Staff report
WEST MILTON — It may have been a year ago, but it was still fresh in the mind of Lehman sophomore Alanna O’Leary when she stepped onto the track Tuesday at the West Milton Division III district track and field meet at Milton-Union High School.
As a freshman, she had been DQ’d at district in the 400, what she considered her best. Still, she had the mental toughness to go on to state in the 200 and came back this year with something to prove.
“I was still thinking about it,” O’Leary said. “I have to thank my coaches and parents for mentally preparing me to get past that this year.”
Did she ever.
Not only did she sweep the 100 in 12.77; and 200 in 26.40, but she finished second in the 400 in 60.29 to advance to next week’s regional in all three events.
“I’m really happy,” O’Leary said with a big smile after her performance Saturday. “After the DQ last year, I made it out in the 400 and won two races. Really, I just wanted to come back here and improve on last year.”
And she found herself matched up with former 400-meter state champion — Russia senior Lauren Heaton — in both the 200 and 400.
Heaton won the 400 in 58.61 and took third in the 200, 26.71.
“I love running against Lauren,” O’Leary said. “She is such a great competitor and pushes me to be better. I was really happy about winning the 200. Now I just need to keep improving going into the regionals. And my coaches will help me to do that.”
Russia’s girls finished second and the boys were third in the team standings.
Heaton led the Lady Raiders, advancing in four events. She also teamed with Molly Kearns, Shae Goubeaux and Grace York on Tuesday to win the 3,200 relay in 9:40.31 and anchored the 1,600 relay to second in 4:12.15 with York, Goubeaux and Maddie Moorman.
The Lady Raiders also got a win from Emily Bohman in the pole vault at 11 feet.
Botkins’ girls took fourth in the district meet, led by senior distance standout Chloe Flora, who won the 1600 and 3200 runs, and also ran on the first-place 1600 relay team with Kayla Heuker, Hannah Bailey and Adriana Jutte.
Fort Loramie’s Olivia Quinter added two more wins Saturday to her first place in the long jump earlier this week. She won the 100 and 300 hurdles.
It was also an impressive day for the Jackson Center Lady Tigers, who finished seventh in the final standings with 45 points.
Thirty of those points came from first-place finishes. The 400 relay team of Kennadie Reese, Katrina McGowan, Peyton Esser and Pauline Meyer won in 52.3, and the 800 relay team of Reese, McGowan, Deanna Lowry and Meyer won in 1:49.4. And to no one’s surprise, senior Nicole Fogt, fifth in the state meet last year in the discus, won a district title in the event with a distance of 125-3.
There was one more County winner. Houston’s Caity Falls won the high jump at five feet.
Houston’s Caity Falls led the Lady Wildcats, winning the high jump on Tuesday by clearing 5-0.
Josh York led the Russia boys, winning the high jump at 65-2, and Riverside sophomore Caleb Stevens was impressive in winning the 100 and 200 dashes.
In Division 3 at Graham, the Versailles boys were second and Anna third.
Versailles got wins from Josh Steinbrunner in the 110 hurdles and Joe Spitzer in both the 1600 and 3200 runs.
Anna got a runner-up finish from Blake Stepens in the high jump.
The Versailles girls won the 400 and 800 relays.
At Spencerville
At Spencerville in D-3, Minster won both the boys and girls titles.
The girls rolled up 183 points to beat runner-up New Bremen by over 100.
Minster was led by Kaci Bornhorst, who set a new district record in winning the 3200 in 11:20.1. Minster also won three relays, the 100, 800 and 1600 relays, giving them a clean sweep after winning the 3200 relay earlier in the week. And Madeline Magoto was first in the 800.
New Bremen’s Celeste Kuck was first in the pole vault.
For the Minster boys, Jacob Dues in the 110 hurdles and the 800 relay team finished second on Saturday.
Regional qualifiers
With district places
DIVISION 3
Saturday at Graham
Boys
Team places (16 teams): 2. Versailles 82, 3. Anna 77.
110 hurdles — 1. Josh Steinbrunner, Versailles, 14.95.
800 relay — 4. Versailles (Blake Schulze, Trevor Noggle, Kyle Marchal, Adam Huelskamp) 1:34.64.
1600 run — 1. Joe Spitzer, Versailles, 4:30.2; 3. Noah Pleiman, Versailles, 4:36.45.
400 dash — 4. Dylan Berner, Anna, 52.72.
300 hurdles — 2. Josh Steinbrunner, Versailles, 40.83.
800 run — 3. Bradley Axe, Anna 2:03.09; 4. Joel Gaier, Anna, 2:03.85.
200 dash — 4. Adam Huelskamp, Versailles, 23.38.
3200 run — 1. Joe Spitzer, Versailles, 9:57.94.
1600 relay — 3. Versailles (Trevor Noggle, Adam Huelskamp, Aaron Mangen, Dean Heitkamp) 3:34.49; 4. Anna (bradley Axe, Joel Gaier, Dylan Berner, Connor Rioch) 3:34.49.
High jump — 2. Blake Stephens, Anna, 6-2.
Girls
800 relay — 1. Versailles (Ellen Peters, Cassie Peters, Liz Watren, Haley Winner) 1:47.0.
400 relay — 1. Versailles (Cassie Peters, Ellen Peters, Tori Ahrens, Jenna Frantz) 51.86.
300 hurdles — 2. Ellen Peters, Versailles, 47.84; 3. Dana Rose, Versailles, 49.00.
200 dash — 2. Haley Winner, Versailles, 26.47; 4. Cassie Peters, Versailles, 26.93.
1600 relay — 3. Versailles (Cassie Peters, Liz Watren, Haley Winner, Emily Langenkamp) 4:10.22.
Long jump — 2. Jenna Frantz, Versailles, 16-1.5.
——
DIVISION 4
Saturday at West Milton
BOYS
Local/county/area team places (15 teams): 3. Russia 78, 4. Botkins 72, 6. Fort Loramie 54, 7. Houston 43, 11. Riverside 30, 12. Fairlawn 20, 14. Lehman 7.
110 hurdles — 2. Cole Tebbe, Russia, 15.61.
100 dash — 1. Caleb Stevens, Riverside, 11.11; 4. Jake Ward, Fort Loramie 11.47.
800 relay — 2. Russia (Trevor Monnin, Jack Moorman, Caleb Ball, Weston Lavy) 1:34.88.
1600 run — 2. Tom Ballas, Fort Loramie, 4:34.09.
400 dash — 2. Trevor Monnin, Russia, 52.79; 4. Ollie Jacobs, Riverside, 53.80.
300 hurdles — 1. Micah Smock, Botkins, 42.82; 3. Derrek Mayse, Houston, 42.98.
800 run — 2. Caleb Ball, Russia, 2:04.15; 3. Nick Brautigam, Fairlawn, 2:04.35; 4. Jacob Schmiesing, Lehman 2:04.66.
200 dash — 1. Caleb Stevens, Riverside, 22.66; 3. Garrett Williams, Botkins, 23.48.
3200 run — 3. Jake Rethman, Fort Loramie, 10:08.55; 4. Joe Ballas, Fort Loramie, 10:17.86.
1600 relay — 2. Russia (Trevor Monnin, Jack Moorman, Caleb Ball, Weston Lavy) 3:31.69.
Shot put — 1. Josh Miller, Botkins, 51-3; 2. Ben Brautigam, Fairlawn, 44-6.5; 3. Joe Shuga, Botkins, 42-8.75.
High jump — 1. Josh York, Russia, 6-2; 3. Drew Poling, Russia, 6-0.
Girls
Local/county team places (15 teams): 2. Russia 83.5, 3. (tie) Botkins 73, 5. Fort Loeamie 65, 6. Anna 53, 7. Jackson Center 46, 8. Lehman 45, 11. Houston 27, 13. Fairlawn 8.
100 hurdles — 1. Olivia Quinter, Fort Loramie, 16.07; 3. Kaitrin O’Leary, Lehman, 17.22; 4. Rylie Edwards, Anna, 17.23.
100 dash — 1. Alanna O’Leary, Lehman, 12.77; 4. Krista Gehret, Anna, 12.93.
800 relay — 1. Jackson Center (Kennadie Reese, Katrina McGowan, Deanna Lowry, Pauline Meyer) 1:49.40; 3. Anna (Beka Emerson, Claire Bensman, Lauren Stephens, Krista Gehret) 1:50.94.
1600 run — 1. Chloe Flora, Botkins, 5:09.92; 3. Molly Kearns, Russia, 5:44.14; 4. Megan Frazier, Russia, 5:48.83.
400 relay — 1. Jackson Center (Kennadie Reese, Katrina McGowan, Peyton Esser, Pauline Meyer) 52.3.
400 dash — 1. Lauren Heaton, Russia, 58.61; 2. Alanna O’Leary, Lehman, 1:00.29.
300 hurdles — 1. Olivia Quinter, Fort Loramie, 47.73; 2 Adriana Jutte, Botkins, 48.5.
800 run — 2. Grace York, Russia, 2:18.64; 3., Kayla Heuker, Botkins, 2:25.33; 4. Shae Goubeaux, Russia, 2:26.29.
200 dash — 1. Alanna O’Leary, Lehman, 26.4; 2. Krista Gehret, Anna, 26.52; 3. Lauren Heaton, Russia, 26.71.
3200 run — 1. Chloe Flora, Botkins, 11:32.49; 3. Molly Kearns, Russia, 11:36.55.
1600 relay — 1. Botkins (Kayla Heuker, Hannah Bailey, Chloe Flora, Adriana Jutte) 4:10.46; 2. Russia (Grace York Shae Goubeaux, Maddie Moorman, Lauren Heaton) 4:12.15.
Discus — 1. Nicole Fogt, Jackson Center, 125-3; 3. Grace Homan, Botkins, 103-9; 4. Shelby Ayers, Houston, 100-9.
Long jump — 1. Olivia Quinter, Fort Loramie, 16-0.5; 2. Pauline Meyer, Jackson Center, 15-8; 4 Madison Huelskamp, Fairlawn, 15-4.
High jump — 1. Caity Falls, Houston, 5-0; 2. Andrea Meyer, Fort Loramie, 5-0.
Pole vault — 1. Emily Bohman, Russia, 11-0; 2. Andrea Meyer, Fort Loramie, 11-0; 4. Hannah Shoemaker, Anna, 8-6.
——
Saturday At Spencerville
Boys
Area team places (16 teams): 1. Minster 119.2, 2. 5. New Bremen 44, 13. Marion Local 24.
110 hurdles — 2. Jacob Dues, Minster, 15.46; 3. Chad Stoner, Minster, 15.58.
800 relay — 2. Minster (Jared Thobe, Jacob Stechschulte, Jacob Dues, Jack Poeppelman) 1:32.87.
1600 run — 2. Cort Speckman, New Bremen, 4:43.84.
300 hurdles — 3. Evan Huelsman, Minster, 42.27.
800 run — 4. Conner Tumbusch, Minster, 2:04.10.
200 dash — 4. Caleb Bruns, Marion Local, 23.91.
3200 run — 4. Jason Zircher, New Bremen, 10:37.41.
1600 relay — 3. Minster (Jared Thobe, Jacob Dues, Conner Tumbusch, Evan Huelsman) 3:36.74.
Discus — 1. Logan Dicke, New Bremen, 139-9; 3. Tony Winner, Minster, 134-5; 4. Max Prenger, Minster, 132-8.
High jump — 4. Jeremy Kaufman, Minster, 5-8.
Pole vault — 1. Colin Homan, Marion Local, 14-1; 2. Ethan Monnin, Minster, 12-8.
Girls
Area team places (16 teams) — 1. Minster 183, 2. New Bremen 74.5, 5, Marion Local 54.
100 hurdles — 4. Aubrey Thobe, Marion Local, 16.05.
100 dash — 3. Jenna Collins, Minster, 13.14; 4. Paige Thobe, Minster, 13.18.
800 relay — 1. Minster (Jordyn Heitbrink, Katie Wuebker, Paige Thobe, Jenna Collins) 1:48.62; 3. New Bremen ((Jane Homan, Makenna Brackman, Paige Jones, Rachel Kremer) 1:49.45; 4. Marion Local (Carrie Fesenmyer, Kylie Albers, Jessie Kremer, Natalie Rethman) 1:49.57.
1600 run — 3. Kaitlynn Albers, Minster, 5:30.90; 4. Julia Slonkosky, Minster, 5:45.31.
400 relay — 1. Minster (Jenna Collins, Mya Francis, Paige Thobe, Katie Wuebker) 52.01.
400 dash — 2. Paige Jones, New Bremen, 1:01.20.
300 hurdles — 2. Margaret Meiring, Minster, 47.76; 3. Kylie Albers, Marion Local, 47.99.
800 run — 1. Madeline Magoto, Minster, 2:19.49; 2. Cassie Francis, Minster, 2:20.66; 3. Makenna Brackman, New Bremen, 2:21.52.
3200 run — 1. Kaci Bornhorst, Minster, 11:20.1 (NEW DISTRICT RECORD); 3. Morgan Pohl, Minster, 11:58.49.
1600 relay — 1. Minster (Margaret Meiring, Madeline Magoto, Julia Slonkosky, Cassie Francis (4:04.0; 3. New Bremen (Makenna Brackman, Jane Homan, Paige Jones, Rachel Kremer) 4:09.28.
Long jump — 2. Mya Francis, 16-7.25; 3. Aubrey Thobe, Marion Local, 16-7; 4. Paige Thobe, Minster, 16-6.
Shot put — Savanah Luthman, Minster, 37-10.5, 2. Maddy Moeller, New Bremen, 36-8; 3. Emily Mescher, Marion Local, 34-9; 4. Cortney Thien, Minster, 33-4.75.
Pole vault — 1. Celeste Kuck, New Bremen, 11-0; 3. Grace Butler, Minster, 9-6.
