WESTERVILLE – Highland’s Juliette Laracuente threw her hands in the air as she crossed the finish line, winning the 4x100-meter relay at the Division II district meet on Saturday, May 22, at Westerville North.
She teamed with Brylinn Tuggle, Makenna Belcher and Peyton Carpenter to finish with a first-place time of 50.44 seconds, which set a new school record. Going into the event, Buckeye Valley’s team of Jia Radloff, Grace Daily, Avery Meier and Chloe Gibson (50.57) were seeded better.
“I was really excited about the 4x1 because we weren’t expected to get first, and it came down to the finish,” Laracuente said. “So I’m feeling really, really happy about it."
The sophomore won three individual events, including the 200-meter which she won with a time of 25.54 seconds, beating Columbus South’s Spiritual Wilson Foster Wright, who was the better seed going into the meet.
“I’m just really happy to come out and beat her,” Laracuente said. “Winning that was just a really good feeling for me.”
She also qualified in the high jump and long jump on May 18.
The top four in each event qualified for next week’s regional meet at Lexington. There were two districts in the boys meet and one in the girls. In District 1, the Fighting Scot boys team finished fourth overall (65 points) out of 14 teams that scored, behind champion Bishop Watterson (122). The girls were fifth (53) out of 19 teams that scored, behind champion Buckeye Valley (96).
Belcher also qualified in the 100-hurdles (16.88) with a fourth-place finish.
Laracuente doesn’t have any expectations going forward. For now, it’s just a learning experience.
“I’m hoping to just do my best right now,” she said. “Especially since I didn’t get last season to give me that experience. Really, it’s not about my placement per se, but more about the experience in the competition.”
Laracuente wasn’t the only Fighting Scot to have a big day. Landyn Albanese and Landon Remmert each qualified in multiple events.
Albanese won the 200 (22.33), and Remmert took third in the 300-hurdles (41.42) and fourth in the 110-hurdles (17.09).
The two were also part of the 4x400 (3:31.24) with Gavin Hankins and Mason Duncan that took third.
“It was everything I could hope for,” Albanese said. “There’s a lot of great competition out here. I didn’t really have an expectation (because) one muscle strain and it’s over. I just always hope for the best.”
Hunter Bolton qualified in the 3,200 (10:40.46) with a fourth-place finish.
The Fredericktown girls team finished ninth with 32 points, led by Ashley Cockrell and Elsa Hoam.
Cockrell was second in the 100-hurdles (16.0) and third in the 300-hurdles (47.78), and Hoam finished fourth in the 1,600 (5:15.07).
“It’s really exciting, especially after a lack of last season,” Cockrell said. “So I’m just coming out here with my team. We’re all a big family. They help to push me at practice.”
Hoam, Sydney Wilson, Sadie Sanders and Natalie VanMeter qualified with a fourth-place finish in the 4x800 (10:08.91) on Wednesday.
“This was our first year in Division II, so we really didn’t know what to expect,” Cockrell said. “At the beginning of the season, we had a lot of hard workouts to help us get ready later on. It’s obviously paying off.”
Utica, which finished 10th in District 2 boys (29) and 16th in girls (9.25), was led by Jay Figgins, who battled illness to qualify in the 1,600 (4:32.15).
“After LCL, I just got real sick,” he said. “I just wasn’t over it. I think the heat had a lot to do with it (on Saturday). I’m really happy about (qualifying), really happy to see all the hard work pay off.”
Figgins also competed in the 3,200 (11:48.2), finishing 13th, behind teammate Silas Brukenberger (10:54.35).
