State Track Feature: Derrick Ison takes Whiteoak track back to state
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
For the first time in 13 years, the Whiteoak Wildcats will have a representative at the Division III State Track and Field Championships.
The runner representing the Wildcats at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus at The Ohio State University is sophomore Derrick Ison, who will be competing in the 400-meter run this weekend.
Ison qualified for the state event from his time at the Division III Regionals at Fairfield Union High School. The sophomore sprinter raced his way to the 400m state event with a regional time of 50.56, placing third overall.
The last WHS track and field athlete to qualify for state was Chris Arant for the long jump event in 2002. That year, Arant placed ninth in the event with a jump of 20-06.25.
"I was excited to make it," Ison told The Highland County Press. "As a freshman, I finished sixth at regionals (you have to finish Top 4 to earn a state berth), and after that, I promised my coach and my family I would make it to state this year."
Ison’s head coach Dan Hunt spoke of the high expectations he and Ison himself have for this weekend.
"We have really good expectations for Derrick," Hunt said. "With his ability and strength, he has a good chance to win state. He's up there with them in times. With his times and talent, and competing against some others from the region, deep down I believe he has a good chance of winning.
"He knows that, too. He has the support from me, his family and the school, and we're going to push him to that point."
[[In-content Ad]]The WHS sprinter was a champion at the district level, placing first in the 400m dash with a time of 51.17, and he also won the 200m district title with a time of 23.24.
"When I look back to my freshman year at regionals, I got beat by the same senior in multiple races," Ison said. "This year, winning the 400 and 200 at districts made me more confident."
At the Southern Hills Athletic Conference Championships, Ison was the conference champion in the 400m race with a 52.0 finish.
"I've got quicker throughout the year," Ison said. "My coaches, parents, teammates and brother have pushed me to be my best, so it has helped me a lot this year.”
Hunt is no stranger to the runner, even though it is Hunt's first season at the helm of the Wildcats' track and field program. Hunt coached Ison in junior high and knew what he was capable of.
"I've known since he was in seventh grade he was a special kid with a special talent for running," Hunt said. "He can run middle distance, can sprint and he's very athletic.
"It was a very exciting moment at regionals when he qualified for state. I knew he had the talent to advance to state. This year I was pretty sure he could do it with his talent, and he showed it."
Get this … with all that success, Ison doesn't have a track to practice on, as the Wildcats don't have their own track. He gets his practices in by running on the concrete of the high school parking lot or at other area tracks.
"It is hard from running on concrete to running on the asphalt of a track," Ison said. "My feet and my legs have to get used to it, but once I get to the track, I'm ready to go, and I'm ready to win."
A lot of the motivation for Ison, who has run the 400m event since he was in the seventh grade, goes back to the aforementioned freshman season, where he was two spots away from making state his first high school season. He used that feeling as motivation for the 2015 season. It paid off.
"I got beat by seniors last year, so I had to learn to get quicker and tougher," Ison said. "I had to learn to push through and qualify this year. This year, I used blocks, and it helped me cut my time.
"The goal all season long has been to make it to state."
The sophomore sprinter isn't just content to be in the event. He has bigger goals in mind, even with it being his state debut.
"I want to win," he said. "When I get there Friday, it is just going to be me and the track. The 400 is hard … you have to run a full lap as quick as you can. To win one of those races is very hard."
Coach Hunt praised the talent of his sprinter, speaking about the progress Ison has shown this season.
"He's progressed a lot over the season, and since he was in the seventh grade the past four years, he's knocked off about eight seconds off his 400m time," Hunt said. "He's broken his own record twice the past two week, with his regional time being his best overall time.
“It has been a good season for Derrick and the team overall. The future looks good for Derrick and the entire Whiteoak program."
The runner representing the Wildcats at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus at The Ohio State University is sophomore Derrick Ison, who will be competing in the 400-meter run this weekend.
Ison qualified for the state event from his time at the Division III Regionals at Fairfield Union High School. The sophomore sprinter raced his way to the 400m state event with a regional time of 50.56, placing third overall.
The last WHS track and field athlete to qualify for state was Chris Arant for the long jump event in 2002. That year, Arant placed ninth in the event with a jump of 20-06.25.
"I was excited to make it," Ison told The Highland County Press. "As a freshman, I finished sixth at regionals (you have to finish Top 4 to earn a state berth), and after that, I promised my coach and my family I would make it to state this year."
Ison’s head coach Dan Hunt spoke of the high expectations he and Ison himself have for this weekend.
"We have really good expectations for Derrick," Hunt said. "With his ability and strength, he has a good chance to win state. He's up there with them in times. With his times and talent, and competing against some others from the region, deep down I believe he has a good chance of winning.
"He knows that, too. He has the support from me, his family and the school, and we're going to push him to that point."
[[In-content Ad]]The WHS sprinter was a champion at the district level, placing first in the 400m dash with a time of 51.17, and he also won the 200m district title with a time of 23.24.
"When I look back to my freshman year at regionals, I got beat by the same senior in multiple races," Ison said. "This year, winning the 400 and 200 at districts made me more confident."
At the Southern Hills Athletic Conference Championships, Ison was the conference champion in the 400m race with a 52.0 finish.
"I've got quicker throughout the year," Ison said. "My coaches, parents, teammates and brother have pushed me to be my best, so it has helped me a lot this year.”
Hunt is no stranger to the runner, even though it is Hunt's first season at the helm of the Wildcats' track and field program. Hunt coached Ison in junior high and knew what he was capable of.
"I've known since he was in seventh grade he was a special kid with a special talent for running," Hunt said. "He can run middle distance, can sprint and he's very athletic.
"It was a very exciting moment at regionals when he qualified for state. I knew he had the talent to advance to state. This year I was pretty sure he could do it with his talent, and he showed it."
Get this … with all that success, Ison doesn't have a track to practice on, as the Wildcats don't have their own track. He gets his practices in by running on the concrete of the high school parking lot or at other area tracks.
"It is hard from running on concrete to running on the asphalt of a track," Ison said. "My feet and my legs have to get used to it, but once I get to the track, I'm ready to go, and I'm ready to win."
A lot of the motivation for Ison, who has run the 400m event since he was in the seventh grade, goes back to the aforementioned freshman season, where he was two spots away from making state his first high school season. He used that feeling as motivation for the 2015 season. It paid off.
"I got beat by seniors last year, so I had to learn to get quicker and tougher," Ison said. "I had to learn to push through and qualify this year. This year, I used blocks, and it helped me cut my time.
"The goal all season long has been to make it to state."
The sophomore sprinter isn't just content to be in the event. He has bigger goals in mind, even with it being his state debut.
"I want to win," he said. "When I get there Friday, it is just going to be me and the track. The 400 is hard … you have to run a full lap as quick as you can. To win one of those races is very hard."
Coach Hunt praised the talent of his sprinter, speaking about the progress Ison has shown this season.
"He's progressed a lot over the season, and since he was in the seventh grade the past four years, he's knocked off about eight seconds off his 400m time," Hunt said. "He's broken his own record twice the past two week, with his regional time being his best overall time.
“It has been a good season for Derrick and the team overall. The future looks good for Derrick and the entire Whiteoak program."