by Matt McGowan - This year’s Ohio High School Athletic Association 113th annual Boys and the 46th annual Girls Track & Field Championship looked a lot different, as the meet was not held at the OSU Jesse Owens Stadium. Instead, it was held at the following three locations: Division I at Hilliard Darby High School; Division II at Pickerington North High School; Division III at Westerville North High School.
Division I
On Friday Mentor (9:04.73) held off Dublin Coffman (9:07.91) to win the girls 4 x 800 meter relay. On a warm Saturday afternoon Centerville’s senior Emma Bucher (who took runner up honors at the State Cross Country Championship one second behind teammate Mia Robillard) took home the gold in the 1600 meters with a time of 4:45.89. Hilliard Davidson’s senior Lindsay Stull (2:10.35) captured the 800 meters with Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown’s junior Morgan Monesmith (2:11.00) a close second. Gahanna Lincoln’s junior Alyssa Shope who placed fifth at last fall State Cross Country Championships won the 3200 meters in a time of 10:32.42.
Mentor ran away with the Girls Division I State team trophy with 70 points. Gahanna Lincoln took home the runner up trophy with 36 points.
Lakota West (7:47.48) won the boys 4 x 800 meter relay with Loveland finishing close behind in 7:48.83 as all scorers broke eight minutes. St. Xavier’s senior and runner up in the State Cross Country Championship Nathan Mountain (4:06.83) won the 1600 meter. Mountain’s time was close to the 1988 State record of 4:05.13 by Westerville North’s Bob Kennedy. Canfield’s junior Nick Plant (1:49:79) won the 800 meters. Plant’s time was within a second of 2001 State record of 1:48.93 by Cleveland St. Ignatius’ Marc Sylvester. 2020 Division I State Cross Country champion Uniontown Lake’s senior Nathan Moore took home the gold in the 3200 meter in
9:00.88.
Pickerington North won the Boys Division I State crown with 43 points while Westerville Central (30) finished second.
Division II
On Friday Dayton Oakwood easily won the girls 4 x 800 meter with a time of 9:14.98. Akron St Vincent St Mary’s finished second in 9:23.39. In Saturday finals 2020 Division II State Cross Country champion Dayton Oakwood’s junior Grace Hartman (4:52.08) held off teammate sophomore Bella Butler (4:55.63) for the crown. Gallipolis Gilmour Academy’s freshman Amy Weybrecht (2:13.48) edged Massillon Tuslaw junior Malena Cybak (2:13.57) for the 800 crown. Oakwood’s Grace Hartman (10:48.50) returned to the top of the award stands in the 3200 meter for her third State title for the weekend along with her team’s 4 x 800 meter relay victory.
Dayton Oakwood captured the girls Division II title with 53 points. Akron Buchtel won the runner up trophy with 39 points.
Peninsula Woodridge captured another boys 4 x 800 meter title with their 7:52.40 clocking. McDermott Northwest finished second in 7:54.12. Cuyahoga Falls CVCA’s junior and last fall Division II State Cross Country runner up Drennan Akins (4:19.72) nipped McDermott Northwest senior Landen Smith (4:19.75) for the 1600 meter gold. In another close finish Peninsula Woodridge’s senior Zayd Elkurd (1:55:23) outraced Girard’s juniors Ricky Marsico (1:55.36) to the finish line to capture the 800 meter crown. 2020 Division II State Cross Country champion Peninsula Woodridge’s senior Ryan Champa added another State title to his trophy case with his 9:31.03 clocking in the 3200 meters.
Peninsula Woodridge nipped Cleveland Glenville by a half of a point to take home the Division II State Champion trophy with 43 points.
Division III
On Friday Mount Gilead (9:19.54) held off West Liberty Salem (9:21.92) for the girls 4 x 800 meter crown. In previous years at OSU the Division III ran in the morning. This year all divisions had to deal with the hot afternoon sun. Mount Gilead’s senior Allison Johnson who place fourth in last fall State Cross Country Championship won the 1600 meters in 4:56.18. Mount Gilead’s Allison Johnson returned to the starting line fifty minutes after her 1600 meter victory to set a new Division III Girls 800 meter State record with her time of 2:08.81. Barnesville’s Stephanie Morgan held the record since 2009 with her 2:09.77. Cortland Maplewood’s freshman and 2020 Division III State Cross Country champion Caleigh Richards won the 3200 meter title with her time of 11:07.23.
West Liberty Salem won the Division III girls crown with 52 points. Mount Gilead captured the runner up trophy with 42 points.
Canton Central Catholic in a nearly photo finish won the boys 4 x 800 meter relay in 7:58.39 while Ashland Crestview recorded a time of 7:58.90. Belpre’s senior and last fall State Division III Cross Country runner up Eli Fullerton won the 1600 meter in 4:16.07 with Lima Perry’s senior Braden Yingst less than a second back in 4:17.01 and McDonald’s senior Brody Rupe (4:17.05). Ashland Crestview’s senior Ross Kuhn captured the 800 meters title in 1:53.98. Belpre’s Eli Fullerton returned to the top of the victory stand with his 9:27.14 3200 meter win.
Minster scored 41 points to edge McDonald 39 points for the Division III Boys State title.
Check out RUNOHIO photos: from Mike Price at Division I, Matt McGowan at Division II and Mike Ramseyer at Division III on www.runohio.com
Results:
Division I - https://www.baumspage.com/track/ohsaahs/1/2021/Complete%20Results.htm
Division II - https://www.baumspage.com/track/ohsaahs/2/2021/Complete%20Results.htm
Division III - https://www.baumspage.com/track/ohsaahs/3/2021/Complete%20Results.htm