Allison Guagenti of Olentangy Orange High School is shown here putting the finishing touches on her dominant 1600m win. Guagenti's mark of 5:12.52 was 13 seconds faster than her nearest competitor and it is the fastest time in the state at that distance so far this season.
MileSplit Ohio took in the action at the recent Otterbein High School Qualifier #2 meet at the Clements Recreation Center in Westerville. Many teams from throughout the state were in attendance to engage in exciting track and field competition.
Field events kicked the day off with Brandon Mosher, a junior from Big Walnut High School, taking the win with his throw of 51-07.00. In the same event on the girls side, it was senior Abigail Steele of Westerville Central High School who claimed first place. Steele's mark was 38-05.00. Olentangy Orange teammates Gurleen Vilkhu and Tiere Richardson went first and second in the girls long jump. These athletes jumped 16-01.00 (Vilkhu) and 15-03.00 (Richardson) respectively. In the boys pole vault competition, Granville High School's Noah Green captured top honors with his 13-00.00 clearing.
There were countless fantastic performances in the running events. For instance, in the boys 1600m, Hilliard Bradley High School's Daniel Butchko won the 1600m in a thrilling photo-finish. Butchko's time of 4:37.03 narrowly edged that of Bexley High School's Peter Hayden (4:37.22) and Hilliard Davidson High School's Max LeClair (4:37.34). Denise Munday of Pontiz High School bested her competition in the girls 60m with an outstanding time of 7.94. Her 60m time is the 15th fastest in the state so far this season. I had the pleasure to speak with this senior sprinter following her race and I was impressed with the focus and determination that she demonstrates. When asked what drives her, Munday indicated that her aspirations include: "getting better every day" and "attaining a running scholarship to an NCAA school next year." Denise also pointed out that much of her success is attributed to her vast network of coaches, teammates and friends.
The meet wrapped up with the boys and girls 4 x 400m relay events. Olentangy Orange Team 'A', consisting of Bryanna Johnson, Grace Frye, Allison Guagenti and Angel Frye, won the girls race in 4:16.36. Meanwhile, for the boys, it was Sycamore Team 'A' taking home the win with an impressive 3:47.53 finish. Sycamore's team was made up of: Noah Darwiche, Josh Glauser, Johnathan Malek and Miles Menyhert.
Following the day's action, I had the opportunity to debrief with Ponitz High School's coach, James Crutcher. Coach Crutcher was delighted with his team's overall performance, as he noted that many new personal records were obtained. These included, Javan Poole, T'Mia Adams- Mooty, Aaron Dobbins, Brailon Douglas and My'Kal Cuminney establishing new marks in their respective events. Additionally, veterans Thomas Muhlecke, Hezekiah Reid and Jamiyah Walton put forth noteworthy efforts. Breakthrough performances that also warranted acknowledgment included: Dene Munday who qualified for the 60m final and Darajah Lawrence who made it to the final in the 60m hurdles. Notably, Dena Munday is the younger sister of the aforementioned sprint specialist, Denise Munday. Coach Crutcher insisted that his athletes' development is made possible due to the tireless work of his dedicated coaching staff. Coach Crutcher's invaluable partners include: Larry Manley (sprints), Keith Cosby (jumps) and Tash Lyons (hurdles).
In closing, I'd like to express gratitude toward Otterbein University's track and field coaches and meet directors, Dara Ford and Karl Wunderle. They could not have been more accommodating with respect to our MileSplit Ohio coverage set-up. Lastly, thank you to Jon Agriesti of Timing First who was instrumental in the day running smoothly.
Please see full results here:
http://oh.milesplit.com/meets/248853/results/493849/raw#.WH2CUBsrLIU
Pictures can be viewed below:
MileSplit Ohio volunteer, Kathleen Dwyer posing with Ponitz High School's 60m ace, Denise Munday