OHSAA State Meet: Bold Predictions And Events To Watch

Division 2 Boys


Bold Prediction 1: Blake Lucius Breaks Division 2 State Meet Record in 800

The Shelby boys have been rolling in 2019 and Blake Lucius has been a part of their success. 

The middle distance specialist is well ahead of the field in the 800, but is chasing down history. The Division 2 overall and state meet record stands at 1:50.77, which may seem like a dubious mark for a young man who has so far in his career has topped out at 1:53.60, but his two fastest marks of his outdoor career have come in the past two weeks and he could be poised to continue to push the envelope this weekend. 

It will take a US No. 5 mark or better to get the job done, but don't count out Lucius as he looks to keep the good times rolling. 

Races To Watch

4x200 Meter Relay


Top 5 Seeds: 

1) Bishop Hartley - 1:29.09

2) Dayton Dunbar - 1:29.21

3) Pepper Pike Orange - 1:29.22

4) Oak Harbor - 1:29.31

5) Buchtel - 1:29.38

Breakdown:

There are six teams heading into the weekend between 1:29.09 and 1:29.89 (River View) in the Boys Division 2 4x200, making this one way too close to call. 

Bishop Hartley leads the way at 1:29.09 and will look to hold off challenges from strong Dunbar and Orange squads. Oak Harbor and Buchtel make it five teams with 0.37 seconds of each other.

But don't forget about Youngstown East! They ran 1:28.40 earlier this year and enter at 1:30.38. 

400 Meter Run


Top 5 Seeds:

1) Matt McBride, Conneaut - 48.56

2) Robie Glass, Springfield Shawnee - 48.97

3) Tyler Manon, Bryan - 49.18

4) Brazeil Moor, Clark Montessori - 49.26

5) Aiden Hall, Struthers - 49.39

Breakdown:

The 400 is packed with solid talent led by Conneaut's Matt McBride and Springfield Shawnee's Robie Glass. 

Glass will be busy all weekend as he runs the 100, 200, 400, and high jump. His best chances to win seem to be in the high jump and 400 as Tre Tucker is still lurking in the 100 and 200, so watch for Glass - who boasts a 47.97 season best - to go all out for the title in the quarter mile. 

McBride is coming off a third place finish in Division 2 last spring and looking to hold off Glass for the win in his own right. Last weekend's 48.56 was his first career sub-49 so he looks to peaking at just the right time. 

Ten other competitors boast season bests in the 49s which will make a spot to finals highly coveted. 

300 Meter Hurdles


Top 5 Seeds:

1) Jimmy Harkelroad, Huron - 38.04

2) Joseph Clifford, John Glenn - 38.08

3) Javan Poole, Meadowdale - 38.85

4) Justin Laugh, Vincent Warren - 38.88

5) Armon Frey, Pepper Pike Orange - 39.03

Breakdown:

John Glenn's Joseph Clifford is the reigning champion in this event, but he appears to have a challenger this year in the form of Huron's Jimmy Harkelroad. 

Clifford went 38.12 for the win last spring while Harkelroad came across 8th, but the junior has made an impressive leap this spring to close the gap on Clifford. Now separated by a mere .04 seconds, the two will duke it out on Saturday as it should come down to a lean. 

It will be a tight race for one of the top nine spots to finals as twelve more boys come in between 38.85-39.84. Warren's Justin Laugh was the next best returning finisher from 2018's race as only three boys are returning for 2019's event. 

3200 Meter Run


Top 5 Seeds:

1) Caleb Brown, Shelby - 9:36.16

2) Aiden Kammler, Portsmouth - 9:47.82

3) Ben Bayless, Indian Hill - 9:48.08

4) Braxton Tate, Galion - 9:49.77

5) Bryce Conley, Tippecanoe - 9:50.63

Breakdown:

It's been a breakout 2019 for Shelby's Caleb Brown and the junior appears to be the favorite to secure another state title. 

After running to victory indoors in the 3200, Brown has shown no signs of slowing down as he has posted an electric 9:05.16, 24 seconds ahead of the next fastest 3200 runner in Division 2. He cruised a 9:36.16 last weekend and still enters as the top seed by 11 seconds. 

The race for second will come down to one of the sixteen other boys between 9:47-10:00 as the rest of the field is packed in like sardines. It would appear Ben Bayless of Indian Hill has the best shot of breaking away to take on Brown as he enters the weekend with the only other season best mark under 9:30 (9:29.19). Also watch for Brown's teammate Samuel Logan to make it a 1-2 finish. His 9:31.17 season best is third among Division 2 runners. 

Field Events To Watch


High Jump

The high jump will surely be a heavyweight battle between the afore-mentioned Robie Glass and Shelby's Uriah Schwemley. Schwemley is on a mission to add 10 points to his squad's team title quest while Glass is looking to regain his spot atop the podium. Schwemley is the reigning champ with Glass having finished third last season, but Glass was the 2017 champion as a freshman. Both boys have cleared 6-8 this year with five others at 6-6 entering the weekend. 


Shot Put

With a 61-2 mark, Cole Laroche (Bellaire) is the top seed in the shot put, but this event could go one of several different ways. 

The heavy hitters that will challenging Laroche include Van Wert's Austin Clay (58-7.75), Northwestern-Springfield's Adam Riedinger (58-1), Genoa Area's Noah Koch (57-7.75), and Northwestern-Springfield's Blake Jamison (57-1). Dark horses in this one include West Holmes' Lane Graham (56-10.5), Eastwood's Erik Fertig (55-8.25), and Ridgewood's JJ Durr (55-5).