D3 Girls State Preview - Event by Event!

Jun 02, 2016

A preview, event by event of the Girls D3 State meet.

OHSAA Link for Participants, Heat/flight Assignments

4x800 Meter Relay

The first running event of the 2016 OHSAA State meet is the girl's 4x800m. All eyes will be on the girls from St. Thomas Aquinas. Three of the girls, Athena Welsh, Kacee Soehnlen and her twin sister Kalee, were part of a State record setting 4x800 in 2014. They ran 9:11.66. Their anchor that year was Sr. Molly Pusateri. Aquinas won in 2015 replacing Pusateri with Hanna Soehnlen. Last week at the Navarre Regional, the girls set a new Div. 3 State record of 9:09.65. How fast can they go? We'll see Friday. Minster is the #2 ranked team in the D2 rankings with a 9:22.95. They ran 9:28.18 in Regionals. Canton Central Catholic is the #3 ranked team with a 9:29.00. they went 9:33.23 in their region.

100 Meter Hurdles

Three girl's return from last years finals, including the defending champion Jr. Maddy McDermott of Rittman. She won last year in a time of 14.95. To defend her title this year however, she will have to battle with So. Kylie Cutlip of Buckeye Trail and Sr. Katie Straus of Kirtland. Cutlip is OH #4 (All Div.) with a 14.36 that she ran last week in winning the Navarre Region. Katie Straus is D3 #2 with a 14.52 that she ran as the runner-up in the Navarre Region. The only other girl under 15. is So. Olivia Carpenter who won the Lancaster Region in 14.95. The other two returners from last year are Jr. Courtney Cyryus of New Middletown- Springfield who ran 4th last year in 15.56 and Jr. Olivia Quinter of Ft. Loramie who was 6th in 15.71. Watch for Cutlip to win this one.

100 Meter Dash

.62 seconds separate all of the qualifiers. Four girls return from last year. The defending champion is Jr. Taylor Middleton of Miami Valley. She won last year with a time of 12.20 and has a D3 #2 ranking of 12.21 that she ran in winning the Troy Region. Jr. Abby Caldwell of River was 3rd last year in 12.48. She has the #1 State D3 ranking with a 12.20 that she ran winning the St. Clairsville Region. Jr. Antonella LaMonica of Warren JFK was 5th last year with 12.58. She was 3rd in the Navarre region with a 12.71. Jr. Monique Goins of Wayne Trace was 8th last year in 12.69. She ran a wind aided 12.30 in winning the Tiffin Region. Middleton is the defending champion. She has the fastest qualifying time. Hard not to go with her to pick up her 2nd State title.

4x200 Meter Relay

Only D3 #8, out of the Top 10 times, was not run at Regionals. The top 10 times are all under 1:47. The Aquinas girls won it last year with a time of 1:44.19. That squad was made up of So. Kacee Soehnlen, Sr. Megan Hoffman, So. Kalee Soehnlen and Jr. Rachael Adams. Hoffman was replaced by Sr. Emma Pusateri and the girls have the fastest time in the State with a 1:45.04. Right behind them is Minster who ran 1:45.65 last week. These are the only two under 1:46. Seven teams are under 1:47 and are separated by just .85 seconds. Should be an exciting last 50m!

1,600 Meter Run

Aquinas Sr. Athena Welsh should win her third straight 1,600m title. She won in 2014 (5:02.98), again in 2015 (4:58.87) and is ranked OH #1 (All Div.) with a 4:52.09. Sr. Chloe Flora of Botkins is ranked D3 #2 with a 4:59.25, but I don't think she has the speed to stay with Welsh at the finish. She was 2nd to Welsh last year in 5:02.11. Welsh and Flora are the only two D3 girls under 5:00 at this time. Seven other girls return from last years finals, including Sr. Grace Norman of Xenia Christian. Norman finished 8th in 5:14.09 and is the first amputee in the US to not only qualify for a State Championship, but to get on the podium as well!

4x100 Meter Relay

The top ranked Warren JFK and the #3 ranked Xenia teams did not qualify. Six teams however, qualified with times under 51: Norwayne (50.06), Dalton (50.46), Sardinia-Eastern (50.47), Minster (50.75), Columbus Grove (50.81) and Dayton Miami Valley School (50.97). That's .91 seconds difference. Clean exchanges wins it!

400 Meter Dash

Sr. Micah Johnston of Toledo Christian is back to defend her 2015 title. She has run 56.36 this season which is faster than her winning time last year of 56.85. So. Lynsey Shipley of Portsmouth won the Lancaster Region with a 56.95 and will make her first trip to Jesse Owens in the 400. She is ranked D3 #3. Sr. Lauren Heaton of Russia won the Troy Region in 57.29. That's faster than her 3rd place finishing time of last year (58.75). She is ranked D3 #4. Monroeville So. Kristen Smith was 8th last year in 60.20. She won the Lancaster Region in 57.90 and is ranked D3 #5. These four girls are the only one under 58.00. Johnston has the speed and the experience and should be on the top spot on the podium again this year.

300 Meter Hurdles

Rittman Sr. Maddy McDermott is the defending champion with a time of 44.55. She is ranked D3 #2 behind So.Kylie Cutlip of BuckeyeTrail who just set a new D3 State record with a time of 42.04. She ran 42.05 in Regionals. Her time is .57 seconds faster than the D3 State Meet Record of Teddi Jo Maslowski of Stuebenville Catholic Central who ran 42.61 in 2010. Barring any mistakes, this is Cutlip's race to win. Expect her to go under 42.

800 Meter Run

Jr. Kalee Soehnlen is the defending State Champion. She won last year with a time of 2:16.82. She is ranked OH #3 (All Div.) with a time of 2:10.29. D3 #2 is Jr. Rachel Sweeney of Xenia Christian with a 2:13.68. She won the Troy Region. #3 is Russia Jr. Grace York. She was 2nd to Sweeney with a 2:14.73. Three other girls have run under 2:16: Fr. Madeline Magoto of Minster (2:15.07), Sr. Maddie Borer of St. Wendelin (2:15.53) and Sr. Kara Kakascik of Stuebenville Catholic Central (2:15.58). Sweeney and Kakascik ran 7th and 10th last year. Of note, there are three Soehnlens in the State finals. Kacee and Kalee and Megan of Canton Central Catholic. Kalee is experienced and should win her 2nd State D3 800m title and may challenge the D3 state record and State meet Record of 2:09.77 set in 2009 by Barnesville's Stephanie Morgan.

200 Meter Dash

Sr. Taylor Middleton of Miami Valley is the defending Champion. She won in 2015 with a time of 24.87. She'll need to step up her Troy Regional prelim time of 25.96 and D3 #11 ranking if she wants to repeat. Toledo Christian Micah Johnston was 4th last year in 24.87. She is the only D3 girl under 25. at this time with a 24.98 Gibsonburg District win. She went 25.16 in her Tiffin Regional win. Sr. Abby Caldwell is #2 with her 25.41 Navarre winning time, #3 is Sr. Rachel Adams with her Norwayne Regional winning time of 25.55 and #4 is Jr. Emily Roth of Archbold with a time of 25.78 at Ayersville. I think Johnston wins in a close one.

3,200 Meter Run

Aquinas Sr. Athena Welsh doubled at Regionals and has the fastest seed time of 11:05. She is ranked OH #1 (All Div.) with a 10:38.34. She was 2nd last year and has the speed, strength, experience and determination to win the double at State. Freshman Jenny Seas of Peebles is D3 #2 with an 10:54.88 and Sr. Chloe Flora of Botkins is D3 #3 with an 11:00.59. Neither has the experience to go with Welsh.

4x400 Meter Relay

The Aquinas girls will tap off another State Team title with a win in the 4x4. They are the only team that has gone under 4:00 this season and lead the rankings with a 3:58.47 and can go faster. Kirtland ran a 4:00.42 finishing second to Aquinas in the Navarre Region and McDonald ran a D3 #3 finishing third in the Navarre Region with a 4:00.48. They will both have to go under 4:00, but just don't have the guns to win. The Aquinas girls are: Fr. Hanna Ohman, so. Hanna Soehnlen, Jr. Kalee Soehnlen and Jr. Kacee Soehnlen. All under classman!

Discus

This is Sr. Lyne'a Diller of Columbus Groves competition to win. She is the defending champion throwing 148-00 last year. She is ranked OH #3 (All Div.) with a throw of 157-10. She has been dominant all year. Jr. Molly Leppelmeier of McComb is her closet competitor. She has a throw of 143-1.

High Jump

(Photo Scoutforceathlete.com)

Ottoville Jr. Brooke Mangas is the defending Champion. She went 5-8 in her win last year. She has a jump of 5-8 this season and is D3 #1, OH #2 (All Div.). Jr. Bridgette Rettstatt of Worthington Christian will make her work to defend her title. Rettstatt has gone 5-7 this year. They went 5-7 and 5-6 respectifully in their Regionals. Waterford So. Amy Lang is D3 #3 with a jump of 5-6. She went 5-2 at Regionals. So. Emma Daugherty of Maumee Valley Country day went 5-5 in winning the Tiffin Region. These are the ony D3 girls over 5-5 this season.

Long Jump

(Photo Marc Pendleton mydaytondailynews.com)

Sr. Taylor Middleton of Miami Valley is the defending Champion with a jump of 18-04.50. She won the Troy Region with a jump of 18-05.00. She is ranked D3 #2 behind last years #5 finisher, Sr. Micah Johnston of Toledo Christian. Johnston went 17-06.50 at State but has a leap this year of 18-06.50 in winning the Tiffin Region. Middleton and Johnston are the only two D3 girls over 18'. They are both capable of winning and who ever is on and hit a solid 18' jump should win.

Shot Put

(Photo Richard Parish/The Lima News)

Sr. Lynea Diller of Columbus Grove won the Tiffin Region with a D3 leading 47-07.5. Jr. Molly Leppelmeier of McComb won the Findlay district with a put of 46-05.75. Diller was 3rd last year with a toss of 40-07.25. They are the two to beat and the only D3 girls over 45'. So. Grace Reigel of Leipsic has the next father toss with put of 44-01.25. Diller should be atop the podium again this year.

Pole Vault

Only one vaulter comes out of Regionals with a vault over 12'. So. Kassidie Stimmel of Margaretta went 12-03.50 in winning the Tiffin Region. She is ranked D3 #1 ahead of Sr. Callie Ruffner of Colonel 'Crawford. Ruffner went 11-6 in winning at Lancaster. She has gone 12-03. this season. Stimmel was 3rd last year with a vault of 12-00. Ruffner was 7th with a 10-06. Waynedale Jr. Sami Ice won the Navarre Region with a jump of 11-09. She was 5th last year with 11-00. So. Emily Paden was 2nd at Navarre with a vault of 11-06, but has gone 11-09. It's going to take a vault over 12' to win.