After roughly 10 weeks of competition we have arrived at the pinnacle of our indoor season. It has been another very successful year for Ohio athletes, with numerous national top marks and tough competition setting the stage for this weekend's OATCCC Indoor State championships in Akron. Here is a quick guide to see who to watch out for this weekend:
Girls 4x800- These teams are pretty tightly bunched together, with Gilmour Academy leading the pack. St. Thomas Aquinas and Garaway are lurking right behind them.
Boys 4x800- The top five spots are separated by five seconds. Cortland Maplewood leads the charge, just ahead of Gilmour Academy.
Girls 60H- Haley Gregory leads the pack here, but Jackie Siefring of Covington was a top finisher here last year and is capable of taking the gold.
Boys 60H- Chad Zallow of Warren JFK is tied for the nation's best time (with Davon Anderson of Glenville) in this event. Any slip up and Juan Scott of Dunbar and Jack Lint of Columbus Academy will be there to challenge.
Girls 60M- Michaela Butler of Liberty-Benton is the clear favorite here. After that it is anyone's guess who makes the podium.
Boys 60M- Carl Zallow, brother of Chad, is the D 2/3 leader with a very solid time of 6.91. He will be challenged by current Division record holder Paris Campbell of SVSM. It looks like the record may be in jeopardy again.
Girls 4x200M- The top five teams are all within two seconds of each other. The veteran squad of Girard leads the charge coming in, but it is anyone's guess who wins.
Boys 4x200M- Dunbar should be the favorite here, followed by a tight pack. Handoffs could play a big factor here.
Girls 1600M- Sammy Bockoven of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy is the leder coming in by over 10 seconds. She should get the victory here.
Boys 1600M- Michael Mangus of Fairfield-Leesburg is the leader coming in, but it is a tight bunch. Racing smart and positioning well could play a role here.
Girls 400M- Oksana Lawrence of Meadowdale is the big name coming in, but there is plenty of competition, especially from the D3 outdoor champ Colleen Reynolds and the third place finisher in that race, Deanna Gesicki.
Boys 400M- Lane White of Covington has the state's best time overall. The race for the podium will be tight. Could be a photo finish in the making here.
Girls 800M- Hannah Watts of Gallia is the leader followed by a tight pack. Should she falter, it could be a mad dash for the victory.
Boys 800M- Brian Bell of Dunbar is one of the nation's best 800m runners. Alex Clapacs of Gilmour is not far off of his mark, which should make for an exciting duel.
Girls 200M- This might be the toughest even to predict of the meet. All the times are extremely close, and with a lot of the field doubling, a dark horse candidate may be able to take advantage of the short turnaround.
Boys 200M- Richard Johnson of Harvest Prep is the current leader, with Carl Zallow not far off. It should be an interesting race to watch.
Girls 3200M- Hannah Campbell of River Valley looks to be the clear favorite, almost 32 seconds clear of the field. She has a real shot at the meet record.
Boys 3200M- Mangus looks for the double here, with his time just over 14 seconds ahead of second place. Matt Bromley of Sheridan is the current state champion in XC.
Girls 4x400M- Beaumont and Meadowdale look to duke it out, as both teams have run 4:12 this indoor season.
Boys 4x400M- Dunbar is the Div 2/3 leader, having run 3:27 so far this season. Gilmour is not far behind at 3:29.
Girls HJ- Hannah Bartlome of Vermillion is the state leader with a jump of 5-6. Misses could determine the podium winners, with eight girls currently at the 5-0 mark.
Boys HJ- Everyone in the field has cleared at least 6-2, led by Antonio Conte of Chagrin Falls at 6-8. Misses could play a factor here as well.
Girls PV- Allyson Simmons of Fairless is the overall state leader, jumping 12-6 so far this year. She may be able to make a run at the state meet record of 12-5 as well as the fieldhouse record of 13-0.
Boys PV- Overall state leader Cole Gorski of Otsego leads a pack of five boys who have cleared 15 feet already this season. It looks like 14-6 is the benchmark to make the podium here.
Girls LJ- Jackie Siefring is the leader here as the only jumper over 17 feet. She is being chased by a host of challengers and will need her best to bring home the gold.
Boys LJ- This is anyone's event, as the top 8 jumpers are separated by mere inches. One big jump is all it takes. We will have to see who manages to pull off the win.
Girls S- Edie Svonavec leads the state currently with a throw of 45-4, making her the clear favorite in this event.
Boys S- Logan Bryer of Genoa Area is US #10 with a put of 62-3. Liberty Center's Nick Demaline isn't far behind with a put of 61-5. It should be a great duel.
Girls WT- Liza Wall comes in favored as the only girl who has broken the 50 foot barrier. Carrol Pauley of Riverdale will be right there to push her.
Boys WT- Logan Bryer is ranked third in the US in this event, making him the overwhelming favorite to take home the gold. Justin Welch's meet and fieldhouse record is within sight.
Girls TJ- This event is too close to call as any one of the 16 competitors could take home the title. It depends on who has a good day and who does not.
Boys TJ- Juan Scott of Dunbar and Devin Snowden of Eastwood look to square off in this event. A win for Scott here could seal the team title for Dunbar.