Galion’s Tyrrell signs to run track at Kent State

GALION — When he began his high school career four years ago, Galion’s Linkon Tyrrell was a football player who ran track to stay in shape.

While he was an excellent football player, earning first-team All-Ohio honors in Division IV as a defensive end, it was track where he soon realized he was special.

“I had always been fully focused on football and track was just kind of an extra thing that I did to stay in shape and get faster,” Tyrrell admitted.

But when the Galion standout began to focus more on track, the results were quick and overwhelming.

Wednesday, the Galion hurdler signed his letter-of-intent to run and study for the next four years at Kent State University.

The Flashes told Tyrrell that they want him to be a decathlete at the next level, something he is looking forward to.

“I’m excited about it,” Tyrrell said. “I’m trying some new things, but I’ve been throwing.”

Galion athletics director, Matt Tyrrell, said he was talking today about his son, not as an AD.

“I’m really proud,” Tyrrell said. “The Kent State thing is in the future but we’re looking at, hopefully, looking at a good finish to his senior year.

“But we’re excited about the next step, and it will keep on the trajectory that he has been going on every year.”

His first two years were non-descript, as far as a track performer was concerned. But Galion coach Ryan Scribner said he saw the potential in his young hurdler.

“I came back here his freshman year, and just watching him over the years grow into the young man he’s become, being in the weight room whenever he could be,” Scribner said.

“His freshman year, he focused more on his throwing,” Scribner said. “At the county meet, I had a conversation with him, and I said that we need you in the hurdles to get a few more points to win the meet. He went to the Ontario Invitational the next week and won the 110 hurdles.”

Matt Tyrrell said that his son has made great progress.

“He was not a standout track performer as a ninth grader, as a tenth grader, he was coming along pretty good,” Matt Tyrrell said. “He started dedicating himself and working with some different coaches and just really committing himself and the results followed. It’s been really fun watching him.”

Once his junior year began, Tyrrell began to blossom.

He was a first-team All-Ohio hurdler in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference and made it to the state meet in the 110 hurdles.

In indoor track season during the winter, Tyrrell placed fifth at state in the 110 hurdles.

“Over the last off-season, I put a ton of work in,” Tyrrell said.

“It’s no surprise that he signed with Kent State,” Scribner said. “Great kid, leader in the weight room, on the track. He does everything you ask of him, doing the little things on his own. You can’t ask for a better kid.”

Tyrrell said that, now that he has signed, it made all the work worthwhile.

“I just feel good to finally get it done,” Tyrell said. “Anytime someone asks me where I’m going to school, I always tell them ‘I’m planning on going to Kent State.’ But now I can say for sure.”