TROY — The track and field season for East Clinton came to an end Wednesday at the Region 12 Track and Field Championship at Troy Memorial Stadium.
Astro athletes Brian Barnes and Thomas Wright carried the season to the regional meet but were unable to advance to the next level in Columbus.
“This was a bigger stage than the kids have been on since the beginning of the season,” EC coach Steven Sodini said. “Wright is a junior and this experience will be valuable when he comes back next year.”
Barnes, a senior, competed in the 110-meter high hurdles. In the preliminary heat, Barnes clocked a 16.46.
“Barnes has consistently run around 16.1 in the past four to five meets,” Sodini said. “(He) clipped a few hurdles that slowed him down too much to make the finals.”
The final qualifying time was 16.12 seconds.
“Brian has been a great addition to the team,” Sodini said. “He has truly been the role model that we’ve needed in the program. He has set the bar high.”
Wright went into the discus competition needing to reach 130 to have a realistic chance at being one of the nine finalists.
With each throw, Wright improved his distance on the day — 104 to 117 to 122-1 — but he finished 13th overall.
“He threw slightly lower than his PR (personal best) for the season,” Sodini said. “Wright had high expectations and has some clear goals in mind for next year.”
