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Sky's limit for Solon vaulter Pierce
(by Steve Novak - June 04, 2009)
Sky's limit for Solon vaulter Pierce
By STEVE NOVAK
Solon's Chadd Pierce has earned a return ticket to Columbus, and he'll try to make this opportunity a golden one. The gold he seeks is first place in the pole vault.
Pierce earned a berth in the state track and field finals at the Ohio State University in Columbus when he won the high jump championship with a jump of 15 feet, 3 inches at last weekend's Division I regional at Youngstown.
Last year, Pierce took third place in the state meet with a best effort of 14 feet, 8 inches. Earlier this season, Pierce jumped a personal best height of 15 feet, 9 inches.
He said that after he had already won the regional pole vault last weekend with the 15 feet, 3 inches jump, he made three unsuccessful attempts to clear 16 feet and 1 inch.
"I've tried it (16 feet, 1 inch) about five times now, all totaled. I keep getting closer every time," he said. "I knocked over the bar with my thighs, so I have a whole lot (of upward push) left. I'm hoping to still clear it, and maybe even higher than that."
The Comets finished third among 38 teams with 46 points. Warren G. Harding was first with 68 points, followed by Cleveland Glenville with 60.
Pierce will joined by some teammates in Columbus. The top four finishers in each event qualified for state, and Solon had its fair share of them.
In the 400-meter dash, Robert McNair qualified with a third-place finish and a time of 49.4 seconds. In the 3,200 meters, Jeremy Schiele finished third in 9 minutes and 32 seconds. In the 110 hurdles, Kenny Brown was third in 14.7.
Another third-place finish for Solon came in the four-by-400 relay. The team of Kevin Hicks, Juan Lemus, Pierce and McNair ran for a combined total of 3:21.
A.J. Hicks advanced with a fourth-place finish in the discus with a throw of 167 feet, 2 inches.
Solon coach Dan Iwan said it has been about 10 years since the boys track team has sent this many representatives to the state meet.
"But we want to relay to them (Solon athletes) that we still have another meet left," he said. "There's a lot of competition down there. We've got to go out and do our best."
Girts
For the Solon girls' track team, the relay quartet of Claire Wieczorek, Rachel Kalayjian, Julie Nelson and Caitlin Hartnett finished second in the four-by-800 meters in 9:24.
Another second-place finish came in the four-by-100 meters. The foursome of Alex Paskell, Kristen Baldwin, Paige Yaeger and Melissa Thompson had a 48.85 seconds.
The West Geauga girls' relay team in the four-by-400 meters qualified for state with a third place. The team of Allison Tyree, Kelly Williams, Elle Javorek and Kori Chapic finished in 3:55.
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