Some athletes come a long way to qualify for the state track meet. Few have come as far as Poca's Celorio sisters.

Senior Andrea Celorio and freshman Julia Celorio moved to Putnam County from Mexico in 2003 when they were 13 and 10, respectively.

Next weekend, they'll be competing side-by-side in the state meet weight throws as they qualified in both the shot put and discus during Wednesday's Class AA Region 4 meet at Laidley Field.

They finished 1-2 in the shot put and 3-4 in the discus, with Andrea leading her younger sister each time. The top four in each field event and top three in each running event at the regionals advance to the state meet, set for May 22-23 at Laidley.

The efforts of the Celorio sisters helped Poca win the girls meet, while Sissonville (119 points) edged Poca (117) and Sherman (100) for the top spot in the boys division of the seven-team regional.

"It's kind of exciting,'' said Julia Celorio, "because she's a senior and I'm a freshman, so it's our first year together.''

Normally, Andrea is much better in the shot - she has the second-longest toss in the state this season at 34 feet, 1 inch - and Julia is markedly better in the discus (96-31/2, fourth-best in AA).

Julia also ran a leg on Poca's 4x200-meter relay that qualified, and Andrea is trying to place at the state meet for a third straight year after having qualified for a fourth straight time.

"I guess I'm better at some things, and she's better at some things,'' Julia Celorio said, "but she's never really picked up a discus much the last two years, so I don't [give her much help]. I'll ask her about the shot put - what I'm doing wrong and what I need to do - and she'll tell me.''

The sisters have also helped each other adjust during their interesting move to the United States from Mexico.

"This is crazy,'' Andrea Celorio said, "but my mom met this guy who lives here online, and they started dating. He went over there to visit a couple times and she came up here once, and they got married. And we've been here since then, and they've been together since.''

The sisters attended a private school in Mexico and have learned to speak perfect English.

"I have more of an accent than she does,'' Andrea said of her sister, "because she came here [at an earlier age]. It was a rough change. I didn't like it at first, but after a while, you get used to it.''

They return to their native country every year, usually during the summer.

"It's been wild,'' Julia Celorio said. "People are expecting a lot from us, coming from a different country - our parents more than anyone else. It's good to have good grades, good academics.

"Everybody's like, 'Wow, they're doing better than people who were born here, with better English.' ''

One of the top scorers in the boys meet was a folk hero in the making, Sherman sprinter Jacob Rollo, who doubles as an intriguing football prospect as a receiver.

Rollo's name shot up the charts of potential college recruits after he attended a Nike football combine in Cincinnati in March and wound up with the second-highest rating of more than 700 athletes - including some earmarked for Division I schools like Ohio State, USC and Michigan. Players participated in a 40-yard dash, shuttle run, vertical jump and powerball toss.

Since then, Rollo's life has been a whirlwind in the tiny Boone County town.

"It is,'' the 6-foot-3 junior said after leading the 400, one of his three wins Wednesday. "It's going from nowhere. I had nothing, no calls - anything. Then I go up there and in two weeks, it's blossomed pretty good.

"A friend of mine said, 'I was just messing around and Googled your name, and there are articles on ESPN about you.' And that blew my mind. And it's just been coming and coming.''

Rollo has been getting letters from colleges nationwide, and in particular has been of interest to Ivy League schools because of his solid grades. Besides the Ivys, he said the most interest so far has come from West Virginia and Marshall (he attended each school's spring game), Wisconsin and Duke.

"I want to stay in state and represent my state,'' Rollo said, "but if push comes to shove and I don't get offered by West Virginia or Marshall, and maybe if Akron or Ohio come to me and offer, I'll consider it.''

Rollo, who led the 200 and long jump in addition to the 400, also placed second in the 100 Wednesday.

He ran fourth in the 400 and sixth in the 200 at last year's state meet.

Sissonville won the title largely on the 1-2-3 finish of its pole vaulters - Brad Carpenter, Justin Matheny and Garrett Reval - the only three athletes to clear a height,

On the girls side, Sherman's sprinting sister tandem of Demi Kirk (38 points) and Donnie Kirk (30) - a two-person team - combined to score 68 points. Demi led the 100, 200 and long jump. Wayne's Shannon Rutherford won the 400 and 800.

Reach Rick Ryan at 304-348-5175 or rickr...@wvgazette.com.

MEET RESULTS

Class AA Region 4

At Laidley Field

Girls team scoring

1. Poca 144; 2. Wayne 98; 3. Sissonville 95; 4. Sherman 68; 5. Scott 41; 6. Herbert Hoover 26; 7. Chapmanville 23

Final track events

(Top three advance to state meet)

Some athletes come a long way to qualify for the state track meet. Few have come as far as Poca's Celorio sisters.

Senior Andrea Celorio and freshman Julia Celorio moved to Putnam County from Mexico in 2003 when they were 13 and 10, respectively.

Next weekend, they'll be competing side-by-side in the state meet weight throws as they qualified in both the shot put and discus during Wednesday's Class AA Region 4 meet at Laidley Field.

They finished 1-2 in the shot put and 3-4 in the discus, with Andrea leading her younger sister each time. The top four in each field event and top three in each running event at the regionals advance to the state meet, set for May 22-23 at Laidley.

The efforts of the Celorio sisters helped Poca win the girls meet, while Sissonville (119 points) edged Poca (117) and Sherman (100) for the top spot in the boys division of the seven-team regional.

"It's kind of exciting,'' said Julia Celorio, "because she's a senior and I'm a freshman, so it's our first year together.''

Normally, Andrea is much better in the shot - she has the second-longest toss in the state this season at 34 feet, 1 inch - and Julia is markedly better in the discus (96-31/2, fourth-best in AA).

Julia also ran a leg on Poca's 4x200-meter relay that qualified, and Andrea is trying to place at the state meet for a third straight year after having qualified for a fourth straight time.

"I guess I'm better at some things, and she's better at some things,'' Julia Celorio said, "but she's never really picked up a discus much the last two years, so I don't [give her much help]. I'll ask her about the shot put - what I'm doing wrong and what I need to do - and she'll tell me.''

The sisters have also helped each other adjust during their interesting move to the United States from Mexico.

"This is crazy,'' Andrea Celorio said, "but my mom met this guy who lives here online, and they started dating. He went over there to visit a couple times and she came up here once, and they got married. And we've been here since then, and they've been together since.''

The sisters attended a private school in Mexico and have learned to speak perfect English.

"I have more of an accent than she does,'' Andrea said of her sister, "because she came here [at an earlier age]. It was a rough change. I didn't like it at first, but after a while, you get used to it.''

They return to their native country every year, usually during the summer.

"It's been wild,'' Julia Celorio said. "People are expecting a lot from us, coming from a different country - our parents more than anyone else. It's good to have good grades, good academics.

"Everybody's like, 'Wow, they're doing better than people who were born here, with better English.' ''

One of the top scorers in the boys meet was a folk hero in the making, Sherman sprinter Jacob Rollo, who doubles as an intriguing football prospect as a receiver.

Rollo's name shot up the charts of potential college recruits after he attended a Nike football combine in Cincinnati in March and wound up with the second-highest rating of more than 700 athletes - including some earmarked for Division I schools like Ohio State, USC and Michigan. Players participated in a 40-yard dash, shuttle run, vertical jump and powerball toss.

Since then, Rollo's life has been a whirlwind in the tiny Boone County town.

"It is,'' the 6-foot-3 junior said after leading the 400, one of his three wins Wednesday. "It's going from nowhere. I had nothing, no calls - anything. Then I go up there and in two weeks, it's blossomed pretty good.

"A friend of mine said, 'I was just messing around and Googled your name, and there are articles on ESPN about you.' And that blew my mind. And it's just been coming and coming.''

Rollo has been getting letters from colleges nationwide, and in particular has been of interest to Ivy League schools because of his solid grades. Besides the Ivys, he said the most interest so far has come from West Virginia and Marshall (he attended each school's spring game), Wisconsin and Duke.

"I want to stay in state and represent my state,'' Rollo said, "but if push comes to shove and I don't get offered by West Virginia or Marshall, and maybe if Akron or Ohio come to me and offer, I'll consider it.''

Rollo, who led the 200 and long jump in addition to the 400, also placed second in the 100 Wednesday.

He ran fourth in the 400 and sixth in the 200 at last year's state meet.

Sissonville won the title largely on the 1-2-3 finish of its pole vaulters - Brad Carpenter, Justin Matheny and Garrett Reval - the only three athletes to clear a height,

On the girls side, Sherman's sprinting sister tandem of Demi Kirk (38 points) and Donnie Kirk (30) - a two-person team - combined to score 68 points. Demi led the 100, 200 and long jump. Wayne's Shannon Rutherford won the 400 and 800.

Reach Rick Ryan at 304-348-5175 or rickr...@wvgazette.com.

MEET RESULTS

Class AA Region 4

At Laidley Field

Girls team scoring

1. Poca 144; 2. Wayne 98; 3. Sissonville 95; 4. Sherman 68; 5. Scott 41; 6. Herbert Hoover 26; 7. Chapmanville 23

Final track events

(Top three advance to state meet)

NOTE: Next four-fastest times in each event from regional competition qualify for state meet.

Final field events

(Top four advance to state meet)

Boys team scoring

1. Sissonville 119; 2. Poca 117; 3. Sherman 100; 4. Scott 93; 5. Chapmanville 60; 6. Herbert Hoover 35; 7. Wayne 21

Final track events

(Top three advance to state meet)

NOTE: Next four-fastest times in each event from regional competition qualify for state meet.

Final field events

(Top four advance to statemeet)