Devils outdo drizzle

By ROCKY STANLEY - The Independent

ASHLAND May 09, 2008 12:21 pm

— Russell began the Kentucky Ohio Valley Conference Track Meet with a stadium-record performance under fair skies and finished with a double championship in the rain.
Senior pole-vaulter Zach Virgin got the Red Devils off to strong start on Tuesday by clearing 13 feet, 8 inches at the Ashland Athletic Complex.
Most of the finals took place Thursday night, and Russell’s boys and girls sloshed their way to team titles in a steady drizzle.
Virgin had ideal conditions two nights earlier, when he shattered his previous best by 8 inches and delivered the state’s best vault in Class AA this season.
“Coach (Kevin) Stepp of Ashland said 13-6 was the record here,’’ said Virgin, who continues to adapt well to a new pole. “I tied that (13-6) and kept going.’’
Russell hosted a pole vault-only meet on Monday and Virgin matched his previous best of 13 feet.
“I got 13 feet pretty early Monday,’’ he said. “I attempted 14 feet and hit the bar with my hands twice on the way down. So my confidence was up for this meet.’’
Aided by Virgin’s big vault on Tuesday, Russell’s boys went on to rack up 233 points in the six-team conference meet.
Russell’s girls made it a sweep by finishing with 181.5 points to outduel rival Ashland, which had 172.
“We pulled it out today,’’ said Russell sophomore Maddie Roark, who won the 300-meter hurdles and finished second in three other individual events. “We have hardly ever beaten Ashland this year.’’
Russell trailed Ashland by 21 points after the meet’s opening day, but overcame the deficit to continue a tradition.
“It’s a huge win for my girls,’’ said Russell coach Alice Leigh. “Ashland beat us in the Boyd County Classic and Ernie Chattin. The KOVC was one of those streaks we had coming into the season. This is special. It’s 16 years in a row for Russell girls to win the meet.’’
The Red Devils countered Ashland’s strength in the field events with a strong effort on the track Thursday.
“We had to chew away at their lead a little at a time,’’ Leigh said.
Roark is enjoying success in her first year as a hurdler. She remained unbeaten in the 300s this spring with a time of 51.11 seconds, more than two seconds ahead of Boyd County’s Jenna Dixon.
Earlier, the order was reversed as Dixon won the 100-meter hurdles by 23-hundredths of a second. Roark also finished second in the long jump and 800-meter run.
“It’s pretty difficult with the rain,’’ Roark said. “You have to stretch really good or you will tighten up and maybe pull a muscle.’’
Russell’s girls won three of four relays and finished second in the other one. Sophomore Ashley Fortman helped power the winning 400, 1,600 and 3,200 teams.
Ashland got first places from Deanna Nall (pole vault), Mykal Farris (long jump), Ali Merritt (triple jump) and Sierra Crum (discus).
East Carter sprinter Brianna Buck scored a meet-high 40 points, duplicating her feat from the Eastern Kentucky Conference Meet five days before.
Buck, a senior, swept the 100, 200, 400 and 800 in leading East Carter’s girls to third place.
“Brianna is something else,’’ said her coach, Carla Myers. “This is only her second year running track and she gets better and better. We had her in three events most of the season, then added the 200 the last two meets.’’
Russell’s boys turned in another dominant showing with 13 first places. Junior sprinter William Fullen was involved in four of them, including victories in the 100 and 200. He also ran on the Red Devils’ 400 and 800 relay teams.
Fullen edged teammate Jacob Ferguson in the 100-meter finals.
“The two of us have been switching off,’’ Fullen said. “Before Jacob came out this season, I didn’t have that much to work against. Now I have to sprint my hardest every time.’’
Fullen didn’t mind the wet weather.
“I think I’m a little luckier in the rain,’’ he said. “The Boyd County Classic was rainy, too, and I had a pretty good day. If I can keep doing this, I would just as soon it rained every meet.’’
Sophomore Collin McKenzie also had a perfect day for the Red Devils. McKenzie won both hurdle races — teammate Corey Smith was runner-up in the 300s — and was also a member of the 400 and 800 relays.
Ferguson took first places in the long jump and triple jump, while teammate Matt Collins led the way in the 800 and 1,600. Collins won the 800 in 2:04.65, followed by East Carter standout Tyler McClain and Russell’s Virgin.
“They were smoking,’’ Virgin said of Collins and McClain. “Matt Collins is amazing. He works harder than about anybody in practice and it shows on the track.’’
McClain won the 400 in helping East Carter to second place with 123 points. Ashland scored 102.5 to edge Greenup County for the third spot.
Boyd County’s Justin Selby had winning throws of 126 feet, 2 inches in the discus and 44 feet, 5.5 inches in the shot put.
ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.

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