Carey's Bell, Plott both take state runner-up in high jump

COLUMBUS — Ottawa Hills' Teddy Perozek had already put the pressure on everyone left in the high jump after he cleared 6-5 with ease. The Green Bear senior was the first one to clear the mark on his second attempt. Everyone else — including Carey's Anthony Bell — didn't. Bell was second to last going into the third attempts, and everyone else failed to reach the mark. Then came Bell's turn, who was the lone area competitor left after Bluffton's Trey Boblitt bowed out at 6-2 to take 12th, and Hopewell-Loudon's Evan Kreais (6-0) took 13th. "On the second jump, I knew I had to get my butt up, so that was the main thing going into that last jump," Bell said. "I felt the adrenaline pumping, so I knew that was going to be the one, but I also knew that I had to do everything right. 'Good jump, butt up and clear the bar' was going through my head." What was going through his head worked, as Bell cleared a personal best 6-5, on the way to a second-place finish during the Division III Ohio High School Athletic Association state track meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Friday. Perozek eventually took home gold for OH, clearing 6-7. "I felt good. I was a little bit nervous at the beginning, but they went down, and I felt like this was the best day I've ever felt on a track," the silver-medal winner said. "I finally got to see 6-5 because I've never cleared that before. Jumping at regionals, I felt a little bit nervous jumping that but I thought I could've got it. "This is my first year coming down here, and this is amazing. It's really an amazing experience having all these people watch you jump. It's unreal. I had a bunch of fans here, and that got me pumped up, too." Not bad for someone who hasn't done this all that long. "He just started high jumping at the end of last year, and for him to get down here — obviously the goal was the get him on the podium and then just keep going — but we can't complain," Carey high jump coach Beth Williams said. "You always do your best at the end of the year, and to say he's done that two weeks in a row, you can't ask for much more than that. And to finish as a state runner-up, I don't know if either one of us dreamt that. It's rather fitting, though, that Bell peaks at the highest of moments. He was a huge part of Carey's state championship-winning football team last fall. "For him to get to a new height — especially down here in the biggest meet, the biggest moment — says a lot about the kind of competitor he is," Williams said. "He lives for the big moments, he likes this kind of stuff — I think he thrives on it — so to see him step up and respond the way he did, I couldn't be prouder. I'm so happy for him." A rather fitting ending to his four years of high school, Bell says. "This was one of the best high school experiences I could've had, but going to state in two different sports isn't something a lot people can say they've done," he said. "So this really was a great experience." He wasn't the only Blue Devil to take home silver in the high jump Friday as Lexi Plott finished tied for second with Colonel Crawford's Niyah Shipman by clearing 5-4. Springfield Central Catholic's Mallory Mullen won the event, clearing 5-7. "I'm kind of just shocked right now, Plott said. "I'm pretty sure it will settle in later." Plott, who cleared 5-5 in regionals, credits one group for being able to make it this far. "It's the coaches," Plott said. "Ryan Wentling and Beth (Williams), I mean, their knowledge is just so...everything." Arcadia's Paige Massie was eighth with a 5-2 and Hopewell-Loudon's Megan Kreais was ninth with a 5-2 to round out the area contingent during the high jump Friday.