It's very close between two great athletes athletes. Get your vote in by Dec. 24th at 6:00pm to make sure your choice for the Ohio MileSplit Athlete of the Year wins. See your Winner on Tuesday, the 26th.
Cast your vote for the "2016 Ohio MileSplit Male Athlete of the Year." Who was the Best of the Best in 2016? Five athletes make up the list. The school year encompasses the 2015 XC season and the 2016 Indoor and Outdoor T&F seasons. The overall 2016 year encompasses both the 2015 & 2016 XC seasons in the case of an athlete that was an undergraduate in 2015. The award should not be based solely upon someone setting a record, but upon their overall achievements in XC and T&F in 2016. Please take a close look at what each of the five candidates accomplished. Vote as often as you like. The pole closes December 24th at 6:00pm. Get your vote in, The winner will be announced on Monday, December 26th. Congratulations to all our athletes.
Chagrin Fall's Joe Bistrtiz was outstanding in 2016. In Cross Country, he repeated as the DII State Champion in 15:16.90. Indoors, he was 2nd inthe MileSplit Showcase 3,200 with a 9:14.62 and was 2nd at the Saucony All Star Scholastic Meet in the 1,600 with 4:14.28. (He was not eligible to compete in the OATCCC State Indoor Meet as Chagin Falls has not approved Indoor Track to date).
Outdoors he was undefeated in Ohio in the 1,600, winning the D2 boy's State championship in 4:05.62, establishing new DII, DII State Meet and Owen's Stadium 1,600m records, breaking the 2015 records of 4:07.12, set by CVCA's Ryan Adams in 2015. He went on to place 6th in the Adidas Boost Boston Games Mile in a time 4:07.70.
Hudson's Gavin Gaynor demonstrated in 2016 why was one of the best distance runners in Ohio history. Indoors. He was 2nd in the 2015 OHSAA DI State Cross Country Meet with a 15:13.80. Indoors in 2016, he repeated as the 1,600m champion at the MileSplit Showcase, running a 4:14.01. He won the Yale Track Classic 3,000m with an 8:56.42. He repeated as the DI OATCCC 1,600m Champions with a 4:09.14.
He followed up his outstanding Indoor season by repeating his DI OHSAA State 1,600m championship with a 4:09.24. He was 2nd at the Eastern Relays in the 3,200 with an 8:50.59 and ran a 4:07.17, in placing 8th, at the Adidas Boost Boston Games Mile.
Sylvania Southview's Frank Hayes became just the 2nd Ohio HS boy All-Time to run sub-1:50 in the 800m in an open race. His 1:49.16 in repeating as the D1 OHSAA 800m champion, was a new Owens Stadium Record, breaking the 1:50.77 run by Cory Leslie of Sandusky Perkings in 2008. Hayes joins the very elite, All-Time Ohio, 800m Sub-1:50 category along with Marc Sylvester of St. Ignatius who has the record of 1:48.93 set in 2001.
In addition to his record setting 800m run at the State Meet, indoors, Hayes was 4th in the MileSplit Showcase in the 400 with a 49.50 and won the OATCCC DI 800m run with a 1:55.32. He was 10th in the 800 at the NBNI Championships with a 1:53.95. Outdoors, in addition to his record setting DI championship, he won the NBNO 800m with another sub-1:50 performance of 1:49.36.
Watkins Memorial'sAndrew Jordancapped off his outstanding 2016 T&F season by winning the Brooks PR Two-Mile in 8:50.12, solidifying his elite status as one of Ohio's All-Time bests in the distance races. His winning time ranked him US #1 in the Two-Mile in 2016 and was an Ohio #2 All-Time. Jordan also won the OHSAA D1 3,200 establishing new Division 1, State Meet and Owens Stadium records with an 8:54.96. Earlier in the year at the Eastern Relays he ran an OH #2 and 2016 US #2 3,200 with a time of 8:46.72.
Indoors, he was just as good in winning the 3,200 at the MileSplit Scholastic Showcase with a time of 8:54.82 and defending his OATCCC D1 3,200 title, running a 9:03.68. His 8:54.82 was a 2016 US #2, US #5 All-Time and OH #1 All-Time indoors.
Stiver's School for the ArtsTyler Johnson had an incredible 2016, establishing himself as one of Ohio's All-Time best sprinters He was undefeated in Ohio indoors in the 60m and outdoors in the 400m. Indoors he won the OATCCC D2/3 60m with a time of 6.78, defended his title in the 400, in a US #14, 48.08 and was 2nd in the 200 with a 22.34. He was 22nd in the NBNI 60m with a 7.02.
Outdoors, he was just as good, as he ran undefeated in the 400m. He was 2nd in the OHSAA D2 100m with a 10.78, 1st in the 200 with a 21.55 and defended his 400 title with a 46.61. One week later, in 90+ degree weather at the Midwest Meet of Champions, he won the 100 in 10.72, set a new meet record, US #5, 46.19 in the 400 and finished 8th in the 200 (22.62). His 46.19 400 is an Ohio All-Time #2 behind Dayton Dunbar'sChris Nellom's1990 45.36. Johnson, did not run post season.
.jpg)
.jpg)
-2.jpg)