ASHLAND — North central Ohio will be well-represented when the state track and field tournament takes over Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium later this week.
The two-day extravaganza — it’s actually three meets running simultaneously — kicks off Friday morning and concludes Saturday afternoon.
The festivities begin with the Division III portion of the meet Friday morning with the running of the 4×800 relay, the only running final of the day. Finals in all Division III field events will be held Friday afternoon.
Lucas senior Shelby Grover qualified in four individual events. She won Heath regional titles in the 100 meter hurdles, 300 hurdles and the long jump and was runner-up in the high jump. Teammate Rebekah Case qualified for state in the pole vault.
Defending Division III state team champ Colonel Crawford will send all four of its relay teams to state. The 4×200 team of Ayla McKibben, Lynae McKibben, Reagan Ritzhaupt and Rylee Ritzhaupt won the Heath regional title, as did the 4×400 crew of Mira Holt, Reagan Ritzhaupt, Rylee Ritzhaupt and Gabby Roston. The 4×800 team of Bryn Bruner, Cecelia Chase, Rylinn Edgington and Roston was third, as was the 4×100 team of Holt, Reagan Ritzhaupt, Rylee Ritzhaupt and Hailey Slagle.
Individually, Chase qualified in both the 1,600 and 3,200. Roston will compete in the pole vault competition and Niyah Shipman qualified in the high jump and the long jump.
Loudonville’s Corri Vermilya qualified in both the 100 hurdles and the 300 hurdles. Teammates Kenzie Cutlip (long jump) and Tess Shultz (1,600) will join Vermilya in Columbus.
Bucyrus’ Emma Tyrrell will compete in the 400.
In Division III boys action, Crestview’s Adison Reymer (100, 200) and Noah Stuart (shot put, discus) were double-qualifiers. Liam Kuhn and Shawn Bailey qualified in the pole vault, while Caden Cunningham (long jump), Logan Friges (800) and Jace Hill (300 hurdles) all punched their tickets to Columbus.
The Crestview quartet of Friges, Kayden Kuhn, Reymer and Malachi Spoerr qualified in the 4×400.
Plymouth also will send a large contingent to Columbus. Caiden Allen qualified in the 100, while Riley Ramey will compete in the 200 and Layne Bushey made it the high jump. Allen, Ramey and Bushey will join forces with Gavin McClary in the 4×100.
Mapleton has a pair of state qualifiers in Scotty Hickey (high jump) and Isaik Schoch (1,600).
St. Peter’s Peyton Bodnar will compete in the (400), Bucyrus’ Randy Banks (high jump) and Loudonville’s Braden Carr (pole vault) all qualified as well.
Colonel Crawford’s Trevor Vogt will compete in the 300 hurdles. The Crawford foursome of Jacob Cochran, Lucas Foy, Logan Goddard and Ethan Holt will compete in the 4×200.
Division II
Clear Fork’s Joe Stupka is a triple state qualifier in the 100, 400 and 200, while Shelby’s Huck Finnegan qualified in the 3,200 and as a member of Shelby’s 4×800 relay team. He will be joined by Luke Dininger, Luke Lesser and Indy Mayer.
Ontario’s Miles Meisse qualified in the 1,600, while Galion’s Linkon Tyrrell punched his ticket in the 110 hurdles. The Galion 4×100 relay team of Jacob Chambers, Jack Hart, Gabe Ivy and Zach Sallee also will compete in Columbus.
On the girls side, Lexington’s Elyana Weaver (800), Brailey Slone (3,200) and Emma Wise (3,200) qualified as individuals. Weaver and Slone will join with Kenley Miller and Lily Wolfe in the 4×800. Lady’s Lex’s 4×200 team of Makenna Arnholt, Allison Laury, Josalynn Patterson and Emily Thomas also will compete in Friday’s semifinals.
Shelby boasts four individual qualifiers in Ava Bowman (100), Channon Cundiff (800), Madison Henkel (long jump) and Kayla Gonzales (1,600; 3,200). Shelby’s 4×100 team of Bowman, Henkel, Alainah Carmel and Jaleeza Zehner will be in action, as will the 4×800 crew of Cundiff, Gonzales, Emma Montgomery and Kailyn Schwall.
Ontario will send its 4×400 team of Arialyn Bischak, Sasha Bulakovski, Tessa Crum and Ally Potter.
Galion’s Miranda Stone qualified in the shot put.
Division I
Mansfield Senior’s Keontez Bradley is a repeat state qualifier after earning a berth in the 200. Aaron Thornton will compete in the 300 hurdles.
Lexington’s 4×400 team of Camden Crago, Carter Newman, Latrell Hughes and Will Perkins will be in action. Hughes also qualified individually in the 400.
Ashland’s Aveline Wilhelm is north central Ohio’s lone Division I girls state qualifier. Wilhelm will compete in the shot put.
