TONTOGANY — As a sophomore, Eastwood distance runner Leah Emch is already breaking records, and as a senior, Eastwood pole vaulter Julia Sabo is messing with family tradition.
At the Northern Buckeye Conference meet Saturday, Emch set an NBC record in the 3200, finishing in 11:51.71 to break the previous record set by Makayla Mohre (12:00.24) in 2015.
Emch not only became the first runner to break the 12-minute barrier at an NBC meet, but she was also closely followed by Eastwood’s second place finisher, junior Z Ramsey, who finished in 12:10.33.
At the time, Woodmore had a 10-point lead over Eastwood in the team standings, and if Woodmore won the team meet, it would end Eastwood’s 21-year reign on league championships, dating back to when both schools were in the Suburban Lakes League.
So, all Ramsey could think about was the team standings, despite having just run about two miles, enough to make any athlete gasping for air.
“Today, we needed this to happen because we are neck-and-neck with Woodmore right now, and we’re behind by like 10 points, so that is why we needed it to happen,” Ramsey said.
Well, Woodmore did win a team title, ending Eastwood’s two-decade plus string of championships, but the effort by Emch and Ramsey was the result of years of hard work.
“We work throughout the entire winter and the entire spring,” Ramsey said. “We don’t stop after cross country — we just go right into it.”
Sabo, the daughter of Eastwood coaches Brian (boys coach) and Nicole (girls coach) Sabo, won the pole vault, clearing 10 feet four inches.
Sabo owns the school record, 12 feet, set nearly two weeks ago, and was shooting for the NBC record Saturday, which she owns, clearing 11 feet two years ago. But she was in so many other events that she put that opportunity aside.
“She had a lot of races on her — we are asking her to do six events basically,” Nicole Sabo said. “She is in the 100 and the 200 (semifinals and finals in both events) so that takes a lot on your legs when you also have the pole vault, so she’ll bounce back.
“She doesn’t have to pole vault again until next Saturday at the districts, so she will be good.”
However, Julia is following in her parents footsteps to be an NCAA Division I track athlete, but not at the same school.
Julia is heading to pole vault at Eastern Michigan University, Brian and Sabo were athletes at Bowling Green State University.
“We did not put that pressure on her,” Nicole said. “We told her that it was her decision and if she did not want to compete in college that was OK.
“It will be weird for us, being BG alums, to be cheering for Eastern, but we will do it. We appreciate that we will be able to get to her meets, and things like that, and that will be fun.
“So, we’re excited for her and for that next chapter. We are also excited to be mom and dad and not be coach, just to appreciate and watch her. Because a lot of times during meets I don’t get to see her compete very much.”
Coach Sabo said Julia’s start as a pole vaulter began in another sport.
“It really started when she was young with gymnastics,” coach Sabo said. “I think her dad put her in there when he had a little alternative motive there to get her into gymnastics early, but she’s loved that sport as well and it’s really helped her with her pole vault.”
Fostoria junior Karma Williams shared the NBC’s top field event athlete award after winning the discus and shot put.
In the shot, Williams’ toss of 35-4¾ beat second place Otsego sophomore Brooke Simon (35-3¼), and the in the discus Williams threw 130 feet to beat Elmwood senior Anna Barber (119-2).
Williams shared the field event award with Genoa junior Lillian Frias, who won the long jump and high jump.
Frias high jumped 5-3 to beat second place Lake junior Kennedy Eckman, who cleared five feet. In the long jump, Frias leaped to 17-1½ to beat second place Lake sophomore Lauren Parsons (16-11).
