'Surreal': DeAron Newell caps SMCC career with All-Ohio hurdles race

WESTERVILLE — It hit DeAron Newell when he set up in the starting blocks for the finals of the 300-meter hurdles at the Division III state track meet — it would be his last athletic competition in a St. Mary Central Catholic uniform. "It's kind of surreal," Newell said. "Not putting on this jersey no more. Basketball, track, it's both over, and high school's officially over for me, so it's just kind of crazy." With the wind working against him, Newell ran a 41.54-second race to finish seventh. Just by qualifying for Saturday's race with a top-eight time Friday, Newell guaranteed he'd be on the podium. And a spot on the podium meant that no matter what Newell did in the final, he'd be an All-Ohio hurdler. "Before this year, I've never even stood on the podium," Newell said. "Sophomore year I got 15th at districts. It's surreal to stand up there in front of all these people. It's crazy. The feeling I have right now is unmatched, the best feeling in sports of my career." Newell made it to the state meet in both the 300 hurdles and the long jump. He'd taken up long jump earlier this season when his high jumping wasn't going as well as expected. Newell didn't find his way to the podium in long jump Friday morning, though. That left the hurdles, an event Newell had competed in since his sophomore season. Also a basketball player for the Panthers, Newell considered track his second sport but hurdles his primary track event. That made Saturday's final the fitting finish. Newell's first 100 meters were strong out of lane 8, but other runners began to pass him around the curve and Newell couldn't work his way back into the top five. "There's no excuses out here, it's your last race, you just gotta go out and perform," Newell said. "I got seventh. I placed where I was seeded, so I can't be mad at that." Newell crossed the line just behind Ashland Crestview's Chase Shifflet, who immediately fell to his chest. Before worrying about anything else, Newell bent down to make sure Shifflet was OK and helped him to his feet. St. Mary Central Catholic's graduation took place June 1, so Newell's race was truly the last thing he did in high school. He'll head to Waynseburg University, a Division III school in Pennsylvania, where he will both play basketball and run track. He committed to the basketball program first, in Feburary, before his early-season running performances earned him an offer to run for the track team, too. "I always told myself when I was younger, the first team that contacted me, I'm gonna go there. And that was Waynesburg," Newell said. "... I don't want to regret anything in college." No matter what Newell accomplishes in his two sports at Waynesburg, he'll have Saturday in his mind's eye for as long as he wants it. He lined up to race at the state championship meet. He stood on the podium for everyone to see. He claimed All-Ohio honors. If everyone's got to have a final high school moment, Newell's was a pretty darn good one. "Today will be the most memorable thing in all my career," Newell said.