went OK,” Kartsonas said. “I always look forward to this meet. You can say you are the best in Washington and Greene County, which is pretty cool.”