Lowellville’s Yon aiming high in four distance running events

Correspondent photo / Lowell Spencer. Lowellville’s Sophia Yon runs during the Mahoning County Championships on Saturday.

AUSTINTOWN — Lowellville senior distance runner Sophia Yon is testing herself this year, as she is participating in four events during the spring track season.

If her performance on Saturday at the Mahoning County Track and Field Championships is any indication, she’s primed for a successful campaign.

Yon competed in the 400m, 800m, 1600m, and 3200m runs at the event, winning three of the four races. Her outstanding performances helped contribute to the Rockets’ girls team finishing third in the Division II team standings with a score of 74 points. South Range captured the Division II girls’ team title with 143 points, while Springfield was second with 139.

Yon began the day by grabbing the early lead in the 1600m run, cruising to a first-place finish with a time of 5:46.66. That mark was ahead of Jackson-Milton’s Faith Sullivan and Nora Schwarten, who had times of 5:53.25 and 6:01.98, respectively.

“The mile in my freshman and sophomore year was my best event. Then I got injured in the cross county season of my junior year and broke two of my metatarsals in my foot. So, I didn’t have the endurance to get back into the mile,” Yon said of getting back into the 1600m event after a year’s absence. “It was hard to do four laps, but I was able to run two.”

She followed up her winning run in the 1600 with a third-place finish in the 400m run with a time of 1:04.13, a personal best for Yon. Emma Sanders from Springfield ran a 1:02.38 to win the race, while South Range’s Taylor Dado placed second with a time of 1:03.46.

Yon bounced back with another winning performance in her favorite event, the 800m, with a time of 2:30.32. That mark bested the second-place finisher, Sullivan, who raced a 2:36.55 time.

Yon closed the day by besting Sullivan for the third time, when she ran a 12:49.68 in the 3200m event. Sullivan ran a time of 13:10.76.

“In the mile (1600m) and two-mile (3200m), I was running more for placement because it is hard to do all four of the events that I did today with an all-out effort,” Yon said. “I wanted to save my legs more for the 400 and 800. So in the mile, I took it just hard enough to win. Then in the 400 I gave it everything and then in the 800, I gave it a decent effort since I wanted to win it too. Then in the two-mile, I wanted to place there too.”

Yon is coming off an eighth-place finish at the state track meet last year in the 800m event. She was the 18th seed, but performed well and made the podium.

For Yon, the goal is to get back to states again and, hopefully, to get back on the podium. She is looking to excel in the 800m once again.

“I want to go to state in the 800 again. Since I made it to state last year, I realized I liked (the 800m) a lot more than any of the other races that I have run,” Yon said. “My passion is in the 800, so I want to continue to improve in that this year.”

Yon has committed to continue her athletic career at Purdue next year following her graduation from Lowellville. She will join the Boilermakers’ cross country and track teams this fall.

“They checked off all of the boxes that I wanted from a school,” Yon said. “Not just athletically, but academically it was exactly what I was looking for. It is just a bonus that they want me on their athletic team. I’m very grateful and blessed that I have that opportunity.”

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