NTL TRACK & FIELD: TROY'S 4X100 RELAY SIDESTEPS DISASTER TO EARN STATE BERTH (2024-05-19)
BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports ReportWILLIAMSPORT — After a disappointing performance in the jumps nothing was keeping Troy’s Colin Loveland from making states. Running the second turn in the 4x100 a Southern Columbia runner fell into his lane, but the senior leaped over him as he handed the baton off to fellow senior Jacob Hinman, who carried it to the finish line in a state qualifying time of 43.93 at the District IV Track and Field Championships Saturday.
“All Glory to God,” said Loveland. “Obviously, things didn’t go as I was hoping in the long and triple, and these guys, they’ve got my back. I just praise God everyday for them, I praise God for him giving us the ability. I’ve been saying it all day, I’m going to ride on the wings of God’s Grace, and this was just such a measure of God’s Grace and his wiseness, I thank him so much.”
The team of Charles Oldroyd, Ben Warburton, Loveland, and Hinman set a new school record, too, going sub-44 for the first time in program history.
The team was fifth overall with the top six teams hitting state qualifying time.
“Coming down the home stretch I was kind of doubtful because we were so far behind Mt. Carmel, but when I heard they ran a 42.5 I knew we made it,” remarked Hinman.
Oldroyd led them off as they ran in lane six.
“I kind liked that because I know there’s people chasing me,” he said. “I know there was a guy in front of me, so that’s definitely going to motivate me to run faster, and I did that I feel like.”
He handed off to Warburton who ran the back stretch.
“I was thinking don’t get caught,” he said. “I knew I had people behind me who could catch up to me, I think I did the best job I could to hold them off.”
He handed off to Loveland going around the final turn as they were falling behind the leaders. Then, what could have been a disaster happened.
“Right as I said hand there was a kid that fell, and he kind of slid into our lane,” explained Loveland. “I got it off quick, and as I was handing it off I had to just over, and then I twisted my ankle on the way down.”
Hinman was worried about his feet being taken out from under him, too.
“I looked forward and there was a Southern Columbia kid laying at my feet, so that kind of scared me,” he said.
The three of them will be joining Warburton down at states next weekend.
“That was my main goal today, just bring everyone I can with me,” said Warburton.
This was especially sweet after last year when they dropped the baton.
“We were really trying to hope we go to states,” Oldroyd said. “We’ve just been working hard and having this week off really helped us. All my teammates are really good and fast.”
Troy’s 4x400 of Loveland, Hinman, Mason Wulff, and Evan Geer just missed states by a second, taking sixth in 3:30.46.
Hinman was third in the 400 (51.41) and fifth in the 200 (22.99), just missing states on time in those events.
Warburton was 11th in the 200 in 23.52, with Wulff 16th in the 400 in 53.56.
Loveland was seventh in the triple jump at 40-feet, 10 1/4-inches.
Geer was ninth in the 1600 in 4:37.74, while Hart Houseknecht was 15th in the 2-mile in 10;36.75. Brody Campbell was 21st in 11:10.74.
Kendrick Ross was 11th in the high jump at 5-feet, 9-inches with teammate Cameron Morey 15th in 5-feet, 7-inches. Houseknecht took 19th in the pole vault at 10-feet.
The PIAA Championships are next weekend at Shippensburg University.
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PHOTO CAPTION: The Troy 4x100 relay team on the podium…PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
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