Area track and field highlights for April 16

A look at a few of the top performances by area athletes from meets held this past week:

• At Cuyahoga Heights’ George Gross Invitational, area winners were Hawken’s Michael Snyder (high jump and 800), Ella Gilson (400), Juliana Metz (3,200), boys 4x400, girls 4x800, girls 4x200 and girls 4x400, Beachwood’s Langston Gaines-Smith (400), Ashley Perryman (long jump, 100 and 200), Maddie Alexander (high jump and 100 hurdles) and girls 4x100, Cardinal’s Kaylee Klepper (shot put), Anna Avalon (discus) and Taylor Zeigler (300 hurdles) and Kirtland’s Jenna Sayle (800 and 1,600).

• North’s Savannah Engbert (100 hurdles), Joe Ginter (discus) and Chris Beemiller (shot put) were individual winners during the Aurora Greenmen Invitational.

• Area individual-evemt winners at the South Invitational not already featured in coverage were Chardon’s Emily Phillips (pole vault) and Nate Kawalec (3,200), Mayfield’s Maurice Monroe (pole vault) and Josephine Conti (100 hurdles), South’s Katherine Mendenhall (high jump) and Christina Znidarsic (discus), Mentor’s Scarlet Chesbrough (shot put), Zach Bazdar (300 hurdles), Sarah Lane (800), Nick Kozlowski (800) and Nolan Vernon (200) and Lake Catholic’s Chloe Keating (400).

• The Hawken girls won the team title at the Grand Valley Twilight meet with 160 1/2 points. The Hawks’ Mikhail Stiffler (100), Gilson (800 and 1,600), Snyder (800), Metz (3,200), Laura Bucchieri (high jump), William Lindsey (discus) and Alex Turi (pole vault) and Cardinal’s Anna Blubaugh (400) took individual titles.

• Gilmour’s Katie Engle was a double winner at St. Thomas Aquinas’ Big Ox Invitational with fine times in 800 (2:23.73) and 1,600 (5:16.06). In his outdoor meet debut for 2018, longtime Lancers standout sprinter Dylan Henry won 100 with a 10.75. Other area champions were Gilmour’s Tyler Clark (800) and boys 4x800 and NDCL’s boys 4x400.

• Euclid’s Caisja Chandler earned running event MVP honors during the Eagle Elite meet at Canton GlenOak. Chandler set the stadium record in 100 with an 11.95, broke the meet record in 200 with a 24.42 and anchored the winning 4x100 (48.95) and 4x200 (1:43.00).

Beachwood’s Mia Knight competed in her first outdoor meet of the spring and was second in 100 (12.25) and third in 200 (25.36). The Panthers’ Nicholas Rice was second in 300 hurdles with a 40.47.

• At the Mansfield Mehock Relays, Brush’s Jasmyn Allen captured 100 hurdles with a 14.33, The News-Herald coverage area’s top time so far in 2018. The Arcs’ Andre Franks won long jump (22-8 1/4).

• In a unique twist at the Perry Relays, the winners of the Division B long jump relays came from two Harvey households — boys by the pairing of Duane Grimes and Daylin Davis and girls by their younger sisters, Cynthia Grimes and Asia Davis.

Other noteworthy performances at Perry not already mentioned in coverage: Geneva’s pole vault relay of Bri Aveni and Deidra Marrison each cleared 10-0 in frigid conditions. The Eagles’ Cheyanne Santiago had the best individual long jump in Division A at 16-4, and freshman Charlie Taylor had the top throws in shot put (45-7) and discus (120-0).

Chagrin Falls’ girls 4x800, with returnees Annie Zimmer and Catherine Coffey from their two-time D-II state champion quartets, was impressive with a 10:14.22. Wickliffe’s Isaac Pettway recorded a 20-5 in long jump, the best individual effort in Division B.

• Benedictine’s Matthew Dinovo won 300 hurdles with a 39.49 during the Walsh Jesuit Relays.

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