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Raiders deserve a tip of the cap

AUSTINTOWN — South Range seniors Ian Pierson, Cameron Tarr and Mathias Combs graduated on the track and then from high school on Saturday.

All three Raiders raced at the regional meet for the first time and all three qualified for the state track meet.

“There is a lot of pressure (in the tournaments),” Pierson said. “It’s hard to handle.”

Pierson was second in the 1600-meter run at the Austintown Division II regional in 4 minutes, 25.70 seconds.

Tarr was third in the 800 run in a personal-best 1:57.40 — the best time in the area since 2007.

Combs also had a personal best in placing fourth in the 100 dash in 11.11 seconds at Falcon Stadium.

“My goal was to get top four because I really wanted to run at state,” Combs said.

Graduation ceremonies were Saturday night, but the Raiders will still be representing their school in Columbus next weekend.

The top four finishers in each event advance to the state meet next Friday and Saturday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University.

Tarr and Combs are two of the area’s most improved runners this season.

Tarr’s best time before this year was 2:10.

“I think I just grew up,” he said. “I matured as a runner. I thought I could go faster, but this is insane.”

His times have been dropping steadily during recent meets.

“I’ve been doing a lot of speed work, getting my legs stronger for that distance,” Tarr said. “It’s very grueling.”

He could have some weight training for Saturday’s race.

“The race was a lot physical,” he said. “There was a lot of contact. I remember getting shoved a little bit.”

There were a pack of runners at the front until the end.

“A race where it is that competitive, there is a lot of pushing,” Tarr said.

Combs never thought about reaching state at the beginning of the season.

“I was running 11.7s,” he said. “It was ridiculous.”

He is only in his second season of track and has learned on the run.

“I used to live in Florida and we had spring football,” Combs said. “Then I came here and no spring football. I had to do something.”

An All-Ohio football player, Combs who could score on any play with his speed.

“People are coming up to me and saying, ‘What times are you running?'” Combs said. “I said nothing really that great. I guess I have football speed.”

That was until recently. Now he has the times.

“I started running the 400 and I think it helped with my stamina and maintaining my speed for a longer time” Combs said. “That definitely wasn’t my choice. Coach put me in it. The first time I ran 55 seconds without prior training and my coach said, “You’re running it.’ I said, ‘Why do that to me?”

He’s not complaining now.

Pierson is advancing to state in track after qualifying in cross country.

“It gave me confidence,” he said.

He said he didn’t have a game plan and the lone goal was to qualify for state.

“I just kind of ran today,” Pierson said. “It’s regionals and you have to go to the front and try to win it. It’s now or never.”

The Raiders will have one more meet left, but it will be their biggest.

“I’m going to run as hard as I can and see what happens,” Pierson said.

“I’m going to run my best race,” Tarr said. “I feel good.”

Meet notes

¯ South Range freshman Spencer Bush was 14th in the 3200 run (10:29.15). He’ll be racing for a state berth in the future.

¯ Beachwood senior Mia Knight set regional girls records in winning the 100 dash (11.72) and 200 dash (24.17).

“I heard them say her time was 11.7 and I had to look again,” Combs said. “That was faster than me earlier this year.”

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