ELYRIA, Ohio — It started with a disqualification in 2023. Mateo Medina was a junior at Elyria High School when a false start during the 400m eliminated him in the district finals.
“I wasn’t mature enough, and I wasn't in the right mindset. I couldn’t deal with the pressure,” said Medina.
The setback was just that. A setback.
“I've always felt like I had a point to prove, so I always had a chip on my shoulder,” said Medina.
Seeking redemption, Medina got to work under the guidance of Jerry Chizmar, who has been head of the Elyria track program for 22 years.
“We wanted Mateo to be able to run his fastest, and we focused on just training him for that. We came up with a plan, we sat down and I went over it with him,” said Chizmar.
One year later, in his senior season, Medina left for the OHSAA Division I state championship meet, eyeing more than a comeback. His sights were set on the sprint triple crown.
“Just looking at numbers throughout the state, I was like, ‘Wow. I'm really a contender to get the triple,’ because the 2 and the 4 I know are right there for me. It’s just the 100,” said Medina.
“When he won the 100, that's when I started to feel, ‘Well, we might be able to pull this off,’” Chizmar said.
Medina went on to sweep. He won the 100m, 200m and 400m events with times of 10.82 (-3.4), 21.67 (-4.3) and 45.88, which ranks sixth in the nation.
“I go, ‘You just won the individual state title!’ He looked at me, and we just started crying. You couldn't believe that it happened,” said Chizmar.
“We’ve been talking about it for a year, but for it to actually happen, it’s like, ‘Woah. I just made history,’” said Medina.
Medina is one of just 16 athletes in the state to clinch the sprint triple crown. If you think that’s impressive, stick around. He also led Elyria to the team championship, scoring all 30 of the Pioneers’ points and beating runner-up Wayne High School by one point. He’s only the sixth runner in Ohio history to accomplish that feat.
“It still hasn't sunk in. Like, I know I won. I know I got a team title, but dang. I really just got a team title by myself. It’s insane. Mathematically speaking, I don't know how it happened. It shouldn't have happened, but all of the stars aligned that day,” said Medina.
“I'm glad that he's getting all the accolades that he deserves. He's a great kid, someone that I love very much, and I'm very happy for him,” said Chizmar.
After being recognized as a three-time high school All-American at the National Junior Olympic meet last year, Medina was recognized by the National Coaches Association as All-American in the 100/200/400, based on his times this season.
He will begin his collegiate running career at Arizona State next year.
Carly Mascitti is a sports anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @carlymascitti.
