Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Camaraderie is strong within the Clay track program.
Boys head coach Alex Szigeti, who joined the program in 1998 as an assistant, said Clay was a one-coach program as of a few years ago, but in order to get another position in moving to the NLL, they separated into two.
“We actually gained a coaching position, but we operate the same,” Szigeti said.
Szigeti, who is in his third year leading the boys, believes his program has been building momentum in recent years and thinks last year was pivotal.
“We had some pretty good senior leadership the last two years, basically by example … quiet leaders,” he said. “But the work ethic was there. Our goal every year is to end at Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus, and we did that two years in a row. It's really ignited some of our kids coming up.”
The Eagles return three regional qualifiers including seniors Derek Harmer (high jump) and Logan Davis (pole vault), as well as junior Cash Mahr (discus). Harmer is a three-time regional qualifier.
Sophomore Barack James, who just finished fourth in the 60m hurdles at indoor nationals and was an indoor New Balance qualifier, likely would have joined them, but he was injured in the 300m hurdles at the league meet. He did, however, win the 110m hurdles.
Seniors Brody Csizmar and Jordan Williams return from the first place 4x400 team that highlighted several solid performances at last year’s NLL Championship. Williams also finished fourth in the pole vault. Junior Justin Lajti came in third in the shot put, while Davis was fourth in the pole vault. Mahr was third in discus and fourth in shot put.
“The camaraderie and work ethic of our returning athletes in this horrible weather has been phenomenal,” Szigeti said. “Our mid-distance team's been outside every day and excited about practice. I'm excited for what Barack can do and what our throws can do. The kids have just matured. We have a lot of four-year program kids.”
Csizmar will be key in the 400m, while senior Tanner Reindel returns in the 800m and 1600m. Another senior, Anthonio Gianino, is back in the sprint relays. James will compete in the 110m and the 300m hurdles, while also likely joining Csizmar and Williams in the 4x400.
“We always try to build a program around a solid 4x4 team and kind of establish some competitiveness in kids that want to be on the relay team,” Szigeti said. “Losing (the now graduated) Ben (Roberts) is a bit of a hit, but I do think we're going to be pretty solid in that.
“I'm (also) excited about what our throws can do and the potential of our 4x2 team, but that could be a young team.”
In terms of youth, freshman Jason Damagala should compete in the long jump and 300m hurdles. Sophomore JJ Medina will take part in the 200m and sprint relays, and sophomore Santonio Smith will join him in the sprint relays. Junior Kason Marshall will challenge in the 400m and 4x400.
Szigeti believes he has strong hurdle depth with 10 guys, which is the most he’s ever had. That group includes three seniors: Chad Chamberlin, Dom Sanchez, and Jacob Stine. The team has two veteran senior pole vaulters, two experienced junior throwers, and the mid-distance team has 10 members (including six seniors). The distance team is young, but up and coming.
Overall, the Eagles return 15 seniors and 10 letter winners among 55 guys overall.
“We just don't have depth,” Szigeti said. “Our numbers are better than they ever have been, but (they don’t compare to) the Findlays, the Fremonts, and the Whitmers that have the numbers. They really have depth, and we don't have that yet. We've grown. We've grown a lot in three years.”
Combs leads girls program
Brent Combs, a 1996 Clay graduate who previously rose through the program as an assistant coach, is in his sixth year leading the girls side.
“We have a lot of unfinished business,” he said. “We have some young athletes that were right on the cusp of making it that next step further. And we have a good handful of them returning, so I think there's promise with our season this year.”
Some of those top returners are seniors Carly Miller (pole vault) and Emily Schultz (hurdles), as well as junior Jaelyn Rowe and sophomore Olivia Muir both in the 400 and 200 relays.
“We were at regionals in position to make it to state and Jaelyn collapsed from exhaustion after giving it everything she had. We came up just short, and we only lost one girl from that relay, so I'm hoping that we'll prevail (this year),” Combs said.
Combs expects some great things from senior sprinter Paige Kidd in the 100 and 4x100. He’s also high on junior Arianna Bench in the shot and discus, as well as senior K.K. Vartorella in the relays.
“(Arianna) has been performing well at practice,” he said. “And she did some indoor meets.”
While Clay does graduate former state qualifiers such as Makenna Langford and Emma Martin, Combs said the program didn’t graduate a lot in terms of numbers, which helps set expectations high this year.
“The returning ones are eager, and we have some new ones that I think are going to step into (becoming) key contributors in the relays, as well as a few in the individual events,” he said.
In terms of younger talent, Combs is high on freshmen such as Grace Mittendorf and Kaylee King, who he said are multi-sport athletes and have come into the year well-conditioned. There’s also freshman Alianna Rowe, Jaelyn’s younger sister, as well as some hurdlers such as freshman Vanessa Miller.
“We have some pockets of greatness, some pockets that we know we got to work on, but when it comes down to it, our younger girls are going to step up make a name for themselves,” Combs said.
