The dream of making the state track meet was denied one final time.
There was little teammates, friends or parents could say or do to console her. Just stay away and let time whittle away the disappointment.
“I though this would be the year to get to state, especially since we were Division II, but it didn’t happen,” she reflected. “I guess it wasn’t meant to happen.”
Sarmina graduated as one of the few Bellbrook runners to qualify to the Dayton regional four straight years in the same event — the 200 meters.
Her freshman, sophomore and junior years, Bellbrook was with the big schools in Division I where the sprint competition is fierce.
This season the school dropped to D-II. The competition should have been a bit easier, but three of the regional finalists placed at state.
“I was able to break 26 seconds both my junior and senior years, which was pretty good,” Sarmina said. “You get to the regional and most of the girls are running in the 25s. So the competition was tough.”
Sarmina was one of her school’s most consistent runners in Southwestern Buckeye League competition, winning the 100 meters as a freshman, getting second in the 200 and third in the 400 as a sophomore, getting third in the 200 as a junior, fourth in the 100 and 200 as a senior as well as anchoring the winning 400 relay and second-place 800 relay teams.
As a freshman she was second in the district and 12th in the regional in the 200. As a sophomore, second in the district and 11th in the regional. As a junior, fourth in the district and 13th in the regional.
This season she made the 200 finals and anchored 400 and 800 relays teams.
“That’s a pretty good four-year resume,” Bellbrook girls coach Craig Reinhart said. “Some runners never even get to the regional. Anna did a great job for us. She was just in an event where you had to be really fast to get to state.”
Sarmina also was a three-year starter in soccer as a midfielder.
She will not pursue either sport at the collegiate level, heading to Ohio State University with the goal of becoming a dentist.
“I can see myself as a recreational runner to stay in shape or playing soccer for fun,” she said. “I could get into running longer competitive races, but my sprinting days are probably done.”
The 800 relay team of Sarmina, freshman Caleigh McCray and sophomores Liz Dimbath and Alexis Barton was 15th in the regional.
The 400 team of Ashley Seni, Leah Guckenberger, McCray and Sarmina was ninth. The 3,200 relay team of Courtney Swain, Holly Phillips, Barton and Regina Gallagher was 11th at the regional after getting fourth at district.
Spencer captures 1,600
The only winner Bellbrook had in the Southwestern Buckeye League Middle School track meet was Sam Spencer.
The eighth-grader won the 1,600 in meet held in May at Waynesville. His winning time was 5:04. He was eighth in the 800 meters in 2:27.
Other Bellbrook boys placing in the meet were Joey Razook in the 200 hurdles (6th in 30.6), Joel Boser in the discus (7th at 107-8) and Jordan Freeman in the long jump (7th at 15-7 1/2).
The girls had a three second-place finishes in Dina Kahlil in the 100 (14.3), Brianna Cargle in the shot put (34-9) and Rachel Van Fleet in the discus (79-5). Van Fleet was fifth in the shot put (30-5 1/4). Katie Belle Neumann was seventh in high jump, clearing 4-3.
The girls finished ninth out of 14 teams with 31.5 points, the boys 12th with 23. Valley View swept both the boys and girls team championships.
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