OATCCC State Meet Recap: Shelby Distance Boys Go 4-for-4

D1 Boys

Zarik Brown Completes 200/400 Double

National MileSplit Editor Cory Mull beat us to the punch. Wayne's Zarik Brown is coming on fast!

Brown had his work cut out for him as he sought out the sprints triple on Saturday, but coming away with 2 wins of 3 can hardly be counted as a failure. Starting with the 60 dash, Brown came away with some hardware as he came across the line third in 6.84, losing out to Gahanna Lincoln's LaCarr Trent and Pickerington Central's Lorenzo Styles, Jr. After that, it was all gold (individually) for the senior from Huber Heights. 

In the 400, Brown was able to hold off some of the top talents in the state en route to his 48.77 victory. Behind him in second was Reynoldsburg's Lance Gauthney in 49.11, Korbin Martino (Canal Winchester) in 49.12, and freshman Justin Braun (Thomas Worthington) in 49.13. It was a lifetime best for Brown, OH No. 1, and US No. 31. 

In the 200, Brown provided another 10-spot for his Wayne squad with his third indoor personal best of the day, a 21.54 mark that helped him edge out Trent (21.61) and Lima Shawnee's Christian Ford (21.66). With the win, Brown secured an undefeated season in the 200 and 400, winning all eight races this winter. He would go on to provide a leg on a sixth place 4x400 relay, 3:29.20. 

Watch all of Brown's races here

Manley Holds Off Moore for 1600 Win, Moore Runs US No. 5 Among Sophomores

It was a tactical one on Saturday in the boys 1600, one that came down to an all-out sprint over the final straightaway, but when the dust cleared, Hudson's Evan Manley - the favorite heading into it - came out on top. With his 4:20.63, Manley was able to secure his first career state title, but the young man who he held off for the gold was not who we originally thought it would be. Manley boasts a 4:13 outdoor best in the 1600 and should be a sub-4:10 when the spring season begins. 

Lake-Uniontown's Nathan Moore was right on Manley's heels all the way through the end of the race as he stepped across the line in 4:20.95. Moore is now the fifth fastest sophomore in the country in the 1600 and is about to break out in a big way. After running 4:16.67 full mile as a freshman, he dropped a 15:34.10 5K this cross country season and finished out the Ohio indoor racing circuit 9 seconds faster in the 1600 than he finished last winter. Keep an eye on Moore this spring. 

Watch the Boys D1 1600 here: 

Easter, Harrison Clear State Record-Tying 6-10 in High Jump

It was a great day for the high jump at SPIRE as the D1 boys showed us. Twinsburg's Etaijen Easter and the junior from Shaker Heights Jaivon Harrison matched each other height for height en route to two 6-10 clearances. Easter would win the event on jumps after having cleared 6-10 on his first attempt. The duo also leapt into the top rankings in the country, tying for third among all high jumpers in the US. 

Easter earned his second straight indoor title in the high jump as he continues to excel as the top high jumper in the entire state. 

Hairston Secures Long Jump/Triple Jump Double

Vertical jumps? We'll give that to Etaijen Easter. Horizontal jumps? In Ohio, it's all Del'mario Hairston. 

The Lake Catholic senior continued his dominance on Saturday by winning the long jump for the eighth time this year and securing his first career state championship. Hairston cleared a SPIRE HS record and indoor personal best 23-8 to win by over a foot. Centerville's Yariel Soto jumped 22-7.5 to finish second and Wayne's Brian Hill secured six points for his squad with a 22-0 mark. 

The long jump was a foregone conclusion heading into the weekend, but the triple jump was going to be a slightly tougher task. Olentangy Orange's Jaeschel Acheampong gave Hairston a run for his money, but fell just short on Saturday. In fact, both boys were tied at 47-4.25 heading into their final attempts. In their final jumps, though, Acheampong was unable to improve upon his mark while Hairston was able to pop off a 47-6.5 jump for the win. Hairston leapt into the top 25 rankings in the country while Acheampong comes in at 30th. 

Kings 4x800 Cracks US Top 10

We made a bold prediction on Friday that Kings would have a gold medal in the 800 from sophomore Alex Justus. While that did not come to fruition, he was still able to help his squad secure a gold medal in the 4x800 relay. Alongside his brother, Zack, Ryan O'Connor, and Jacob Krynock, the Kings team dropped a US No. 10 7:54.15. They finished fifth last year, but were able to drop five seconds to move up to the top spot in the state this year. 

Mentor finished second in 7:54.77 (US No. 13) and Hilliard Davidson took third in 7:55.87.