Newark’s Patton wins 100 at Licking County Honor Roll track meet

PATASKALA — The calendar says May, and Newark’s Tavisha Patton is ready.

“I need to improve on the times a little bit more,” Patton said. “In the 400, my time is getting better and better and back to up where it was when I broke the record. My 200 is coming up there, so I am starting to drop in that, as well.”

Licking Valley’s Mackenzie Butler nearly joined Patton as a multiple winner. Butler had to do it the hard way in the distance events.

Butler led the 1,600 throughout, but she had to hold off a late charge from Johnstown’s Meghan Schulze. Butler’s 5:18.49 just missed her the meet record of 5:18.12. Butler already was the meet-record holder in the 800, but Watkins Memorial’s Mara White pulled away and shattered her record by three seconds, winning in 2:21.29.

“It gives me somebody to pace off, and it gives you the extra drive to go faster the last 100 meters when normally if you are by yourself, you don’t have very much reason to go fast,” Butler said.

She lowered school record during the 2011 regional meet, but she placed sixth to fall just short of the state meet. She has been on a mission to take the next step.
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