Ten things to watch in the upcoming state track-and-field meet:
1. Can Yingst nab at least one state title this weekend?
At last year’s state track meet, Perry’s Brady Yingst just missed notching a Division III state title in the 1,600 meters, when he was edged out at the finish line and had to settle for second place.
That second-place finish has been on Yingst’s mind ever since.
Yingst, who clocked a D-III state-record time of 4 minutes, 9.2 seconds in the 1,600 this season at the Waynesfield-Goshen Tiger Invitational, is poised to make a run for the title this weekend.
At this past weekend’s Division III Troy regional, Yingst clocked a winning time of 4:14.09 in the 1,600, which is the best time coming in to the D-III state meet. That time was also a new regional meet record in Region 12.
However, the 1,600 is not the only event the Lipscomb University-bound distance runner has his eyes on.
Yingst heads to Columbus this weekend with the best time out of all the D-III regionals in the 3,200. At the Troy regional, Yingst won in a personal-best time of 9:18.74, which also was a new regional mark.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association state track meet will be held at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on Friday and Saturday.
After running the 800 for most of this spring, Yingst decided to forgo that event in the postseason, and added the 3,200 to his list of events.
“We knew the 800 was going to be tough. The 800-meter state record time went down this year,” Yingst said. “So, my dad (Mark Yingst), who is my coach, and I talked about it a lot. We decided to drop it, because we thought that doing the 1,600 and 3,200 would give me the best chance to get to the top of the podium at state in two events.
This past fall, Yingst won the Division III state title in cross country.
Yingst’s teammate, James Shorter, will be making his first appearance at the spring state meet, when he competes in the 110-meter hurdles.
2. Can O-G’s Fortman medal in four events?
It seems that no matter what event she’s entered in, Ottawa-Glandorf junior Alexa Fortman is in contention.
Fortman will be competing in the Division II state meet this weekend in the 400, 800, 3,200-meter relay, and 1,600 relay.
At this past weekend’s regional at Piqua, Fortman placed second in both the 400 (56.93) and 800 (2:14.51). The O-G 3,200 relay (Rose Turnwald, Olivia Fenbert, Madelyn Hovest, Fortman) placed fourth at regionals in 9:33.23. The 1,600 relay (Corinne Closson, Olivia Fenbert, Averie Fox, Fortman) finished second (4:02.77).
Fortman is heading to the state meet with the fifth-best regional time in the 800. Fortman’s all-time personal best in the 800 is 2:11.21. She has the third-best time from regionals in the 400. Fenbert also will compete in the 400 for the Titans.
At last year’s D-II state meet, Fortman placed third in the 400 (56.74) and fifth in the 800 (2:15.66).
O-G’s Emma Hoffman will compete in the discus at the state meet. Hoffman won the regional title at Piqua with a toss of 131-2.
3. LCC looking to make a serious run in Division III.
The Lima Central Catholic boys contingent will be competing in five events this coming weekend in Division III.
LCC’s Evan Unruh, who is in his first year of track, has had a season to remember.
Unruh – who will be playing football at Olivet Nazarene University next school year – will be competing in the long jump, as well as being a part of both the 400 – and 800-meter relays.
Unruh will be joined in the 400 relay by Traves Hoyle, Sal Guagenti and Frankie McDonald. In the 800 relay, it will be Hoyle, Unruh, Guagenti and Bryce Williams.
Hoyle also will be competing in the 100 and 200.
On the girls side, Olivia Stolly will be competing in the long jump for the Thunderbirds. Stolly comes into the D-III state meet with the third-best regional mark in the long jump (17-3.25).
4. Van Wert looking to make some noise in D-II.
The Van Wert boys team is coming off a Division II regional meet at Piqua in which it won all three relays it competed in.
The 3,200 relay (Trey Laudick, Gage Wannemacher, Gage Springer, Hunter Sherer) won in 8:06.28. The 800 relay (Connor Pratt, Nate Phillips, Nathan
Jackson, Trey Laudick) won in 1:29.83. The 1,600 relay (Pratt, Jackson, Phillips, Laudick) won in 3:23.89.
Laudick, who placed fifth in the 400 at regionals, received an at-large bid, and will compete in that event at Columbus as well.
The Van Wert girls team will be sending its 800 relay (Macy Johnson, Danesha Branson, Sofi Houg, Kendra Deehring) to the state meet. The Cougars won the 800 relay (1:44.61) at Piqua.
Deehring also stamped her ticket for state in the 100 by placing fourth (12.86) at Piqua. Mia Rager placed third in the long jump (16 feet, 5 inches) at Piqua to qualify for the state meet.
5. Columbus Grove is hoping its depth pays off.
Columbus Grove boys head coach Chris Grothaus will have athletes in eight of the 14 events this weekend at the Division III state meet.
The Bulldogs are hoping that its crew of athletes can score well and possibly come away with a state title this weekend.
6. Upshaw ready for the challenge at the state meet.
Shawnee senior K.J. Upshaw will be competing in both the 100 and 200 at the Division I state meet.
Upshaw’s time of 10.79 seconds in the 100 at regionals is the eighth best, coming in. His time of 22.02 in the 200 is seeded 10th amongst the competitors in Division I.
7. Minster boys vying for a repeat at the state meet.
Last season, the Minster boys team notched its first-ever state title for its boys track-and-field program.
This coming weekend, Minster will be attempting to garner its second state title. In all, the Wildcats will be represented in nine events at this year’s Division III state meet.
8. Griffiths aiming to be high up on the podium.
Last track season, Bath’s Xavier Griffiths did not qualify for regionals.
This year, the junior thrower is heading to Columbus in both the shot put and discus.
Griffiths, who won the regional title in the shot put this past weekend at Piqua, is heading to Columbus with the fifth-best mark from all the regionals in the shot put (54-3.75).
Last spring, Griffiths’ best toss in the shot put was 44-6.
“I’m very confident in my ability to be up there (on top of the podium at state),” Griffiths said.
In the discus, Griffiths is much further down the list of state-qualifiers (14th, 151-10). Teammate Lucas Prichard, who also will be competing at state, is close behind Griffiths in the discus (147-9).
9. Heitmeyer competing in three events in Division III.
Leipsic senior Peyton Heitmeyer will be competing in three individual events this coming weekend in Division III.
Heitmeyer, who will be taking her track skills to the University of Findlay next school year, will be in the 100, 200 and 400 at the state meet.
Coming in, Heitmeyer’s best shot at a state title appears to be in the 400, where she is seeded second overall with a regional time of 57.76 seconds.
At last year’s Division III state meet, Heitmeyer placed sixth in the 400 (58.48) and seventh in the long jump (16-9).
10. Henschen poised for a state title.
New Knoxville senior Avery Henschen is coming in to the Division III state meet with the second-best regional mark in the discus (132-10).
Henschen has made two other state runs this school year as she was a key cog in both volleyball and basketball.
In volleyball, the Rangers won the Division IV state title. In basketball, New Knoxville lost in the D-IV state finals.
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