Avon Lake’s Lancione Reflects on Medal Performance at States

Avon Lake's Peter Lancione joined a small select group of Ohio athletes when he reached the podium for hurdles at the 2011 OHSAA track and field championships the weekend of June 4-5.

Lancione placed fourth in the 300 hurdles.

"I went down there just trying to do my best," Lancione said. "So is a little surprising for me, but it feels great."

In a meet, which not only is the state's oldest championships (1908) but also over the years has boasted some of the world’s track elite, including Edwin Moses, Harrison Dilliard and Jesse Owens, Lancione was amazed at the atmosphere.

"When you come around the corner on that home stretch, its unbelievable how loud it gets," he said. "And then when you are on the podium, and you look up and there are all those people, thousand upon thousands looking at you, it’s definitely an experience I will remember."

Lancione's first race of the championships had him running in what many called the "hot heat" as the times were the fastest of state qualifiers. Five runners would make it to the finals, including the Avon Lake hurdler. But after the second heat was run, he was seeded just seventh.

It didn't matter. Instead it gave him a confidence boost heading into finals, where he placed fourth in the state.

"After I saw how I did in my first heat, it was the tough heat, it gave me confidence," Lancione said. "I was right there with most of the other guys in the field, so being seeded seventh wasn't bad, because I thought if I ran a good race I could jump some people, which I did."

He joined fellow SWC hurdler Donavan Robertson of Berea on the podium, showing the caliber of competition the conference boasts, but got there with a little excitement. That's because during the finals, another competitor fell across two lanes with part of his body in Lancione’s.

"The guy fell in the finals and rolled across my lane, but it didn't bother me and I just moved to the other side of my lane but the kid next to me had to jump over him," Lancione said. "We have a tough conference, and it really showed at states when Donovan Robinson scores 28 points by himself, and there were other kids in other events. It just goes to show it’s a tough way to get there."

As for his accomplishment, which puts him among the few at Avon Lake to earn a medal in state meet competition, Lancione says its finally starting to sink in.

"I'm starting to realize the importance," Lancione said. "Especially after watching the race on the Internet and hearing the announcers it’s finally starting to sink in what I have actually done."

Lancione has one more high school sports milestone coming up this weekend, when he puts the football helmet on one last time during the Lorain County All-Star game, which is being played at Memorial Stadium.

Then its athletics aside for academics, as the 4.0 student will be heading to The Ohio State University.

"I think that will be the last time I do competitive athletics," Lancione said. "I'm going to be majoring in chemistry and pre-med at Ohio State and that's where I am going to be focusing all my time."