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
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
1,600 Meter Run
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
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
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.
(Photo Scoutforceathlete.com)
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.