The opening day of the OHSAA Track and Field State Championships produced a state championship, several All-Ohio performances and multiple athletes advancing to championship finals for schools across the Jordan Miller News coverage area Thursday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
The biggest highlight of the day came from Fairless, which captured the Division IV boys 4×800-meter relay state championship.
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The Falcons’ quartet of B. Keehn, N. Kutz, A. Hearn and B. Fuller raced to a winning time of 7:51.08 to secure the state title and 10 team points. C. Owen, R. Askren, J. Rohr and K. Beucler were also listed on Fairless’ state roster.
Fairless wasn’t finished.
Sophomore Brice Fuller followed with an All-Ohio performance in the Division IV boys 3200-meter run, placing fifth in 9:13.72 to add four more points for the Falcons.
Several other local athletes reached the awards podium on Thursday.
Malvern’s Parker Bowe earned a fourth-place finish in the Division V boys discus with a throw of 174 feet, 4 inches.
Claymont’s Kali Wallace secured All-Ohio honors in the Division IV girls 3200-meter run, placing sixth in 11:21.44.
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Canton South’s Katie Haddad posted a personal-best leap of 16 feet, 9½ inches to finish seventh in the Division IV girls long jump.
Tuscarawas Valley’s girls 4×800-meter relay team also reached the podium, placing eighth in Division IV with a season-best time of 9:41.84. The relay consisted of S. Ward, H. Huffman, T. Lieser and J. Eick. N. Rennicker and N. Stokes were also listed on the Trojans’ state roster.
Wellsville’s Clayten Kersey rounded out the local All-Ohio finishers with an eighth-place finish in the Division V boys long jump after clearing 21 feet, 3¾ inches.
East Canton’s Cash Clapper narrowly missed the podium in the Division V boys pole vault. Clapper finished ninth after clearing 13 feet, 6 inches, one place shy of earning All-Ohio honors.
While several local athletes reached the podium Thursday, others extended their seasons by advancing through preliminary races.
St. Thomas Aquinas junior Jacarie Corner qualified for two Division V finals. Corner earned a spot in Saturday’s boys 100-meter dash final after claiming the ninth and final qualifying position in 11.267 seconds. He later advanced to the boys 400-meter dash final with a time of 49.38 seconds, the third-fastest qualifying mark.
Ridgewood’s Kenzie Bice advanced to the Division IV girls 400-meter dash final after running 58.30 seconds in the preliminaries.
Tuscarawas Valley’s Abe McElwee qualified for the Division IV boys 400-meter dash final with a time of 49.01 seconds.
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Strasburg-Franklin freshman Lydia Thomas also advanced to a championship race, qualifying for the Division V girls 400-meter dash final in 59.17 seconds.
Newcomerstown will have two relay teams competing for state championships after advancing through Division V preliminary races. The Trojans qualified for Saturday’s girls 4×200-meter relay final in 1:45.65 and the girls 4×100-meter relay final in 50.27 seconds. Both relays featured C. Kuder, S. Kuder, A. Hoover and S. Garland, while M. Garland and M. Seevers were also listed on the state roster.
The OHSAA State Track and Field Championships continue Friday through Sunday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, with athletes across all five divisions competing for state championships.
