(Above: AnneMarie Moses catches her leg on the bar as she attempts the pole vault in the Division 1 regional meet.)
AMHERST – Sometimes the smallest things can have the greatest impact.
And at a meet like the Division 1 regional at Amherst Steele High School Friday, the smallest thing can be the difference between a place at the state meet and the end of the season.
No one knows that more than junior AnneMarie Moses.
The pole vaulter entered the regional as the second seed, with a district-championship-winning vault of 11 feet, 6 inches. Friday afternoon, however, Moses could not successfully clear 11 feet. On each of her three attempts she easily reached the needed height – and then some – to get over the bar, but on her decent caught the bar with her leg every time.
Her last successful jump, at 10 feet, 8 inches, placed her fifth in the regional, one place shy of a berth at the state meet.
“There are so many fundamentals that any one of them can go wrong and it will affect your vault,” said Ross pole vault coach Pryde Yost, adding Moses’ takeoffs were slightly off.
Having qualified for the state meet as a sophomore a year ago, and breaking her own school record earlier this year, Moses had high expectations of returning to the state meet. Yost admitted such lofty goals and expectations can quickly turn into a heavy weight when a vaulter finds him or herself suddenly on their third and final attempt at a height lower than expected.
“It absolutely does. On their third attempt, they’ll end up getting a little more adrenaline and then they run a little faster and their steps are a little off, three to six inches and that really affects your jumps,” Yost said.
Though Moses’ season ended a week earlier than she would have preferred, Yost isn’t worried about Friday’s disappointment having a last impact into her senior season.
“She’ll come back with a vengeance and really tear it up,” Yost said. “We’re already planning on vaulting a lot more this summer. She’s going to vault more this year than she did last summer, last summer she focused on swim. She is going to vault more. She is already signed up for the Indoor National Meet in North Carolina.
“She’ll be back.”
Burling just misses shot put final
Jason Burling get set to make his first throw in the regional shot put competition.
Track and field throwing coach Travis Bates was hoping a personal-best would launch Jason Burling onto the podium at the regional track meet.
Entering with a personal-best throw in the area of 48 feet, Burling had been reaching distances between 52 and 53 feet in practice, and Bates believed a similar throw in competition would put him in contention for a medal.
Friday Burling’s first throw of the day traveled a distance of 48 feet, 3.25 inches, which was also his best of the preliminary heat. As the nine best throws qualified for the final, Burling’s throw placed him 10th, one place shy of the final, and two places shy of a spot on the podium.
“The timing is a little bit different when you get into competition because you’re rushing things a little bit, the adrenaline was rushing him out of the back,” Bates said. “It’s a good experience, he was upbeat and positive and ready to get going again.
Burling also competed in Wednesday’s discus throw, where he qualified for the final, but place ninth, just shy of reaching the podium.
Despite Burling’s close-calls, Bates believes Burling will benefit in the long run by competing at the regional level.
“It’s a good thing to get the experience as a sophomore and there are a couple sophomores ahead of him,” Bates added. “He’ll start throwing again in a couple weeks and keep working on some techniques.”
Kuyken’s stellar career runs its last lap on bum leg
Matt Kuyken, whose enjoyed consistent success on both the track and cross country, ran his final race as a Little Giant Friday.
Matt Kuyken
Kuyken clocked a time of 2:01.57 in the 800, placing him 14th in the event, while aggravating a hamstring injury.
Despite not being 100 percent, Kuyken’s ran his last race as the final leg of the 4×400 relay.
Leadoff leg Oliver Ellis and second leg Bryce McKinstry put the Little Giants into the lead more than halfway through the race. Ka’Von Martin ran the third leg before handing the baton to Kuyken for the last leg of the boys track season. The Little Giants finished sixth with a time of 3:22.71.
“‘Disappointing’ entails (we’re) upset with how they performed, no one is upset with how they performed,” boys head track coach John Elder said. “Just (disappointed) in that it wasn’t what we thought it would be. Mark (Sheidler, relays coach) is here stewing, saying he shouldn’t have run Matt in the 800, well, coulda, woulda shoulda, but I don’t think he could have kept Matt out of it. …He’s been to state twice in cross country, once in track. Hamstring aside, I think he goes again.
“Matt may be the most coachable kid to come through Ross.”
The track and field season is nearly over. Only one Ross athlete remains, as high jumper Olivia DeRodes qualified for the Division I state meet on Wednesday.
DeRodes will compete in Columbus at noon on Saturday, June 2.
And while Elder and the Little Giants would have liked to send more athletes to join DeRodes in Columbus, they’re keeping in perspective the importance of character as well as performance.
“We could have a runner like the stud sprinter from Lorain who wasn’t here because he got into a fight the day of districts and got suspended from school. That’s when it’s disappointing. Disappointing because the kid runs when he’s not 100 percent? That can’t be disappointing.”
Division I Regional Meet
GIRLS
FINALS
High Jump: 4. Olivia DeRodes, 5-04.00 – State Meet qualifier
Pole Vault: 5. AnneMarie Moses, 10-08.00
Shot Put: 7. Emma Jahns, 34.10-05
PRELIMINARIES:
4×200 Relay: DQ (Janna Sutton; Kimora Rapp; Ashanti Elkins; Jazzele Lindsey).
BOYS
FINALS
Pole Vault: 6(T). Keaton Jordan, 13-08.00
4×400 relay: 6. Oliver Ellis; Bryce McKinstry; Ka’Von Martin; Matt Kuyken; 3:22.71
Discus: 9. Jason Burling, 147-08
Shot Put: 10. Jason Burling, 48-3.25
800 Run: 14. Matt Kuyken, 2:01.57
PRELIMINARIES
400 Run: 11. Oliver Ellis, 51.72