By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The Ada track and field team features several letter winners, a state qualifier and two league champions back on its 43-athlete roster under head coach Tyler Craig.
BOYS' TEAM
Paced by solid returning talent, the Bulldog boys squad looks to be very competitive in the league and big meets this spring.
The purple and gold boys came in a strong fourth at the 2018 Northwest Conference championships behind league individual champions Noah Mattson (shot put) and Miguel Jordan (800 meters).
Senior Mattson then finished third at regionals to make it to the state meet, where he came in ninth at Columbus in the shot with a toss of 50-1.5.
The returning team MVP has his sights set on breaking the school record of 52-10 set by Steve Montgomery in 1973.
Mattson is also throwing the discus well and is a major threat in that event. The Ada discus record of 165-11 may also be within the senior strongman's reach.
"Noah is one of the hardest workers I have ever had," said Craig. "He has also been throwing the discus well lately."
Jordan leads the running corps back for Ada this season.
"Miguel had a pretty good cross country season (last fall) and went to regionals last year in the 800," said the coach. "He has a good chance to be a two-time NWC champion. We will try him early in the one and two-mile runs as well to see which is his best race."
Another key returnee is versatile junior Michael Crouse. "He scored a ton of points for us last year," noted Craig. "He runs the 400, was on the regional-qualifying 4x800 relay team with Miguel, long jumps and does sprint relays. He works very hard."
Junior Alex Morgan is another versatile athlete back in the fold after finishing third in the NWC in the pole vault, and placing in the 110 high hurdles last year.
"Morgan can also do well in the 4x400 relay and 300 hurdles. He scored a lot of points for us last year," said the coach.
Senior Carson Hissong injured his knee severely in football season and has yet to be cleared for a return to practice. Another intense worker, he was a member of the fine 4x800 relay quartet last year. "Carson does everything from pole vault to sprint relays to the mile (if healthy)," Craig noted.
Sophomore Ian Dellifield "high jumped well for us last year," said Craig. "There was a lot of good competition within the team last year in the high jump, and I look for Ian to stand out this spring."
Among the newcomers, Craig pointed out several who could make big impacts. French exchange student Phillip Gautier is an athletic junior "who can help us in many events," said the coach.
"He could do the hurdles, long jump, high jump - he can really jump - and relays. He is eager to try all events, and we will see where he settles in," he added.
Strong junior Ty Miller "can help us in the relays and the high jump, and has been throwing well too in his workouts with Mattson," said Craig.
Freshman Isaac Williams is likely to contribute in the hurdle and middle distance events. Classmate Seth Swaney should also help out in middle distance events.
Rounding out the 23-man boys roster are seniors Nate McClure-Nira and Sam Hibbard, juniors Khyler Stoll and Noah Arnett, plus freshmen Cameron Wilkerson, Ethan Shaffer, Garrett Rettig, Brandon Paul, Carter Nelson, Kam Mooney, Keegan Hull, Nate Hall, Keegan Giddens and Riley Ferguson.
Columbus Grove edged Bluffton and Lincolnview 111-107-106.5 to grab the 2018 NWC boys title. Ada finished a very respectable fourth with 96.5 points in the close four-team race.
"Grove is definitely the favorite in the NWC again," Craig offered. "Lincolnview should be good, while Bluffton and Spencerville will be right there with them.
"We did a heck of a job in the field events last year," he continued. "I am hoping the boys can finish fourth again, or even higher this year.
"We just don't have the same numbers as some other schools, so we have guys doing three or four events instead of two, like some of the other top teams, at the NWC meet," he explained. "We just have to go out and compete, and I think the boys will."
Craig has set a few goals for the top boys individuals this spring. "I would like to see Noah get back to state in the shot put and get up on the podium (top eight)," he said. "It would also be nice to see him set a new school record.
"I would like to see Miguel get to state in the 800, and for Michael Crouse to make it to regionals in the 400," he continued. "I think Alex Morgan can make the regionals in the 110 high hurdles. Those four guys have a lot of potential."
ADA GIRLS' TEAM
Several talented female runners decided to play other sports or not return to the 20-person girls team this spring, but the Lady Bulldog thinclads still boast some good athletes.
"We have more freshmen (11) on the girls team than juniors and sophomores (7) combined, so we are young," said Craig. "With their youth and the bad weather, we are a bit behind with the first meet coming up this weekend."
The Ada girls took seventh in the nine-team Northwest Conference meet last spring. Grove breezed to the 2018 NWC girls team title with 212 points, well ahead of Spencerville (112) and Lincolnview (90).
The Ada girls tallied 30.5 points to finish ahead of Allen East and Delphos Jefferson in the nine-team meet.
Sophomore Brenna Hissong returns as the Ada girls co-MVP from 2018. She excels in the 400, 100, 200 and relay events.
Dependable Anabel Alexander is one of two seniors on the girls squad back. The steady senior is a fourth-year letter winner who does well in the middle distance races and relays.
Junior Nora Dellifield holds the school record in the pole vault and has finished highly at the NWC meet the past two springs. "She will score a lot of points for us," Craig noted.
Powerful sophomore Paige Cole returns as the top Lady Bulldog high jumper, and she can also run hurdle events effectively.
Sophomore Kesewa Akyeampong and Kylie Shaffer return to lead a solid group of throwers in the field. "Both of them did a really good job throwing for us last year as freshmen," noted the coach. "Kylie is still recovering from a knee injury this past fall in soccer."
Among the newcomers, Craig singled out freshmen Molly Zimmerman, Olivia Green and Brooke Phillips as potential impact athletes.
"Molly is a strong hurdler who could place in the NWC in the 100 (hurdles)," offered the coach. "Olivia looks like a good athlete who can help us in the sprints, the long jump and maybe in the 300 hurdles.
"Brooke also has potential as a thrower and in the relays," he continued. "She is a good athlete."
Completing the Lady Bulldog roster are senior Kelsi Sarnescky, juniors Tabitha Tidd and Courtney "Coco" McLaughlin, and eight other freshmen: Heather Hankins, Taleah Jones, Jasmine Leimgruber, Tessa Long, Lauren Mullins, Madison Park, Alex Puerto and Luci Wall.
"Because we are so young on the girls side, I have no idea how we can do at the league meet," said Craig. "If we work hard, we can compete. But Grove is the clear girls favorite, with Bluffton and Spencerville behind them."
Craig has been happy with the entire team's work ethic and attitude so far this season despite the cold, wet weather.
"During our conditioning and pre-season practices, we have pushed the kids hard and they have responded," said Craig. "They didn't complain, so I am pleased with how hard they are working. We just need the weather to break so our young kids can get outside and learn some things."
Veteran coach Greg Grimslid, Terry Craig and Jay Wolber return to assist Craig with the coaching duties.
The starter's gun for the Bulldogs to begin their campaign rings out this Saturday at the Waynesfield Tiger Relays, weather permitting.
The Bulldogs will host the long-running annual Ada Invitational Saturday, May 4. The Ada boys took third out of 16 teams at the event last year, while the Lady Bulldogs came in 11th.
The NWC title meet is at Allen East May 9/11.
