Track and field: Columbus Grove goes 1-2 in boys discus at state

COLUMBUS — All season long, Columbus Grove seniors Tadd Koch and Lawson Maag have battled each other for the top spot in the discus.

This year’s Division III state track and field meet was not any different.

On Friday, the first day of Ohio High School Athletic Association State Track and Field Championships at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Koch and Maag battled to the very end in the discus.

When it was all said and done, Koch had the best throw on the day (175 feet, 2 inches) and captured the state title. Maag’s best mark on the day of 173-1 garnered him second place. Leipsic senior Seth Apple finished a close third (171).

Despite edging out his teammate for the title, Koch said it was like winning a state title for both.

“Obviously, that’s the goal (to win a state title),” Koch said. “But I don’t see this as a state title for just me. I think this is a state title for us. Obviously, only one person can win it. But it seems like it has always gone 1-2 with us. This is a dream come true; and what a way to end our high school careers.”

Koch will be competing in throws at the University of Findlay next school year. Maag will be competing at The Ohio State University in throws.

“We fought through all the adversity, today,” Maag said. “We didn’t throw our best today, but to go 1-2 on a day when we didn’t throw our best, is a really good feeling.

“This is huge. We worked so hard this year. Nobody deserves it more than Tadd. I’m just so proud of ourselves right now. Nobody worked like we did this year. We deserve this. We’re teammates, but we’ve been around each other since like sixth grade, throwing.”

Koch also competed in the shot put Friday but did not make the finals.

Schafer nabs third

At Friday’s Division III shot put, Columbus Grove senior AJ Schafer broke his own school record with a toss of 59 feet, 8 inches. That mark earned Schafer a third-place finish.

Schafer started Friday’s shot-put event with a 58-6.25 mark on his first throw of the day.

“It was a good start. I was kind of hoping for that, early on, to try to set the tone,” Schafer said. “I think I did all I could, today. It was great competition. I gave it everything I had. Hopefully, our team can keep going and score some more points.”

This coming school year, Schafer will play football at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Bluffton’s 3,200 relay wins title

At last year’s Division III state track and field meet, the Bluffton boys 3,200-meter relay placed third.

The same four Bluffton runners have been thinking about that third-place finish ever since.

On Friday, Bluffton’s 3,200 relay closed it out by winning the Division III state title in the 3,200 relay.

Bluffton’s four seniors – Eden Antrim, Erik Nygaard, Sam Derstine and Landon Armstrong – returned to the state meet this weekend and not only won the 3,200 relay, but also shattered the school record with a time of 7:52.13.

Armstrong, who placed fourth in the 800 (1:55.22) at last year’s state meet, was the anchor for Friday’s 3,200 relay.

“I knew if I ran my race and did what I came here to do, it was going to be alright,” Armstrong said after Bluffton notched the state title in the 3,200 relay. “After getting it (hand-off of the baton) in first place, I knew it was basically over as long as I held it (the lead).

Nygaard, who will compete in the 3,200 Saturday, said the group is focused on running well in its last trip to the state meet.

“It’s a good start, and we’re just going to keep on rolling through the races,” Nygaard said. “We have the four-by-four (1,600 relay) later today with some of the boys. And two of the guys – Landon (Armstrong) and Sam (Derstine) have the 800 (Saturday). Eden (Antrim) has the mile (1,600), and I have the 3,200, tomorrow. So, it’s going to be a busy weekend for all of us. I think we’ll just go out there and try to enjoy it. We’re all seniors. It’s just an amazing atmosphere.”

Nygaard noted that getting the school record in the 3,200 relay made the state title even sweeter for this group of seniors.

“We’ve been eyeing it on our record board for a while,” Nygaard said with a smile. “Every other day, we would be standing in front of the record board, looking at it like, ‘We’ll get that one day’. … So, we finally did; and it feels good.”

In Friday’s semifinals of the 1,600 relay, Bluffton (Derstine, Armstrong, Landon Shutler and Antrim) qualified for today’s finals, clocking a time of 3:27.35.

Minster’s relay notches crown

The Minster girls 3,200 relay came away with the Division III state title Friday.

Minster pulled away from the pack of teams, en route to an impressive winning time of 9:19.85. Norwayne came in a distant second in 9:38.30.

The Minster 3,200 relay was comprised of Margaret Hemmelgarn, Annie Hemmelgarn, Maria Niekamp and Taylor Roth.

Roth, last year’s Division III state champion in the 800-meter run, anchored the winning 3,200 relay.

“My goal was to compete, because you never know who’s going to come out. It doesn’t matter, coming into the race, where teams are ranked. You always have teams that come out and know how to compete. So, I was prepared for that. I was prepared for anything,” Roth said.

Roth is looking forward to defending her state title in the 800 today. She pointed to Friday’s state title in the 3,200 relay as a nice springboard to today’s final in the 800.

“It’s huge. … This four-by-eight (3,200 relay) is the first race of the state meet. So, it sets us up for the rest of the meet,” Roth said. “So, I knew if we came out and competed as a team, that we would be set up for the rest of the meet. So, I’m ready for tomorrow (800 finals). I’m prepared and confident in my ability. … I’m excited.”

Roth also was part of the 1,600 relay that qualified Friday for today’s finals. Roth was joined by Keri Heckman, Margaret Hemmelgarn and Ava Stammen on the 1,600 relay that finished with the second-best qualifying time (4:00.70).

Wayne Trace recorded the top qualifying time in the 1,600 relay (3:59.04).

O-G girls 3,200 relay places 4th

The Ottawa-Glandorf girls 3,200 relay was sitting in 10th place when O-G anchor Alexa Fortman received the hand-off.

The senior Fortman shifted to another gear and passed five runners in her leg to help give her team a fourth-place finish (9:24.24) Friday afternoon.

Joining Fortman in the 3,200 relay were Olivia Fenbert, Rose Turnwald and Corinne Closson.

Fenbert, a senior said, “I think that we got fifth last year (at the state meet). So, to get higher up (the awards podium) this year, that was the biggest thing. So, I think we’re all pretty satisfied, today.”

Fortman went on Friday afternoon to qualify for today’s finals in the 400 (56.65) as well as the 1,600 relay (Fenbert, Closson, Averie Fox, Fortman) in 4:00.84. Fortman and Closson also will compete in today’s 800.

At last year’s Division II state track and field meet, Fortman won the 400 and 800. Fortman’s winning time of 2:08.60, at last year’s state meet in the 800, was a new Division II state record.

The O-G boys 3,200 relay (Masen Vogt, Ty Rosengarten, Isaac Macke, Ethan Metzger) finished 11th (8:14.55) on Friday.

Rosengarten will compete in today’s 3,200.

Stolly finishes third

At Friday’s Division III long jump, Lima Central Catholic senior Olivia Stolly set a personal best of 18 feet, which earned her a third-place finish. She landed the 18-foot jump on her first attempt of the day.

Last year, Stolly placed sixth in the long jump at the D-III state track and field meet.

“It was exciting. It was my last thing for high school. So, it was a good feeling to go out with a bang,” Stolly said.

Allen East making noise

It is a safe bet that at the beginning of this spring’s sports season, Allen East baseball players Jacob Hershberger and Trey Hensley were not thinking about the state track and field meet.

However, as the spring sports season progressed, Hershberger and Hensley found themselves being important contributors not only for the baseball team, but for the track and field team.

On Friday, Hershberger and Hensley helped the Allen East 800-meter relay and 400-meter relay qualify for today’s finals.

Hershberger also stamped his ticket for today’s finals in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.99 seconds in Friday’s semifinals.

Allen East’s 400 relay (43.82) and 800 relay (1:30.18) were made up of Hershberger, Jackson Friesner, Isen Schafer and Hensley.

Hershberger admitted he did not envision himself competing at this level in track and field.

“I definitely thought it was possible. But I did not know if we would be competing at this level,” Hershberger said with a smile. “It is exciting. We came to this (state meet) with two relays, and we are heading to the finals in both of them. It was tough to run back-to-back in today’s relays. It was like 95 degrees out here today. It definitely took a toll. Our time in the four-by-one (400 relay) was a little slow. So, you could tell we were a little tired, doing back-to-back relays. But hopefully, we can get some rest tonight and come out (today) and run a personal best.”

On the girls’ side for Allen East, Rilynn Jones qualified for today’s finals in the 300 hurdles, as she clocked a time of 46.42 in Friday’s semifinals.

Kalida’s Hovest places in both throws

Kalida’s Camille Hovest made it onto the Division III awards podium in the shot put and discus on Friday.

In the shot put, Hovest notched a fifth-place finish with a toss of 40 feet, 7.50 inches.

In the discus, the Kalida senior’s best mark was 126-10, which also garnered her a fifth-place finish.

“I wish it would have gone a little better, but I tried my best,” Hovest said about her performance in Friday’s discus. “I was a little nervous.”

Bluffton’s Taber makes the awards podium

Bluffton senior Brianna Taber finished fourth in Friday’s Division III pole vault (11-4), which is a new personal best.

Friday, Taber decided to come into the competition at 10-feet, as her starting height. Normally, she will start at a little lower height.

“It was a little nerve-racking (coming in a little later), because it’s something I haven’t done before, and it was at state. But it was worth it,” Taber said with a grin.

Van Wert girls’ sprint relays advance to the finals

The Van Wert girls 800 relay (Kendra Deerhing, Macy Johnson, Danesha Branson, Sofi Houg) qualified for today’s finals with a time of 1:43.59 in Friday’s semifinals. That was the second-best time in the semifinals.

In the 400 relay, Van Wert (Houg, Johnson, Branson, Deerhing) clocked the fourth-fastest time (49.62) to advance to today’s finals.

Marion Local’s Nate Buschur wins the D-III pole vault

Marion Local’s Nate Buschur won the D-III pole vault Friday with a height of 15-10. Last year as a junior, Buschur placed fifth in the pole vault at the state meet (14-4).

Pandora-Gilboa’s Andrew Suter tied for third with Gibsonburg’s Cole Owens (14-2).

Coldwater’s Zahn places in long jump

In the Division III long jump, Coldwater’s Izzy Zahn placed sixth in the long jump (17-5).

On the track, Zahn qualified for today’s finals in the 100 (12.26) and 200 (24.54) on Friday. Zahn was part of the 800 relay (Zahn, Kiersten Keller, Becca Wenning, Allison Hamberg; 1:45.59) that advanced to today’s finals.

Coldwater’s Jenna Leugers came in seventh in Friday’s pole vault (10-8).

Fort Recovery’s Pearson runner-up in the long jump

Fort Recovery’s Mara Pearson finished second in Friday’s Division III long jump (18-5).

Other area athletes that advanced to Saturday’s finals (not already mentioned)

Girls (D-III): Delphos Jefferson’s Lyv Lindeman – (100 hurdles, 14.59 and 300 hurdles, 45.94); Temple Christian’s Cece Worsham – (100 hurdles, 14.71 and 200, 25.58); Marion Local’s Grace Moeller – (100 hurdles, 15.26); Alex Kessen from Delphos St. John’s (100, 12.34); Fort Recovery’s 400 relay (Kiana Matsuda, Paige Guggenbiller, Anna Roessner, Mara Pearson; 50.77).

Girls (D-II): St. Marys’ Syerra Greber (200);

Boys (D-III): Ottoville’s Kellen Schlagbaum –(300 hurdles,39.05); Marion Local’s 400 relay (Brayden Pavelka, Nate Buschur, Kyle Otte, Tate Hess; 43.63); Marion Local’s Owen Rindler – (300 hurdles, 39.46); Marion Local’s 1,600 relay (Victor Hoelscher, Andrew Pohlman, Tate Hess, Owen Rindler); St. Henry’s 800 relay (Ryan Wehrley, Chase Litmer, Hayden Harrod, Harrison Wendel; 1:31.60); St. Henry’s 400 relay (Wehrly, Litmer, Harrod, Wendel; 44.21); Columbus Grove’s Anden Blankemeyer – (400, 50.74); Parkway’s Trevor Stearns – (400, 50.75); Delphos Jefferson’s Trent Teman – (400, 50.83); Hardin Northern’s 1,600 relay (Wesley Newton, Zeb Wilson, Riley Newton, Colby Curtis).

Other area placers on Friday (not already mentioned in the story)

Boys (D-III): Upper Scioto Valley’s Kevin Smith – (seventh in shot put, 53-2.50); Marion Local’s Jack Knapke – (sixth in shot put, 53-6.50 and sixth in discus, 165-2).

Girls (D-II): Kenton’s Tatum Miller (sixth in discus, 123-10)

Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.