Quakers go the distance

Morning Journal/Matt Morrison
Salem’s Maggie Hall, Heartland’s Rebecca Geiss and Salem’s Maggie Hopple compete in the 1600-meter run on Tuesday at the Columbiana County Track and Field Meet at Salem’s Sebo Stadium.

SALEM — The excellence continues for the Salem girls track team.

The Quakers scored 184 1/2 points and ran away from the field at the 120th Columbiana County Track and Field Meet on Tuesday for their seventh straight title.

“There were lots of PRs across the board,” Salem girls coach Bethany Glasser said.

Salem scored 184 1/2 points — the second most in county history. Crestview was second for the fourth straight year with 93 points.

The Quakers won 11 events, setting two meet records and one school record. They finished two in every event except the first two races.

“I was mainly focused on how the girls were running timewise,” Glasser said. “I wanted to see if they would hit PRs with the nice weather.”

Salem senior Megan Stafford became a four-time county champion in two events — winning the 3200-meter run (11:29.00) and joining Dana Griffith, Emily Sinsley and Cassidy Wallace on the winning 3200 relay team (10:29.49).

Salem senior Kaylee Carlisle won high-point honors in the field events by winning the discus (126-feet-8) and shot put (37-5).

Salem junior Maggie Hall won the 1600 run in 5:11.53 –breaking the meet record set by Heartland Christian’s Rebecca Geiss last year by 1/100th of a second. Geiss was a half-second behind Tuesday.

Senior Annika Murray won the 300 hurdles in a school-record time of 47.56 seconds. She also joined Maggie Hopple, Rylee Hutton and Hailey Morgan on the winning 1600 relay team that ran a meet-record 4:09.12 and Angie Hoffaker, Karlie Sampson and Hailey Morgan on the winning 800 relay team (1:50.41).

“Before the race I was really tired,” Murray said. “I think it was from the powder puff football game on Sunday.”

She scored a touchdown as the seniors won the game.

“We didn’t talk to (our coaches) about it and we didn’t get talked to about it,” Murray said. “But I think they knew.”

Murray ran her best time by 3 seconds and set the school record in 47.46 seconds. She broke the school record of 47.50 set by Jenny Greenamyer in 1993.

“I’ve thought about it before, but I never envisioned it,” she said. “When the third-place person got a 49, I said, ‘What did I get?’”

“We ran her in a few 800s and it helped with her finish,” Glasser said.

“I feel like it’s actually helped,” Murray said. “It’s not really my best event, but it’s helped me down the finish.”

Salem freshman Maddie Gorby also won the high jump with a personal-best 5-1.

“I had a feeling,” Gorby said. “Before I jumped, my mom said I’d get ice cream.”

The Quakers have many talented underclassmen, many not knowing what they’re getting into.

“It is very exciting for them because this is the first county meet,” Glasser said. “Their faces light up and feed off the crowd. And they are all doing great.”

Salem junior Maggie Hopple won the 800 run (2:25.67) and senior Rylee Hutton returned to claim her second county 400 title (60.15).

“To me it’s just another meet,” Murray said. “I know this means a lot to my coaches and my teammates.”

Meet notes

¯ Beaver Local freshmen Ciara Call and Mallory Miller shared high-point honors in the running events with 22 1/2 points.

They were one-two in the sprints with Call was first in the 100 dash (12.90) and Miller first in the 200 dash (26.55). They joined Jaylynn Reckner and Rilee Hoppel on the winning 400 relay team (51.79). The same foursome was second in the 800 relay.

¯ United freshman Brinsley Hiscox was first in the 100 hurdles (16.71), second in the 300 hurdles, third in the high jump and third in the 400 relay.

¯ East Liverpool senior Dacianelle Andrews won the long jump (16-6 1/2).

¯ Geiss — the Division III state cross country champion and defending state runner-up in the 3200 run — did not race in the 3200. She ran on the Lions’ 1600 relay team and fell at the finish, looking more embarrassed than anything.

¯ The Salem girls 3200 relay didn’t run their top squad, but still won and all of them ran personal-best splits.

“I still thought they did really well,” Glasser said. “They take pride in their times.”

¯ Salem has a key Eastern Buckeye Conference meet at West Branch on Thursday. Some of the area’s best girls relay teams will go up against each other.

West Branch will host the EBC Meet on May 11.

“We are looking at trying win the EBC title,” Glasser said. “Our league is really strong.”

¯ Since it is prom weekend, Salem will be taking underclassmen to the Clipper Invitational in Columbiana on Saturday.

¯ The 800 isn’t Murray’s favorite event.

“I’d say it’s the 4×4,” she said. “It’s the last event and if you run under the lights, it makes it that much better.”