Dick Dei Classic Back in Full Force Saturday | News, Sports, Jobs

WHEELING — For the first time in two years, one of the valley’s premier track and field meets will be back in full swing as 17 teams will descend upon Wheeling Park High School Saturday to compete in the Dick Dei Classic.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on finding the best competition and running against them,” said Park boys coach Barry Rideout. “Having all of these teams here, having the Dick Dei Classic back in a form that’s recognizable to the people in the area is really exciting and we’re really looking forward to seeing what our guys can do on Saturday.”

The event was canceled along with the rest of the high school track season in 2020 and it was limited to just local teams in 2021. This season, however, the Dick Dei classic will be in full form, welcoming teams from the Ohio Valley as well as the Akron, Dayton and Pittsburgh areas.

“Seeing the out-of-town teams on the track is a little bit of a change of pace than what we’re used to seeing, especially the last two years,” added Park girls coach Bryan Arbes. “They bring in a tremendous amount of talent to our meet and it’s something we look forward to.”

Competing will be host Wheeling Park as well as local squads from Wheeling Central, Brooke, Weir and Dover. Filling out the rest of the event will be George Washington, Akron Buchtel, Cannon-McMillan, Chartiers Valley, Claymont, Dayton Dunbar, Bayton Meadowdale, Dayton Pontiz, Ketterington Alter, Painesville Riverside, St. Joseph’s Academy and Warren G. Harding.

Both Arbes and Rideout said competing against so much high-level competition gives a boost to their teams so early into the season.

“I definitely think it helps,” Arbes said. “Anytime you can fill a whole meet up with top performers, that’s a good thing. In this meet, all eight lanes are going to be filled with quality athletes.”

“It’s really interesting to watch the athletes because they know who the really good athletes are and whenever you get that level of competition together, everyone boosts their game,” Rideout added. “I can already see it in my guys that they’re juiced for Saturday.”

And it isn’t just the visitors who will be bringing in talent, the Patriots have some athletes of their own to show off.

For the girls, Arbes said Jai’lah Walker will be pushing to break the school record in the high jump all season long.

“Jai’lah Walker made three attempts at our school record at the Bellaire relays,” he said. “Her (personal record) is 5-2, our school record is 5-4.

“It helps her focus in on what her goals are. She can actually put a number to a goal, it’s not just ‘I want to improve’. She knows where she stands in the state with the other jumpers. She knows that if she hits that 5-4 mark, she’s got a pretty good shot in going down and competing for an individual state title.”

Sprinter Kaylee Davis will have a busy day on the track.

“She’s going to have a big day if she makes the finals,” Arbes said. “She’ll have six races again like she had last Saturday. She’s definitely going to be exhausted at the end of the meet, but hopefully she can score some points.”

Along with the individual races, Davis will also compete in the 4×100 and 4×400 relays, teaming up with Abby Barki, Maya Taggart and Lily Hanna.

There should also be some excitement in the hurdles with Elli Reasbeck and Sophie Abraham.

“We had our tri-meet on Tuesday and it was less than one-tenth of a second (between them),” Arbes said. “They’re both right on par with where we want them.”

They will also be on the shuttle team with Hanna and Caroline L’Ecuyer.

For the boys, Rideout said the team is still working to fill in some spots after a number of accomplished seniors graduated last season.

“We’re kind of transitioning,” he said. “We had so much high-level talent in our senior class last year that we’re kind of rebuilding. My core group of guys are working so hard and I’m really excited to watch our 4×100 relay on Saturday.”

That relay will consist of Isaiah Zelaski, Alex Canestraro, Christian Brayn and Jerrae Hawkins Jr., who Rideout called the fastest boy in the state.

“Anytime you’ve got the fastest boy in West Virginia, that’s going to have you excited,” Rideout said. “He ran 10.82 here on Tuesday night at our home tri-meet.”

Hawkins, Zelaski and Canestraro will also team up for the 4×400 relay along with Eli Miller.

In the field events, Rideout is excited for throwers Trevor Howell in the discus and Jaxson Edgmon in the shot put.

The field events are scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m. Saturday with session one for track starting at 9:30 a.m. and session two at 1 p.m. The presentation of awards is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.