Perry’s Brady Yingst celebrates on the podium after winning the Division III 1,600-meter race Saturday during the state track-and-field meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus.
Dean Brown | The Lima News
COLUMBUS — It all began in Brady Yingst’s first year of high school.
His freshman season, Yingst qualified for the Division III state track-and-field meet in the 1,600.
However, Yingst’s first state appearance did not go as well as he had hoped.
Yingst finished 17th in a time of 4 minutes, 40.88 seconds. The week before at regionals, he clocked a time of 4:26.86.
That was when Yingst vowed to take it to a different level.
At Saturday’s Ohio High School Athletic Association state track-and-field meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at Ohio State, the second day of the meet, Yingst put the exclamation mark on an already illustrious high school career by winning the 1,600 and 3,200 in decisive fashion.
In the 1,600, Yingst separated from the pack after the first two laps, and went on to win in a new Division III state-meet record time of 4:10.74. His nearest competitor, Jackson Triplett from Tuscarawas Central Catholic, was nearly eight seconds behind Yingst (4:18.70)
The previous D-III state meet record was held by Clayton Murphy, who went on to be an Olympic bronze medalist in the 800. Murphy set the previous state meet record (4:11.72) in 2013.
Then, a little later in the day in the 3,200, Yingst broke away from the pack in the final 800 meters, en route to another convincing win in a personal-best time of 9:14.46. East Canton’s Bryland Holland was a distant second (9:21.33).
In April, Yingst broke the D-III state record, when he clocked a winning time of 4:09.2 at the Waynesfield-Goshen Tiger Invitational.
Last season, Yingst finished a very close second in the 1,600 at the Division III state meet.
Yingst said after his first appearance at the state track-and-field meet as a freshman, he vowed to win at least one state title.
“Deep down, it (a state title) has always been my goal,” Yingst said. “I couldn’t go to sleep after that day (his freshman season), because I was so upset at myself. I’ve had so many defeats at state meets. So, to come out and be perfect my senior year is awesome. I dominated at state cross country (won D-III state title this year). I won the mile (1,600) with a state record (Saturday); and then to cap it off with another PR in the 3,200 (Saturday). So, to put all the failures of my past behind me – that’s what makes it feel so good. … Hard work pays off.”
Yingst’s second-place finish in the 1,600 at last year’s Division III state meet gave him additional motivation to come back even stronger his senior year.
“It’s amazing. … I came so close last year in the 1,600 in getting my first state title. I lost in less than a second,” Yingst said. “A chip has been on my shoulder for a while. I got the job done in cross country (Division III state champion). Now, I wanted to win the 1,600.”
However, Yingst wasn’t going to be satisfied with just one state title.
“The game plan was to get it done in the 1,600, get ready to go, and get back in the 3,200,” Yingst said. “I had to get through some cramps during the race (3,200). I kind of cramped up midway through, but I ran out of it. Man, finishing like that – a PR and on top of the podium. … I’m on cloud nine right now.”
Yingst will be competing in both track and cross country next school year at Lipscomb University.
Allen East senior Hunter Sidle closed out his high school career Saturday on a strong note by placing seventh in the D-III 3,200 in 9:39.04.
Sidle will compete at Bowling Green State University next school year.
“That was a great race right there,” Sidle said about Saturday’s 3,200. “It was a great group of guys. You had to be well under 10 (minutes) to be on the podium this year. I think that really changes the game.”
Jackson Center’s Kellen Reichert placed sixth in the D-III 3,200 Saturday (9:32.08).
In the D-III boys 1,600, Bluffton’s Eden Antrim placed fifth (4:21.32), while Minster’s Alex Albers came in sixth (4:22.52).
Schwieterman repeats
Once Coldwater’s Tyler Schwieterman won the Division III state title in the 300-meter hurdles last season, he wanted to do it again.
Saturday, Schwieterman won the D-III state title in the 300 hurdles with a time of 38.96 seconds. Schwieterman edged out Springfield Local-New Middletown’s Beau Brungard for the title (39.09). Schwieterman’s time in the 300 hurdles was a new school record.
“I felt good,” Schwieterman said. “I really wanted to get the school record and finally break 39 (seconds). So, that was a big accomplishment.”
Schwieterman felt like he needed to finish his high school career on a high note this weekend.
“There’s a lot of pressure,” he said. “I felt like I had to do it again. So, I gave it all I had for my last high school event ever.
Other area placers in the D-III 300 hurdles Saturday were Bluffton’s Ethan Bogart (third, 39.10), Minster’s Joseph Slonkosky (fourth, 40.12) and Ottoville’s Kellen Schlagbaum (fifth, 40.15).
Earlier in the day, Schwieterman placed sixth in the 110 hurdles (15.26). Perry’s James Shorter was ninth (16.50) in the 110 hurdles.
Bluffton’s 1,600 relay
notches second place
The Bluffton boys 1,600 relay (Ethan Bogart, Eden Antrim, Justin Good, Landon Armstrong) came close to winning the D-III state title Saturday.
The Pirates clocked a time of 3:23.25 Saturday. South Central won the 1,600 relay in 3:23.15.
Bluffton, which finished fourth in the team standings with 29 points, made a change in its lineup during the postseason by inserting Eden Antrim into the 1,600 relay. That move seemed to make a difference for the Pirates.
“I think we’re all pretty happy,” Landon Armstrong, the anchor leg said. “We didn’t get Eden (Antrim) until regionals. So, it was kind of out of nowhere, that we were top dogs. So, it’s a pretty good feeling.”
Columbus Grove’s 1,600 relay (Anden Blankemeyer, Caleb Stechschulte, Trenton Barraza, Carson Closson) finished fifth Saturday (3:27.57).
Other area boys placers (top eight overall) not previously mentioned: Division III – Marion Local’s 400 relay (Brayden Pavelka, Kyle Otte, Peyton Moeller, Peyton Otte; sixth, 44.10), Bluffton’s Landon Armstrong was fourth in 800 (1:55.22), Lima Central Catholic’s Traves Hoyle was seventh in 200 (23.08)
Division II – St. Marys’ Brandon Bowers was seventh in 110 hurdles (14.86), Van Wert’s 1,600 relay (Trey Laudick, Nate Phillips, Nathan Jackson, Connor Pratt; seventh, 3:22.86)
Division I – Shawnee’s K.J. Upshaw was eighth in 100 (10.74), Elida’s Conner Douglass tied for eighth in the pole vault (14-0).
