Large number of area athletes to compete at state meet

COLUMBUS – Some of the smallest schools in the state have produced some of the biggest numbers when it comes to the long jump and high jump this season.That could translate into some intense competition at this week's state meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, especially in Division V.The top three seeded long jumpers are area athletes who all bettered the 23-foot mark in regional competition. Columbus Grove's Trevon Baxter was the regional title with a leap of 23 feet 8½ inches. McComb's Carter Frater (23-2¾) edged Columbus Grove's Gavin Baxter (23-2¼) by half-an-inch for second.In regional competition last week, only the Division I schools produced more 23-foot jumps (4) than the Division V schools in the Northwest regional at Fostoria.Some high-flying performances are expected in the Division V boys high jump as well. Arlington's Calvin Willow, who also compete at state in the long jump, is seeded No.1 with a mark of 6-8. Some of his top competition will likely come from Columbus Grove teammates Preston Ellerbrock and Jarrod Holland, who have both gone 6-8 as well this season.The state track meet will have a bit of a different look with the expansion from three to five divisions. The smaller schools – Divisions IV and V – will compete Thursday and Friday, with Division III in action on Friday and Saturday. The Division I and II schools will have their state meets Saturday and Sunday.In addition to more divisions, the regional system of state qualification was altered as well. In past years, the top four placers from regional meets in each of the three divisions automatically qualified for state. With OSU having a nine-lane track, two at-large positions, based on results from all four regional meets in each division, were awarded to fill out each heat in the events.With the expansion to five divisions, the number of regional meets was reduced from four to three. The top four placers still qualified for state, but the number of at-large positions went from two to six. That appeared to be a boon for strong programs, especially from the Northwest District. In addition to some highly competitive races on the track, athletes placing sixth, seventh or eighth in an event still had a chance of qualifying for state.That is what played out at different sites.In the Division V meet a Fostoria, for example, the top eight placers in all five field events qualified for state, along with the top eight 800 relay and stop seven 1,600 relay teams.In the Division IV meet at Marion Harding, the top eight placers in the long jump, high jump and pole vault all posted good enough marks to get to Columbus, along with the top seven in the shot and discus.Three area girls teams – Division III Ottawa-Glandorf, Division IV Bluffton and Division V Columbus Grove – could be right in the mix in their respective team standings.O-G's Alivia Grothaus is ranked No. 2 in the 100- (12.10) and 200-meter (24.74) dashes and anchors the No. 2-seeded 400 (48.76) and 800 (1:41.86) relays.Maelee Miller and Nora Matthews lead a strong Bluffton team. Miller is ranked No. 2 in both the 400 and 300 hurdles, while Matthews is No. 2 in the 1,600. On the boy side, Bluffton's Kain Wright owns the fastest qualifying time in the 100 (10.687) and second best in the 400 (47.93).Columbus Grove's girls are also highly ranked, with Kendal Palte No. 1 in the 300 hurdles (45.04) and the Bulldogs 800 (1:43.75) and 1,600 (3:57.63) also ranked No. 1.Findlay High will be sending both its boys and girls 400 relay teams to the Division I state meet.The boys 400 relay of Carter Imke, Dominic Smith, Soni Hines and Greyson Geiser has the sixth best time (42.24) entering the meet; the girls team of Josey Weihrauch, Olivia Gayhart, Katelyn Carpenter, Mya Hammer is seeded 15th (49.12).Russell Stine will also be competing at state in the 3,200 run, along with Natalie Gutman in the 800 (2:13.56) and Lexie Steffen in the pole vault (11-0). 2026 TRACKSTATE QUALIFIERS DIVISION I (numbers refer to seeded ranking among state qualifying teams)FINDLAY STATE QUALIFIERSBoys 3,200 – 9, Russell Stine, 3,200 (9:28.27). Boys 400 RELAY – 6, Carter Imke, Dominic Smith, Soni Hines, Greyson Geiser (42.24). Girls 400 RELAY – 15, Josey Weihrauch, Olivia Gayhart, Katelyn Carpenter, Mya Hammer (49.12). Girls 800 – 5, Natalie Gutman (2:13.56). Girls PV – 9, Lexie Steffen (11-0). DIVISION III GIRLS100 – 2, Alivia Grothause, Ottawa-Glandorf, (12.10). 200 – 2, Grothause, O-G, (24.74). 400 – 5, Emma Heringhaus, O-G, (56.87). 800 – Liana Fortman, O-G, (2:19.90). 2, LJ – Savannah Recker, O-G, (18-0½).400 RELAY – 2, Ottawa-Glandorf (Gracie Lammers, Madeline Liebrecht, S. Recker, Grothaus (48.76). 2, 800 RELAY – Ottawa-Glandorf (Lammers, Heringhaus, S. Recker, Grothaus (1:41.86). 4, 1,600 RELAY – 4, Ottawa-Glandorf (Brea Recker, Lammers, Fortman, Heringhaus (3:59.47); 9, Upper Sandusky (Jocelyn Leightey, Adriane Yeater, Kimberly Thomas, Arielle O'Flaherty (4:03.92). 3,200 RELAY – 8, Ottawa-Glandorf (B. Recker, Maci Maag, Alivia Schroeder, Fortman (9:37.50). DIVISION III BOYS800 – 10, Wyatt Croy, Ottawa-Glandorf (1:55.19). 17, 110 H – Oscar Salsburey, O-G, (15.12. LJ – 16, Daishaughn Settles, Fostoria (20-10). PV – 10, Ashton Clark, Upper Sandusky (4th, 14-4). 3,200 RELAY – 18, Ottawa-Glandorf (Cooper Fischer, Adrian Bernal, Connor Johnson, Croy, (8:10.86). DIVISION IV GIRLS400 – 2, Maelee Miller, Bluffton (56.78); 10, Callie Luken, Elmwood (58.44). 6, 800 – Nora Matthews, Bluffton (2:16.86). 110 H – 2, Miller, Bluffton (15.01). 300 H – 6, Liliana Fleming, Bluffton (45.59); 13, Heavenlei Newson, Elmwood (46.27). 1,600 2, Matthews, Bluffton (5:02.10). 800 RELAY – 4, Bluffton (Gracie Warren, Fleming, Aubrey Burkholder, Miller) 1:44.13; 14, Elmwood (Remmy Donaldson, Lily Good, Luken, Newson) 1:45.78; 18, Patrick Henry (Kynli Crossland, Ada Christman, Carys Crossland, Meyta Hieber) 1:46.49. 5, 1,600 RELAY – 5, Patrick Henry (C. Crossland, Christman, Mia Amador, Heiber) 4:02.63). 3,200 RELAY – 9, Bluffton (Phoebe Edwards Leeper, Tesse Tarplee, Georgia Hagen, Matthews) 9:44.24. DISCUS – 9, Payton Boyer, Patrick Henry (128-8). HJ – 7, K. Crossland, Patrick Henry (5-3). SHOT – 5, Boyer, Patrick Henry (40-2). PV – 5, Josie Hochstettler, Liberty-Benton (11-0); 5, Bekah Rehm, Bluffton (11-0). DIVISION IV BOYS100 – 1, Kain Wright, Bluffton (10.67). 200 – 8, Bradan Bell, Liberty-Benton (22.16); 12, Karson Griffin, L-B, (22.30). 400 – 2, Wright, Bluffton (47.93). 800 – 9, Jackson Hochstettler, L-B, (1:57.23); 13, Kolten Evans, Riverdale (1:58.10). 1,600 – 14, Evans, Riverdale (4:23.45). 400 RELAY – 4, Liberty-Benton (CJ Barbara, Asher Norman, Bell, Jonas Frederick) 43.10). 800 RELAY – 7, Liberty-Benton (Jaxon Rath, Griffin, Bell, Frederick) 1:30.02; 12, Bluffton (Lleyton Miller, Xavier Navarro, Tayte Giesige, Kohen Anderson) 1:30.84. 1,600 RELAY – 4, Bluffton (Anderson, Wright, Calvin Derstine, Ethan Sprunger) 3:23.22; 11, Liberty-Benton (Griffin, Hochstettler, Bell, Hudson Day) 3:25.12. 3,200 RELAY – 3, Liberty-Benton (Hochstettler, Day, Lane Fannin, Aiden Lee) 8:01.74; 15, Riverdale (Cale Young, Evans, Cody Flowers-Barger, Gabe Donaldson) 8:13.96. DISCUS – 13, Grant Inbody, Riveredale (154-11). LJ – 11, Giesige, Bluffton (21-3). HJ – 2, Austin Coller, L-B (6-5). PV – 12, Johnie Omlor, Van Buren (13-8). DIVISION V GIRLS100 – 6, Alexis Grieser, Arlington (12.48); 12, Kami Bowman, Van Buren (12.70). 200 – 7, Grieser, Arlington (25.83); 13, Marissa Bonham, Riverdale (26.26). 400 – 6, Bonham, Riverdale (58.43). 800 – 5, Liv Mayberry, Columbus Grove (2:17.90); 12, Devanie Pingle, Grove (2:19.32). 1,600 – 16, Ady Reynolds, North Baltimore (5:15.67). 3,200 – 18, Sarah Kamphaus, Columbus Grove (11:41.84). 100 H – 9, Bree Closson, Columbus Grove (15.93). 300 H – 1, Kendal Palte, Columbus Grove (45.04); 6, Elysa Holsinger, Carey (45.90); 8, Closson, Columbus Grove (46.64). 400 RELAY – 4, Columbus Grove (Brynn Halker, Palte, Allison Thompson, Jade Roeder) 50.05; 10, Arlington (Paige Clevenger, Callie Hartman, Olivia Pepple, Griesser) 50.32. 800 RELAY – 1, Columbus Grove (Roeder, Pingle, Liv Mayberry, Palte) 1:43.75; 14, Arlington (Clevenger, Hartman, Izzy Kretz, Griesser) 1:47.57. 1,600 RELAY – 1, Columbus Grove (Roeder, Pingle, Mayberry, Lydya Sarka) 3:57.63; 5, Riverdale (Paige Vent, Emma Kemmere, Tamijah Altvater, Bonham) 4:01.52;14, Carey (Addison Baldridge, Bella Phoenix, Ema Ritter, Holsinger) 4:07.66. 3,200 RELAY – 2, Columbus Grove (Mayberry, Pingle, Lily Montgomery, Kamphaus) 9:33.36; 18, Riverdale (Vent, Annalese Woodruff, Summer Boutwell, Grace Driskill) 10:10.09. SHOT – 4, Nicole Nesby, Columbus Grove (39-1½); 9, Shia Watkins, Arcadia (37-1¼); 12, Easton Wymer, Van Buren (6th, 37-1). DISCUSS – 3, Wymer, Van Buren (137-9); 4, Watkins, Arcadia (137-0); 7, Sydney Apple, Leipsic (125-2); 16, Lauren Martz, Columbus Grove (114-0). HJ – 3, Bonham, Riverdale (5-4); 9, Makenah Hepperly, McComb (5-2); 11, Ellie Bloom, Hopewell-Loudon (5-1). LJ – 9, Lily Brickner, Hopewell-Loudon (16-8¾). DIVISION V BOYS 100 – 10, Tripp Phoenix, Carey (11.17); 12, Trevon Baxter, Columbus Grove (11.28). 200 – 6, T. Baxter, Columbus Grove (22.29); 12, Lucas MclLroy, Arlington (22.67). 400 – 5, Kayleb Hickman, Ada (49.74); 9, Riley Newton, Hardin Northern (49.82). 800 – 3, Landyn Miller, Carey (1:56.53); 12, Adam Buell, Pandora-Gilboa (1:58.54). 1,600 – 9, Caiden Squillante, Columbus Grove (4:23.87). 110 H – 3, Gavin Baxter, Columbus Grove (14.36); 4, Carter Frater, McComb (14.36). 300 H – 13, Nathaniel Gregorowicz, Cory-Rawson (40.45). 400 RELAY – 2, Columbus Grove (T. Baxter, Gavin Barazza, Brody McCluer, G. Baxter) 42.99; 4, Carey (Phoenix, Dalen Walter, Mace Puckett, Lucas Smith-Hayward) 43.47. 800 RELAY – 7, Carey (Phoenix, Walter, Lincoln Ritter, Smith-Hayward) 1:30.96. 1,600 RELAY – 4, Pandora-Gilboa (Camden Verhoff, Andrew Webster, Chase Meyer, Landon Moore) 3:24.95. 3,200 RELAY – 5, Pandora-Gilboa (Adam Buell, Jack Buell, Gavino Barrera, Moore) (2nd, 8:08.99). SHOT – 1, Aiden Ewald, Hopewell-Loudon (60-1¾); 7, Jude Hudson, Patrick Henry (53-1). DISCUS – 2, Ewald, Hopewell-Loudon (178-6); 4, Grant Smith, Patrick Henry (170-7); 11, Hudson, Patrick Henry (161-7). HIGH JUMP – 1, Calvin Willow, Arlington (6-8); 2, Preston Ellerbrock, Columbus Grove (6-8); 6, Jarrod Holland, Columbus Grove (6-4); 9, Phoenix, Carey (6-2); 12, Owen Roszman, Vanlue (6-2). LONG JUMP – 1, T. Baxter, Columbus Grove (23-8½); 2, Frater, McComb (23-2¾); 3, G. Baxter, Columbus Grove (23-2¼); 8, Willow, Arlington (21-6½); 10, Ben Burkholder, Pandora-Gilboa (21-6¼). POLE VAULT – 8, Ben Burkholder, Pandora-Gilboa (13-8); 16, Conner Amstutz, Columbus Grove (12-6).