No, Fairview senior Stacie Dorian is not deliriously punching out a rival. Instead she is celebrating with her teammates the school’s fourth straight and most unlikely trip to Columbus in the 4x400 meter relay.Dorian has been on all four teams. (Photo by Larry Bennet)

Fairview 4x400 makes it four straight to state
By Zachary Dzurick
Sports
Published May 31, 2006

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The 4x400 meter relay is always saved for last at a track meet. And as the grand finale, it has a special place in the hearts of track fans everywhere. Your team's four best runners one time each around the track.

For Fairview High School, it is the one event the school takes the most pride in. For the last three years, the girls 4x400 meter team won the SWC championship and qualified for the state meet. But this year, Rocky River defeated them at a dual meet, the conference meet and the district meet. A fourth trip to state seemed unlikely as the Warriors were seeded seventh. On Saturday, senior Stacie Dorian, who had been a member of all three state teams, had finished 11th in the 800 meter final. She did not want her career to end with a bad taste.

"I was so disappointed after my eight, I did not have a good time at all," Dorian said. "We had a team huddle before the race and I said: 'Girls this is potentially the last race of my high school career. If nothing else, let's beat River. PRs for everyone and I will be happy. Let's just run as fast as we can.’ And they did."

Vickie Diedrichs, Tory Johnson, Katie Begany and Stacie Dorian. (Photo by Larry Bennet)

Dorian was not the only one who had doubts. The losses to River had her returning state qualifying teammates, juniors Vickie Diedrichs and Katie Begany unsure as well.

"I wasn't really sure how we would do," Begany said. "But Stacie said she wanted to go to states her senior year and I said ‘OK’, I just wanted to run my fastest."

Diedrichs ran a strong lead lap and sophomore Tory Johnson did her best to keep Fairview close to the lead pack. Begany exploded to push the team into fourth, right behind Rocky River, heading into the final lap.

"Katie ran an awesome race," Dorian said. "As I got the baton, I could hear someone right behind and I thought she can't pass me and if she does I have to pass someone else. Then I saw River and they have beaten us — however many times in a row — and it was on."

Dorian passed the Rocky River runner and held off a strong charging Beliot West Branch team to finish third and book her fourth trip to Columbus, also also cementing her legacy at the school. The team's time of 4:03.12 was several seconds faster than their seed time. After the race, Dorian admitted she hadn’t been sure if the team could pull it off.

"Honestly, yes I doubted," Dorian said. "River stole our thunder this year and we had to steal it back. It is cool because I am the oldest one on the team and Tory is just a sophomore and I can relate to her. I felt a lot of pressure my freshman year and she has stepped up and done a great job for us."

Diedrichs shared Dorian's joy.

"I had my doubts and then to get third place and to beat River to get back to states, it is amazing," Diedrich said. "I am really proud of Tory since the rest of us have all been through this before."

Johnson was overwhelmed to become part of the tradition of 4x400 success.

"I have felt a great amount of pressure but everyone has been so great," Johnson said. "I love my teammates and it has been a great time. I have the biggest rush and I am shaking right now."

Fairview head coach Rich Friel said he knew his kids had such a race in them, but the heat did raise a few flags.

"I didn't doubt they could do it, but with the heat we were concerned," he said. "This year was a crazy year since we did not have a lot of meets this year that had sun. With no one qualifying before the 4x4, they all knew it was their last shot, especially our senior. Stacie is now a four-time state qualifier and I don't think any other girl in school history has done that."

Begany's strong split was made more impressive because she had already competed in two finals earlier in the day.

"Katie was fifth in the 100 hurdles and sixth in the 300 hurdles, but her 300 time of 46.77 was a school record," Friel said. "She is just a workhorse."

On the boys side, senior Ivo Tzvetko made the finals and finished eighth in the 1,600 meters with a time of 4:34.33

"I am really happy because I have worked for this for four years," he said. "I tried to stay with the defending state champion, but I couldn't. I just wanted to medal and get something to show for it. Last year I finished fifth at districts and didn't even get this far. So I had no pressure."

"Ivo has worked hard for four years," Friel said. "He has always been in the shadow of some great runners. This was his year. I am just ecstatic for him."