Here we take a look at our Division 3 girls meet:
In the 4x800 meter relay, the defending champ Russia is not in the race after finishing 9th at their regional race. The top two teams look to be St. Thomas Aquinas, who was 7th in this race a year ago and Columbus Academy, who returns all 4 runners from their state runner-up team a year ago. The field is pretty tightly bunched, so we should see a good race this weekend here. St. Thomas Aquinas comes in with the fastest qualifying time.
In the girls 100H Morgan Rice is the clear cut favorite here as she tries to defend her title from 2013, but Jackie Siefring from Covington will give her a challenge. Both have run well under 15 seconds this year and they are joined by Amber Eles of Trinity. Don't count out Monica Rigaud of Steubenville Catholic, either. She was last year's runner-up.
The girls 100M has the top two from last year back in Katie Mokros and Shartece Taylor. Neither one has the best qualifying mark entering, however, as that honor goes to Tori Abdul of Tinora. Taylor Middleton returns as a state placer from last year and has the fastest time in the event this year. Siefring will also be trying the back-to-back after the hurdles.
In the girls 4x200 Tinora and McDonald return their entire relays from last year. Tinora is the defending champ in the event and McDonald was tenth. Both of these teams should be locked up in a good battle for the title and are clear of the field by nearly a full second. After that it is anybody's game.
The girls 1600 features 4 sub 5:10 girls in the field: Brittany Atkinson (XC state champ), Tresa Hartzler, Athena Walsh and Julia Rizk. Atkinson may go to the 3200 but if she chooses to race this she is undefeated this spring and would be a good bet to go for gold. Rizk will be a tough one to beat if Atkinson skips as she is the defending runner-up and the only girl in the field who has gone sub-5.
In the 4x100 we again have a battle between Tinora and McDonald, with Norwayne in the mix as well. It should be a close race right at the line.
The 400M has five girls who have gone sub-58. All five of them are with .31 seconds of each other, so it could be five-wide coming across the finish line. Colleen Reynolds is the defending state champ and she is in the field here, although she does not have the best time this season coming in. She is only one of the two girls in the field, however, who has run in the 56-second range. Look for her to defend her title.
The 300H pit Siefring and Rice again. Siefring has the fastest time in the state for the event and was third last year, just in front of Rice. It should be a tight race between these two, but the smart money is on Siefring to snag this event.
In the 800M we have a very tight race going on. Last year's champ Olivia Smith returns to defend her title and seems to be coming just a bit off of last year's pace. Last year's second and fourth-place finishers, Meg Westerheide and Molly Pusateri, respectively, have posted the top two times in the state so far. Both have broken 2:15, but as most 800 races go, it will be who positions herself well enough to win at the finish.
The girls 200M again features Mokros defending her title against Abdul, who comes in the with fastest time, and Middleton, who was third in the event last year. Expect a close finish here, with anybody's guess at who the winner is.
The girls 3200 could be a three-headed race, depending on who runs what. If Atkinson drops the 1600, she is the odds-on favorite here. She has the fastest time in the state this year, she is the highest finishing returner from last year and she was the state champ in cross country. Welsh may attempt the double and you cannot count out Rachel Wentworth of Garaway. She has the fastest qualifying time coming in.
The final event on the track has three teams 4:00 or better. Mt Gilead has run the fastest time in the state so far, but Columbus School for Girls in the fastest qualifier coming in. St. Thomas Aquinas also sits at 4:00 and could challenge for the title.
The Girls HJ is a tough event to call. Carolyn Webster was third last year and is tied for the highest jump in the state this spring. Gina Kramer is the defeding runner-up and is also in the mix for a state title. There are a host of other girls just an inch or two away and it is anybody's guess who will come away with gold.
In the LJ Taylor Middleton and Jackie Siefring will duke it out for the title. Last year Middleton was the highest seed but finished 14th in the competition and Siefring finished fourth. Siefring in is the indoor state champ in the same event so it should be quite a duel.
The girls SP is another wide open event as teammates Tory Ross and Jail'lyn Mosley will battle with Molly Leppelmeier as she tries to follow her sisters and win a throws title at state. All have thrown over 40 feet this season.
In the Discus Mosley has the state best mark by almost 10 feet, but Holly Averesch threw farther at her Regional site. Taylor Baker is another one to watch, as well as Mosley's teammate, Ross.
The girls PV has four girls who have all jumped at least 11-6 this season. Maria Heckman, Callie Rufener, Roxy Dunn and Willow Thompson all should be in the mix to win. Thompson is the defending state champ and has the highest jumps so far this season at 12-1.