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Sloan soars to Columbus

MASSILLON — Southern Local freshman Bradly Sloan is wise beyond his years on the track.

Sloan became Southern Local’s first state qualifier in 12 years with one clutch long jump at the Massillon Perry Division III regional meet Wednesday.

With seven other jumpers over 20 feet, Sloan leaped 20-feet-9 on his third and final jump in the preliminaries that gave him a runner-up finish.

“It’s kind of like a focus thing,” he said. “You have to find some grit and use it.”

He opened with jumps of 19-1 and 18-4 1/4.

“They weren’t too good,” he said.

Then he came through like a veteran in what could have been his final jump of the season.

“At that point, I knew where I was at,” Sloan said.

His next-best jump of 20-6 1/2, which came on his sixth and final attempt, would have put him in fifth place and one spot short of state.

Sloan is the Indians’ first state qualifier since 2006, when Alex Blosser was 14th in the Division III long jump (19-10 1/2).

“It’s tough for us because our facility isn’t the greatest,” Sloan said. “We’re usually going to other schools (mostly Beaver Local) to practice every day except Sunday.”

Sloan will get his turn next Friday afternoon, June 1, at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University.

“Coming in as a freshman, that rarely happens,” he said. “I was using this year to try to get better. I never would have imagined this.”

Sloan will be seeing Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium for the first time next weekend.

“I’m going to give it my all and hope for the best,” he said. “You can’t be afraid to lose — or win.”

Sloan, the Springfield district champion, was the only one from the local district to advance in the long jump.

Crestview junior Dylan Huff was ninth (19-9 1/4) and Crestview senior Mitch Lindsay was 10th (19-2).

Columbiana sophomore Joey Bable came in with an injured his ankle and couldn’t compete in the long jump or 300-meter hurdles.

Meet notes

¯ The long jump started a couple of minutes late because officials forgot the tape measure.

¯ Springfield junior Benny Chaszeyka was sixth in the discus (a personal-best 145-feet-3).

¯ In the boys 3200-meter relay final, United’s Kameron Seaman, Kiel Jones, Joshua Kataro and Daniel Frase were 10th (8:40.23) and Columbiana’s Nick Krusely, Kaden Green, Aaron Thistlewaite and Andy Schach were 15th (9:03.34).

Defending state champion East Canton won by 13 seconds in 7:54.54.

¯ Wellsville sophomore Justin Wright, Springfield sophomore Garrett Walker, United sophomore Jaret Hahn and Crestview freshman Ethan Powell were the only individual boys to advance to Friday’s finals.

Wright posted the top times in the 100 dash (10.87 seconds) and 200 dash (an area-best 21.95).

Walker was third in the 400 dash (50.94) and fourth in the 100 dash (11.09).

Powell was sixth in the 200 dash (22.94), while Hahn was seventh in the 100 hurdles (a season-best 15.64).

The top two in each heat plus the next four fastest times advance to Friday’s finals.

¯ Crestview advanced both of its sprint relay teams with the best times in the area this season.

The 400 relay of Luck Wickline, Danny Moore, Powell and Huff was third (43.74) and the 800 relay of Jayce Meredith, Moore Lindsay and Powell was third (1:31.66).

¯ Area athletes not advancing out of Wednesday’s prelminaries were Crestview junior Jayce Meredith, 11th in the 400 dash (52.19); Crestview senior Danny Moore, 14th in the 110 hurdles (17.64); and Western Reserve sophomore Luke Kilbert, 15th in the 300 hurdles (44.60).

¯ Wellsville’s 400 relay, which came in with the fifth-fastest time, was disqualified for an exchange out of the zone.

¯ In the 1600 relay, Western Reserve’s Jimmy Mayberry, Luke Kiesewetter, Josh Miller and Todd Henning were 11th (3:37.92) and Columbiana’s Noah Silver, Nick Krusely, Andy Schach and Aaron Thistlewaite were 15th (3:42.60).

¯ The regional meet concludes Friday with the remaining field events at 5 p.m. and the running finals at 6 p.m.

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