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Another outdoor track state championship has come and gone, following an action-packed weekend across Central Ohio.
This weekend's state championship was like no other as each division hosted their own event at a different Central Region high school, but that did not stop the state's top stars from coming out and putting on stellar performances one final time this season.
From the three state championship meets, we picked out some of the many notable performances to highlight.
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Justin Braun completes the Sprint Triple
Entering the weekend, all eyes were on Justin Braun and whether or not he could win the 100m, 200m, and 400m dash events and he did not disappoint. Braun walked away with all three state titles, defeating some of the state's top talents. In the 200m, he ran a 21.13 and outpaced Steven McElroy, who finished second. In the 400m, Braun ran a new US No. 1 time in the event, finishing in 46.14, holding off Korbin Martino, who took the runner-up spotl.
Braun concludes the season with several new accolades added to his distinguished resume and leaves us with excitement wondering what he'll pull off during his senior year.
The Division 1 1600m steals the show
One of the best races of the day throughout the state was not necessarily the most competitive, but certainly had one of the most astounding results. Nathan Mountain ran away with the race, winning the state title with a time of 4:06.84. Behind Mountain, six more runners finished under 4:15, making it one of the fastest 1600m races in the country this season.
Mountain would later come back to podium in the 3200m race as well, finishing seventh. Nathan Moore would win the race, running a 9:00.88. Takumi Ford, who was among one of the seven racers to run under 4:15 in the 1600m race, came back to finish third in the 3200m race as well, punctuating an impressive day for the Bellbrook senior.
Nick Plant Drops Incredible US No. 3 time of 1:49.79 to secure 800m win!
Watch: 800m Finals Race Video
Pickerington North Boys Relays finish first in 4x200m and 4x400m
One of the most notorious sprint schools in the state lived up to their hype this weekend, winning two state titles against very competitive fields. Zamen Siyoum, Daylon Duncan, and Steven McElroy competed in both events, collecting two victories for the Panthers.
Carl Allen was the final sprinter a part of the Panthers' 4x200m relay team while Derrick Amapps filled his spot in the 4x400m relay team. The two relay victories would give Pickerington North twenty points, which would propel the team to win the team championship.
Paige Floriea... Dominates
There is no other way to describe it. Paige Floriea was utterly dominant this weekend and stole the show. Floriea walked away with victories in the 100m, 200m, 400m, and long jump this weekend, which alone would have been enough for Mentor to pull off the victory. Floriea became the first Division 1 girl to complete the triple crown in state history.
Not only did Floriea win four events, but she did so in emphatic fashion. Floriea ran 11.93 in the 100m, 24.17 in the 200m, 54.25 in the 400m, and jumped a 19-10.25 in the long jump, which sits as a US No. 6. Floriea will attend the University of North Carolina starting this fall and will begin competition in Chapel Hill as a six-time Ohio state champion, which includes three in the long jump.
Brooklynn Crist excels across multiple events, captures three golds and a silver!
Molly Radcliffe dominates throws events
Molly Radcliffe entered the weekend a favorite to at least one state title in a throwing event and went above and beyond, decisively winning the discus and shot put competitions. Radcliffe came out of the gates on fire in both events with each of her best throws coming in her first two attempts. Radcliffe closes out her career in the most fitting way possible and will enter her freshman year at Youngstown State as a two-time state champion in high school.
Watterson Girls win 4x200m and 4x400m Relays
Mentor handily won the girl's team title in Division 1 this weekend, but the battle for second and third was very close and Watterson ended up securing a third-place finish, much due in part to their 4x200m and 4x400m relay teams.
Grace Jenkins and Cailin O'Reilly were a part of both championship-winning teams that helped Watterson place third place in the team standings. Anna Kessler and Sydney Workman competed in the 4x200m relay, which pulled off a .04 second victory against Euclid, who won the prelims in the event. Jordan Morales and Erin Connors competed in the 4x400m relay.
Woodridge goes ¾ in Distance events
Once again, Woodridge took care of business in Division 2 boys' state championship distance events. On Friday, the 4x800m relay team won, running a 7:52.40. The team consisted of Zayd Elkurd, Caden Hibbs, Aaron Dutt, and Ryan Champa.
The next day, Woodridge's success continued. Elkurd would go on to win the 800m title, running a 1:55.23, just edging out Ricky Marsico in an amazing race. Champa followed up his teammate's performance, winning the 3200m following a fourth-place finish in the 1600m. Dutt finished 12th in the 1600m as well.
This group of distance runners would play a instrumental role in Woodridge's state title victory, edging out Glenville by half a point. Woodridge's distance runners combined to make up 35 of their 43 total points.
Division 2 Long Jump comes down to every inch
Another tight battle for a state championship came down to mere inches on Friday. Ryne Shackelford jumped 22-09.50 and narrowly defeated Davontae Fahle in the event, who jumped 22-09.25. Shackelford had himself a nice weekend, finishing fourth in the 100m dash.
Lane Graham wins both Division 2 Boys throws events
Once again, another thrower completed the double and in a decisive manner. In the shot put, Lane Graham dominated from the beginning as all three legal throws would have been enough for Graham to win the competition. The discus came down to the final toss, where Graham would throw 8 feet further than he did all day, which would guarantee his second state championship of the weekend.
Chante Clinkscale claims Division 2 Girls 100m and 200m victories
Entering the week, Chante Clinkscale was the clear favorite in both Division 2 sprinting events and she lived up to the expectations, dominating the rest of the field. In the 100m, Clinkscale raced to 11.86, winning by .4 seconds and in the 200m, she ran a 24.30, winning by a comfortable .84 seconds. Clinkscale caps off her stellar career at Niles McKinley with two commanding state titles and will compete for the University of Dayton in the winter and spring.
Grace Hartman completes the Division 2 "Distance Double"
Widely considered one of the most difficult doubles in all track and field, Hartman was one of two individuals to accomplish the accolade this year, winning the 1600m and 3200m races. In the 1600m, Grace Hartman raced to a 4:52.08 alongside her teammate Bella Butler, who finished second. Despite the big 1600m effort, Hartman took the 3200m out fast, leading by nearly the entire homestretch at one point, and would win the event running a 10:48.50.
Oakwood would also win the 4x800m relay on Friday. Hartman and Butler were both a part of this state championship-winning relay along with Anna Almoney and Hannah Moulton. In addition, Oakwood would win the Division 2 girls team title as well.
Eli Fullerton captures the Division 3 "Distance Double"
In the Division 3 preview, we mentioned that Eli Fullerton was "on the cusp" of winning a state title for some time now, and in response, Fullerton pulled off one of the most impressive feats a Division 3 distance runner has achieved since Colonel Crawford legend Chad Johnson.
Fullerton raced to a victory in the 1600m, running a 4:16.07 and would follow that up by running a 9:27.14 in the 3200m. It is fair to say Fullerton stepped up to the plate big on Saturday, capping off an incredible career for the senior and scoring twenty big points for Belpre.
Allison Johnson wins 800m and 1600m, finishes second in 100m hurdles
In a combination of events I never thought I would see, Allison Johnson did it all this weekend, while also sitting out of the 400m dash and 3200m, two events she led all of Division 3.
In the 100m hurdles, Johnson finished second behind Mackenzie Hartman and won the 1600m, running a 4:56.18. Johnson's best performance of the weekend ended up being her last, where she ran a remarkable 2:08.81 time in the 800m.
Mackenzie Hartman wins both Division 3 hurdle events
Entering the weekend, Mackenzie Hartman was the clear favorite in the two hurdle events and she delivered in a big way, winning both in impressive fashion. Hartman also pulled away in the long jump competition and would win a state championship in that event. Hartman jumped 17-08.75 on her fifth attempt, improving on her 17-01.75, which she jumped on her first attempt.
Kenna Stimmel dominates Pole Vault, wins 100m dash
Kenna Stimmel became a national star following her stunning indoor track season in the pole vault and she finished the job this weekend, winning the pole vault by nearly 2 feet with her 13-6 showing.
Stimmel also captured a victory in the 100m dash, holding off Greta Barker by .08 seconds, running a 12.19.