Weybrecht, Gilmour all about business en route to Division II Perry District track and field team crown

Walking into the stadium for Day 1 of the Division II Perry District, someone in the Gilmour contingent had a wireless speaker blaring Rihanna’s “Work.”

The Lancers are all about business this time of year.

That work day isn’t complete until they walk out of district, hardware in hand, en route south.

May 18 during Day 2, with Amy Weybrecht leading the charge, that job was done.

Gilmour fended off Beachwood down the stretch for the girls team crown, 120-104, with four Day 2 wins including a distance double from Weybrecht in the 800-meter run and 1,600.

“I’m really excited,” Weybrecht said. “Everything kind of came together today, which was really exciting. I think throughout the season, we’ve just been patient and waiting for postseason. And I think that really showed today. It’s super exciting, and we’re going to use this going into regional.”

The Lancers’ 4×4 title might have been the largest statement of intent amid that process.

The quartet of Grace Kotora, Weybrecht, Rielyn Jackson and Abby Detzel turned in a time of 4 minutes, 1.07 seconds. Between that and a 2024 News-Herald coverage area regular season-best 3:59.83 at the Woodridge Wrapup, Gilmour is in good stead heading into the D-II Austintown-Fitch Regional next weekend.

“I think our 4×4 this year is one of the most exciting races that I get to be a part of,” Weybrecht said. “Going into regional, I think that gives us a lot of confidence. And hopefully, we can get it down there and get it down even more for state.

“(That sub-4 at Woodridge was) really big. I don’t even think we were expecting it. Honestly, all of us were like, ‘We just have to get through this 4×4′ — like we weren’t expecting anything big. All of a sudden, that happened. And the confidence we got from that and the excitement that we have around that 4×4 is really, really awesome.”

Weybrecht’s individual double was her usual precision, serving its purpose for baselines en route to Fitch but with no necessity to drop the proverbial hammer. She went 2:15.80 in open 8 and 5:00.90 in mile, going out early and never being remotely challenged.

“I just wanted to be smooth out there,” Weybrecht said. “I like to kind of take it out a little bit, just because I don’t want to take any chances like tripping up in the pack or anything. But then, once I got there, I just kind of make sure to cruise it in and do nothing crazy because that’s all saved for later on in the season.”

The Lancers’ 4×2 stood out as well, getting a 1:42.51.

Before hustling back west for prom, Dakota Houston had an outstanding day for runner-up Beachwood with a first in long jump to start the morning, then a sprint sweep in appointment-viewing finals against fellow coverage area stalwart Mariyah Moore of Gilmour and a dynamic anchor on the victorious 4×1.

The Bison senior hit for a jump of 17 feet, 10 inches on her first attempt, then called it a day there following one more prelim jump.

“Usually, my first jumps are my best jumps, and it was today,” Houston said. “But because of everybody’s seed, and I also have to run three other events, we were like, ‘I’ll just jump a good time, like a high-17, and then pass the rest of the time.’ So that’s what I did. I jumped 17-10, which is a PR.

“I feel like (tending to get better jumps earlier) is because of a good warmup. I’m nice and loose. And this year, I was excited. Last year, I kept stuttering at the board and I didn’t make it sadly. But this year I knew, if I took my time, breathe and just stay happy, I could do a lot of things.”

Her 4×1 anchor was a scintillating last-50 reel-in vs. Gilmour, powerful out of drive phase and short but efficient all the way to the line as Beachwood recorded a 49.34.

“Us and Gilmour have always been good rivals,” Houston said. “I love them. Them and Hawken, they’re our rivals but we’re all good friends. We all talk. We all hang out. It’s really a good thing at the end of the day. They did change their lineup, and we were trying to keep our lineup the same.

“I have a sophomore, a freshman and then Kylie (Walters), my best friend who’s a senior and then I’m anchoring. So our energy has always clicked.”

On the boys side, Brayden Richards notched a hurdles double on Day 2 as Perry was team runner-up to Glenville with 85 points.

Speaking to Richards’ generational skill set, his 14.61 in 110 hurdles broke his brother Javin’s meet standard but made clear better was ahead. Plus, it might have been his work in 300 hurdles that impressed more, a 38.15 that was strong and confident through the 100 curve into 150 to seize control.

“Coming off the prelims, I had a really smooth race in the prelims — nothing crazy,” Richards said. “But I felt really smooth in the prelims. I came to the finals, switched my blocks, took one less step. Felt OK. Nothing too crazy. And I didn’t feel too good and still ran a 38.1. So I think we’ll come back and go for the maybe mid-37s next week or something like that.”

Richards’ event regimen was a mystery coming into district, even to Richards himself. He was entered initially in his signature pole vault, both hurdles, 200 and long jump. The latter two were scratched on Day 1, during which he captured his fourth district pole vault title at 15-6, leaving Richards open to slot into 4×1. That quartet was a pleasant surprise in second in 42.95.

“The day before, we were planning on the 4×4 (as the fourth event), just for whatever reasons,” Richards said. “And then our 4×1 ran a really solid (prelim) time without me. So then we decided not to do the 4×4 in prelims, so I could have the choice on Saturday. We came to the conclusion of doing the 4×1, got a school record, going to regional — and I’m glad I made that choice.”

Lake Catholic’s Claire Duricky doubled in hurdles, going 15.78 in 1s and 45.92 in 3s. The latter, as she fended off a late comeback bid from West Geauga’s Kara Deister, was her third career district title in the event.

Perry’s Armani Chiappone cleared a personal-best 6-3 to take high jump and was oh-so-close twice at 6-4, yielding additional hope going into Fitch.

Chagrin Falls’ Jack Kittle took open 4 with a gutsy 49.01 that required a hard homestretch as the wind kicked in. The senior then laudably managed to rally the Tigers to a regional berth on 4×4 anchor.

Other News-Herald coverage area individual-event district champions on Day 2 were Lake Catholic’s Jimmy Gibbons (shot put), Beachwood’s Madison Torbert (discus) and Alexandra Kheyfets (3,200), West Geauga’s Matthew Dienes (1,600), Hawken’s Leila Metres (400) and Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s Asu Pelima (800).