Potters relay eyes podium

Jun 2, 2023

From left, East Liverpool sophomores Gavin Wright, Quintin Conrad, Julius Jones and freshman Maddox Roach finished as regional runner-up with a time of 3:28.21 and qualified for the state meet happening today in Columbus. (Photo by Jimmy Joe Savage)

EAST LIVERPOOL — Age is just a number for the East Liverpool 1600 relay team which will compete today at the Div. II state track and field meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus.

The Potters’ team, consisting of sophomores Gavin Wright, Quintin Conrad and Julius Jones along with freshman Maddox Roach, ran their best 1600 relay time of the season (3:28.21) at the most crucial point in the season just last week — the Div. II regional final in New Concord.

"These guys are all super competitive," coach Andy Miller said. "Whether it's running, basketball, or football…These guys are all multi-sport athletes, so when it comes to sports, these guys do not want to lose. And you can see that in the way that they run, chase people, and hold leads –they don't want to be outdone in any athletic competition."

The Potters will compete in the 1600 relay on Friday afternoon at 4:10 p.m. in the preliminary rounds of the state meet, but the Potters have their goals set much higher than just preliminary races.

"I think there's a lot of things that are within reach for us," Miller said. "We’d like to make day two. Our school record is lofty (3:25 set back in 1970) but it's within reach. Then, obviously, if we make day two, to get on that podium would be an incredible achievement for the program."

Back in the start of the season, coach Miller knew that his relay team was athletic and fast but qualifying for state without so much as a junior on the squad –that would be a tall order.

"(Their success) does a lot of the program," Miller said. "We’re running three sophomores and a freshman at the state meet and honestly, this wasn't really on our radar for most of the season. But to see these guys drop time like they have in these last two or three weeks and become competitive at the districts and regionals, it's been fantastic to watch."

While this is not Miller's first time heading to Columbus with East Liverpool track, this is his first time going with a relay team. In his eight years at the helm of the Potter track program, no four boys have been faster around the track than Gavin, Maddox, Quintin and Julius.

"I feel like it is going to make us into better leaders," Potter Quintin Conrad said of the upcoming experience at state. "We know how we got here, so we know what we need to do for the next couple of years. It’ll be great for us to lead (the Potters) back to this point in the future."

Designing a relay team can take time, but Miller has found a recipe that has generated a lot of success for East Liverpool.

"We have played around with different runners in different spots, but I really like our set-up now." Miller said. "Gavin is really strong and really competitive. He's a great block-starter. Maddox is an excellent chaser, so if we need a gap closed, Maddox is going to close it. Quintin, our third runner, is probably our fastest kid in the race. He can catch people if we need him to catch them, and he can gap people. Julius is our anchor. He is so competitive with such a long stride. I don't know if he has been passed at all this season. He holds the lead."

Starting the relay race is an important job, and for the Potters, that job has been assigned to sophomore Gavin Wright.

"(To start the race, I just think) get out fast," Wright said. "Try to get my teammates the best lead I can to help us finish strong. We’ve been running together since junior high, so we already have chemistry. We work really hard together in almost every sport."

At the end of his lap, Wright hands the baton over to the team's lone freshman Maddox Roach.

"When I take the baton, I try to make up ground," Roach said. "If we’re like third or fourth, I try to make it up to first or second to set up the closers…At state, I want us to be top-five or top-eight –make it to the final."

Roach ends his lap by handing the baton to set-up man Quintin Conrad.

"Hawk people down," Conrad said of his lap. "That's what I like to say, I’m like the Hawk…Let's say if anyone is close to us, my job is to hold them off for our closer (Julius Jones)."

Once Conrad has done his job, the race turns over into the hands of Potters closer Julius Jones.

"I try to just get out fast," Jones said. "It really depends what the distance is between the other runners, if I’m ahead, I just try to lengthen the gap and make sure they don't get past me."

Although the Potters future is bright, coach Miller has been the first to reiterate to the team that long-term success is earned, not given.

"You can't take state trips for granted," Miller said. "I try to preach that to these guys. Everyone says, ‘Oh, they’re young. They’ll be back next year.’ Well, it doesn't work like that. I just told them just to embrace the moment and take it for what it is and don't rest on that idea that you’ll be back next year because you have to go out there every year, every day, and do what it takes to get back here."

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