Ballard gets top OCC Field Events Award, Generals place fourth in conference

  • brian questel
  • May 18, 2011
  • 260
                        
050523 OCCgirlstk Promo: Ballard named top field events performer in OCC Track & Field Championships Ballard gets top OCC Field Events Award, Generals place fourth in conference By Brian Questel The Wooster High girl’s track team didn’t get the top spot, but sophomore Claire Ballard came away with one of the Ohio Cardinal Conference’s top honors. Ballard won the shot put and placed third in the discus May 13, helping the Generals to a fourth-place finish in a rain-delayed OCC championship held at West Holmes. The meet was delayed Friday night and was extended into Saturday morning to complete the boy’s 3200 and both 4x400 relays because of a relentless lightning and thunderstorm. The wet conditions did little to hamper Ballard, who had a huge improvement in the shot put and also boosted his discus performance. Her improvement allowed the shot title to stay in Wooster’s hands, but it switched internally as Ballard unseated last year’s champ, Ashley Evans, who gave Wooster a 1-2 finish by finishing second. “I felt kinda bad,” said the soft-spoken Ballard of her victory over her teammate, whose personal best of 34-2 was also the best of the field. Evans, who has thrown nearly 36 feet this spring, closed out her silver medal with a throw of 33-11. She was also sixth in the discus (93-9). Ballard said “a new technique” allowed her to make a big jump and give her some consistency in her throws. “I improved three feet because of (using) a new technique,” said Ballard. “My previous throws were 33s … and I improved two feet in the discus.” “It’s a great honor,” said Wooster coach Nikki Reynolds. “I told the girls (Wooster grad) Betsy Allen was the Outstanding Runner, but this is the first Outstanding Field Events athlete we’ve had since joining the OCC. It’s nice to have Claire recognized and to have two personal bests. We tell the girls to go out and do their best, and she helped the team and herself.” Ballard’s performance provided the Generals their only win in a meet dominated by a 138-point performance by Ashland, who had an easy win over Orrville (109) and the rest of the OCC field. Mansfield Senior was third (84), followed by Wooster (78), West Holmes (76.5), Lexington (70), Madison (54) and Clear Fork (44.5). “We talked about using the competition to have a better race, a better throw, jump or vault,” said Reynolds. “We did that – we competed and we had a number of personal bests. Claire had a PB in the shot and also in the discus, where she threw 105-4 and was third.” One of those PBs came with Wooster’s runner-up finish in the 3200 relay where the team of Hannah Doan, Claire Miller, Vickie Anderson and Lauren Miller placed second with a 10:16.3, shaving over 10 seconds off their previous best. Claire Miller came back with a pair of thirds in the distance events, clocking a 5:21.0 in the 1600 and turning out a 12:09.9 in the 3200. Anderson added a personal-best 2:39.3 in the 800, which was good for seventh. Martina Fraga placed eighth in the 400 with her best time of the season (1:06.5) and she anchored the 1600 relay of Jen Fox, Jillian Perry and Lauren Miller to a runner-up 4:19.7 showing, lopping 10 seconds off their previous best. Although she didn’t place, Megan McCrossen ran an 18.1 PB in the 100 high hurdles for her best time of the season. Wooster double-scored in the pole vault as Alyssa Reed was fourth with a vault of 8-6, while Kate Persinger was eighth at 8-0. Another double score came in the 800 as Lauren Miller (2:36, 6th) and Anderson scored, while Jackie White added an eighth in the 3200 (13:19) and Doan was eighth in the 1600 (5:50). Perry had a third in the 400 (62.0), while Fox was fifth in the 300 hurdles (51.6). The 4x200 relay of Reed, Amanda Cooper, McCrossen and Fox was seventh (1:57) and the 4x100 squad of Rebekka Jolliff, Nicki McElroy, Kaylie Taylor and Reed was eighth. “It helps make all the hard work worth it,” said Reynolds of the time drops. “We used our dual meets and invitationals to get ready for OCCs. Now, OCCs were here and districts are next week. We need to go out and compete hard and put it all out there. I was pleased. You always want to place higher, but we did a nice job.” Wooster competed in the Division I North Canton District May 18 and 20.


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