Finding gold
WHITEHALL — Ori Rinaman started rebuilding his form for track in the math wing at Mars High School.
The Planets senior hurdler was anxious to get back into condition after a knee injury slowed him during football season.
To help build speed — and avoid cold temperatures — Rinaman sent himself hurtling down the hallways.
His activities startled some after-hour employees.
They also put Rinaman in a position to win a pair of titles at the WPIAL Class AAA Track and Field Championships Thursday at Baldwin High School.
Rinaman won the 110 and 300 hurdles with personal-best times of 14.29 and 37.98 seconds, respectively.
“I do sprints down the math wing. That's what I do during the December months,” Rinaman said. “You'll get some janitors that pop out of the corner and you kind of spook them when you're sprinting down the hall. That's what you have to do.”
He was one of three Butler County athletes to win WPIAL crowns.
Knoch sophomore Jordan Geist also won a pair, capturing the Class AAA shot put and discus, while Freeport junior Dylan Hochbein won the Class AA 300 hurdles.
Dozens more qualified for the PIAA meet, which will be held next Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University.
Rinaman's titles came after a less than ideal start. He was slow out of the blocks and never felt in motion during the preliminary heat.
For the finals, Rinaman and hurdles coach Aaron Rekich formulated a plan.
“We thought that was going to be the most crucial part of the race, whoever got the best start,” Rinaman said. “Mentally, I got prepared and luckily we were first to the hurdle.”
Rinaman was first to nearly every hurdle and cruised to a win.Freeport juniors Dylan Hochbein and Brandon Hochbein had plenty of competition down the stretch of the 300 hurdles. Both twins were even throughout the race before Dylan edged Brandon out at the finish line.Dylan finished in 40.03, beating his brother by .05 seconds.“We're so competitive, but we're friendly with each other,” Dylan Hochbein said. “He never gives up and same with me. I wasn't expecting it to be that close, but it was.”At the WPIAL qualifier, Brandon beat Dylan by a tenth of a second. He hopes the pattern will continue at the state meet.“It kills me,” Brandon said. “I was thinking 'It's close, is it me or him?'. In the back of my head, I kind of knew it was him. It kills me to say he won. Hopefully, I can get him at states.”Geist continued his strong season, but felt he could have done better.He fell short of his goal of 70 feet in the shot put, finishing with a throw of 65-0 3/4.“I was below average in the shot put,” Geist said. “In the discus, I could have gone farther, but I had foot fouls.”He set a personal-best in the discus with a throw of 177 feet, 6 inches.“It's definitely one of those neat little things I can say I did,” Geist said. “Not too many people can say they won shot put and discus at WPIALs.”Rinaman doesn't need to run around the hallways anymore to help him prepare for races.But he's hoping to continue doing some subtracting.“I really don't think about medals or anything,” Rinaman said. “I'm thinking about time. That's what's important, dropping times.”
