The Scoop: New State Leaders And Outstanding Alumni Efforts


(Jayla Atkinson earlier this season at the SPIRE Showcase)

Photo Credit: Christian Lisle - MileSplit


Olivia Pace ventured to the Big Apple, where she had an opportunity to share the track with a collection of the nation's top sprinters at the Millrose Games

Focusing on the 60, Pace clocked 7.42 for 5th overall in a contest that had the likes of Adaejah Hodge, McKenzie Travis and Brianna Selby in the field. 

Pace made it known earlier this season that she's attacking Abby Steiner's all-time state record mark of 7.36, achieved at the 2018 OATCCC Division I State Championships. She'll have a few more cracks at that number in the upcoming OATCCC Division I State Championships and New Balance Nationals meets. 

Notably, at Millrose, Pace was marked at 6.90 for her 55m en route time, which is narrowly off her career best of 6.89 from January's VA Showcase

The state's top ranked 800 meter performer Jayla Atkinson earned the runner-up spot at YSU in 2:14.04. The senior from Stow-Munroe Falls occupies the first spot on Ohio's leaderboard via her meet title at the SPIRE Showcase earlier in the month, where she went 2:12.64. 

On Saturday at the WATTS Atkinson took a close second to PA's Logan St. John-Kletter in Section 1. 

The Mount Lebanon senior, and UNC Tar Heels signee, went down to the 800m distance for the first time this season after a barrage of big performances in the 1600m, 1 Mile and 3200m. 

Her winning mark of 2:12.30 stations her at No. 5 in the loaded Pennsylvania state rankings for half-milers.

Two of the top three high school level weight throw efforts were performed over the weekend with Kinsey Shull and Aubree Beery winning their respective competitions at Tiffin and Logan

Both juniors, Shull, from Riverdale, went over 49 feet at 49-3 for a new personal best in her first appearance this season at the Tiffin High School Series No. 3. She was the runner-up in the event at the 2023 OATCCC Division II/III State Championships.

Shull's mark checks-in at No. 2 in Ohio for the '24 campaign. 

Winning for the third time in four weight throw competitions this winter, Lancaster's Beery tossed a PR 48-1 (Ohio No. 3) at the Ohio Capital Conference Championships. She took 8th place at last year's OATCCC Division I State Championships.

At Muskingum, Amanda Rauch earned her third high jump title of the season, clearing 5-5 for a personal best and OH tie for No. 3 at the Pioneer Elite Invitational

The Warren High School junior has state meet experience from 2023, where she contested the pole vault event. 

Taking her talents down to the Bluegrass State, Kennedy Cunningham won the shot competition at Eastern Indoors with a Ohio No. 3 mark of 41-0.25.

The senior from Madeira has finished no lower than third in any of her half dozen meets this season and now has collected four meet titles. 

A new overall state lead was established in the pole vault event with Brayden Snider clearing 12-3 to win at Otterbein

A junior from John Glenn, Snider leads a tight pack of Ohio vaulters that includes a group of eight ranging between 12-2 and 12-0 behind her. 

Snider has kept an active schedule this season with eight starts to this point including three wins.

She was fourth last year at the OATCCC Division II/III State Championships and then went on to vault well at New Balance Nationals.