Maplewood’s Richards dominates Trumbull County Track and Field Championships
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CORTLAND -- Five-time OHSAA state champion Caleigh Richards and the notoriously strong Maplewood distance runners dominated the Trumbull County Track and Field Championships on Thursday at Lakeview.
By herself, Richards won the girls 800, 1600 and 3200-meter runs on Thursday, and she also helped lead the Rockets' 4×800-meter relay team to a county title on Tuesday. But despite running more than three miles total and having just completed the 3200-meter run moments before, Richards looked like she could have raced another few miles.
"I'm OK. I'm not too bad. Feeling it some, but I've felt worse," Richards said. "I put in a lot of training. I know the other girls have too, but I guess it's just always been like that. I don’t like to collapse at the finish. I always try to give it my all, but I always try to also stand there to cheer on the other girls and my teammates."
Richards' best events are certainly the 1600 and 3200, both for which she has won state titles, but she also cruised to the county championship in the 800-meter run Thursday. Her father, Mike Richards, also the Maplewood girls track and field head coach, watched on from afar, stopwatch in hand.
As Caleigh crossed the finish line, Mike jumped up and down, knowing that Caleigh had just narrowly missed out on breaking the more than 15-year-old county record. Caleigh ran a 2:17.20, just half of a second shy of the record set in 2008.
While Mike was disappointed that Caleigh had fallen just short of yet another record, he beamed with pride talking about Caleigh's ability.
"Oh, believe me, words can't express how proud a dad is," Mike said. "I mean, as a coach, I’ve never coached somebody that good, let alone that being my daughter."
Caleigh is set to continue her running career at Youngstown State University, with which she signed a National Letter of Intent in November.
LIBERTY'S MOODY STRIVING FOR COMPANY AT STATES
In eighth grade, Dwayne Moody's uncle "forced" him to join the track and field team.
"He was like, 'You’re not doing nothing else. You gonna run.' I started off running the 800, and then I became a sprinter," Moody said.
While Moody, now a senior at Liberty, did not have much say in the decision, it turned out to be a good one. Moody collected three county titles on Thursday, winning the 100 and 200-meter dashes, as well as the 4×200-meter relay.
After winning the 200-meter dash, his fourth event of the day, Moody said that winning three county championships in a day was a "blessing" and a reward for his hard work.
But Moody has bigger dreams than being one of the best sprinters in Trumbull County; he wants to play in the NFL. Moody committed in February to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, where Moody will continue his football career.
"Coffeyville was just the best decision," Moody said. "They send a lot of guys to the league. And that's all I need; all I need is an opportunity. So I'll take the chance I got."
If Moody can succeed, he would join the likes of former New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs and Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier, both of whom began their college football careers at Coffeyville before transferring to Division I schools.
While the NFL serves as Moody's long-term goal, in the short-term, he wants to go back to the OHSAA state meet, where he placed ninth in the 200-meter dash last year, with his 4×100 and 4×200-meter relay teammates.
"I want to take my boys to the state," Moody said. "I just don’t want to be the only one there this time."
HARDING WINS TEAM TITLES
Warren G. Harding came out on top of both the boys and girls team standings at the Trumbull County Championships. The Raiders' boys team finished with 101 points, nine more than second-place Howland, while the girls team edged out McDonald by six with 95 total points.
Niles' Makiya Simpson emerged from the day with three girls county titles after winning the 100 and 200-meter dashes, as well as the 4×100-meter relay.
Mia Malito of Girard also won a pair of events Thursday, besting the competition in girls high jump and the 300-meter hurdles.
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