Friday, April 27, 2001
Middletown chases state track title
By Dave Schutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Nasir Ahmad is one of Middletown's top sprinters.
(Mike Simons photo)
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Every athlete on the Middletown boys track team is dedicated to the same goal
“From the beginning, our goal has been to win state,” senior distance runner Scott See said. “It's been a long time since Middletown has won a championship.”
To be exact, the Middletown boys basketball team was the last from the school to finish on top — in 1957, with coach Paul Walker and star player Jerry Lucas.
This isn't the first year the Middies' track team has had aspirations of winning a state championship.
There also was talk last year, but an injury to sprinter Antwan Rogers proved fatal. Rogers not only had one of the fastest times in Ohio in the 100 but was also anchored two relay teams.
“Everyone was looking for us to win the 100 meters and 400-meter relay, and we probably would have if Antwan wasn't hurt,” See said. “There was a letdown after the injury and things weren't the same.”
Adding to the Middies' woes was the failure of Gaylon Vinson to qualify for state in the 100 meters, falling short at the regional.
After watching Huber Heights Wayne score a record 65 points in winning the 2000 Division I state title, coach Floyd Horton quickly realized that several holes needed to be filled in order to make it happen this year.
“We've never had hurdlers or anyone who scored in the distance races or the field events,” Horton said. “This year, we have athletes in all these events who could score.”
In order to fill one of the voids, Horton moved sprinters Jared Glover and Quincy Edwards to the hurdles. Both have performed well during early-season meets.
Sprinter Nasir Ahmad, a transfer from Vandalia Butler, is one of the reasons Horton had the luxury of moving Glover and Edwards to the hurdles.
Although Ahmad didn't qualify for state last year in the 400, he is one of the top sprinters (200 and 400) and also runs on the Middies' 400- (41.1) and 1,600-meter relay (3:24.2) teams. Those teams have recorded the best times in the state.
Recruiting played an important part in filling the void in the discus (139-11) and shot put (49-0) as Horton convinced junior Thomas Paige to be a part of a winning team.
Paige hasn't won in either event but has finished in the top six during several meets, scoring much needed points during the Middies undefeated season.
Ceneca Seley also has stepped up in the discus and, if the junior continues to improve, Horton looks for the Middies to be even stronger at the district meet in three weeks.
See, who qualified for state in cross country as a junior but has failed in track, returned with a new attitude, training year-round to be ready for the 800 (2:00.0) and 1,600 (4:28.0) distance events.
Long jump specialists Tyran Thompson and Darrell Hunter also run the 100, 200 and 400 meters as well as the for the 400 and 1,600 relay teams.
The Middies won the Mansfield Relays last week and have set sights on the Warrior Invitational at Huber Heights Wayne and the Dayton Roosevelt relays the following weeks.
“We saw most of the top northern teams in Mansfield,” Horton said. “There's a lot of parity, and I don't see any team running away with it like Wayne did last year. It looks like Wayne and Cleveland St. Ignatius will be the toughest opponents at state.”
Where Horton places the runners in the district and regional meets could be a vital factor during the Middies drive for the championship.
“The two areas we expect to earn 10 points (each) are the 400- and 1600- meter relays,” Horton said. “We're still looking for several runners for the 200 meters.”
If Horton decides to run Gates and Thompson in the 200, it would substantially weaken the 3,200 relay team, an event the Middies need to score in at the state meet.
“The coaches will meet to make the decision,” Horton said. “Naturally, the distance coaches want Tyran and Dennis for the 3,200 meter relay, but we may keep them in the same three events (100, 400 and long jump).
Without Rogers and Vinson, the Middies finished third at last year's state meet.
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