GALION, Ohio — Michaela Slone is the utility infielder of the Galion girls track team.
No matter what co-coaches Todd Roston and Colby Bright ask the senior to do, they know she will answer the call.
Slone pulled off a rare triple at Saturday’s Shelby Invitational. The Richland Bank Athlete of the Week won the 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes and was a member of Galion’s runner-up 4×200 relay team. The Tigers finished runner-up to Sandusky Perkins in the 13-team event.
“It’s fairly unusual to sweep all three, especially at a meet like that,” Bright said. “She’s a versatile athlete.”
How versatile?
Slone was primarily a middle-distance runner early last year. She was added to the 4×100 relay team near the middle of the season and helped that foursome win a Division II state championship last spring.
“She kind of came out of nowhere,” Bright said. “She can run anything from the 100 to the 800 and she’s a cross country runner in the fall. You don’t see that very often.”
Slone won the 100 at Shelby in 12.56 seconds. She ran the 200 in 26.9 and finished the 400 in 1:01.70.
“With her time in the 100, she could be in the mix to get to state,” Bright said. “She has run very good times for this early in the season.”
Slone is one of three returning members of the state championship 4×100 relay team, along with Sydney Hunt and Clair Erlsten. The fourth spot, vacated by the graduated Laura McElligott, is up for grabs.
“There’s a battle between about three kids,” Bright said. “Those girls have a goal of repeating in the 4×100 and getting to state in the 4×200.”
The Tigers will find out where they stand when they compete at this weekend’s Mehock Relays at Malabar.
“It will be a good test,” Bright said. “Last year we weren’t even close to winning it with all those Division I teams.”
A solid showing at the Mehock could be a springboard to another state tournament run.
“The bottom line is we’ll try to go after it as best we can,” Slone said earlier this season. “We’ve got to set the bar high going into it.
“If we do it, we do it and if we don’t, you can’t say we didn’t try.”
