2024 OHSAA State Championships - Division I Recap

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The 2024 OHSAA Division I State Championships at Welcome Stadium at the University of Dayton brought together the elite of Ohio high school track and field. This premier event saw the best athletes from across the state compete in a thrilling showcase of speed, strength, and skill. As the season's grand finale, the championships were a testament to months of rigorous training and unwavering dedication. Spectators witnessed awe-inspiring performances, from lightning-fast sprints to remarkable field events, as these top-tier athletes left everything on the track. The 2024 Division I State Championships not only highlighted the exceptional talent within Ohio but also set the stage for the future stars of the sport.

Here we highlight the top performances/performers for Division I. 

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Medina Dominates D1 State Meet, Makes History

It was a banner day for Elyria senior, Mateo Medina, at the Division 1 State Championships where he dominated the spring events for three races and three wins, became just the second runner in state history to run under 46-seconds in the 400m dash, and finished his 2024 track season with four state titles (indoors and outdoors). 

In the 100m, Medina narrowly defeated freshman sensation Jamier Averette-Brown, 10.82 to 10.89 with a strong headwind. In the 200m, Medina posted a strong time of 21.67 with an even stronger headwind. Finally, in the 400m, Medina became just the second boy in state history to run under 46 seconds for the 400m, posting a time of 45.88 to win by almost a second. His time of 45.88 now ranks #2 in Ohio state history and is tied for 6th nationally this outdoor season. 

With the three wins, Medina also scored 30 points for Elyria, which just so happened to be enough points to win the Elyria boys the state title, with Medina winning the title individually essentially. 

All-Time OH Boys 400m Times

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An All-Time Fast 4x800m Race Highlights D1 Boys Championships

In one of the fastest 4x800m races of all-time, the Westerville North boys team of Michael Dellasanta, Gabriel Wise, Casey Carlos, and Ben Gabelman defeated the Massillon Jackson boys team of Elliot Zuckett, Sean McNulty, William Prato, and Cael Ball with both teams posting top-ten times all-time for the relay. 

The Westerville boys team finished with a time of 7:39.91, becoming just the 7th relay team in state history under 7:40, with the Massillon boys coming in just behind them with a time of 7:40.02. Nationally this season, the Westerville boys now rank #6 with the Massillon boys coming in ranked #7. 

All-Time OH Boys 4x800m Times

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Hollingsworth and Smith Face-Off in Intense HJ Battle

Seniors Nate Hollingsworth and Markeise Smith faced off in an intense battle for the Divison 1 high jump battle, with both boys coming away with new PRs and all-time great high jump marks. It was Hollingswroth who came away with the win, finishing witha. mark of 6' 11", which ranks tied for 14th all-time on Ohio, and just outside the top ten marks all-time. Just behind him with a jump of 6' 10", was Smith who now ranks tied for 23rd all-time in Ohio. 

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White Dominates Girls D1 Hurdles Races

There will be some intense showdowns in the Division 1 girls hurdles for years to come with the amount of talent that was shown by underclassmen on Saturday, but if she keeps is up, sophomore Ric'Keya White will be hard to beat the next two years. In the 100m hurdles, the top five finishers were all freshmen or sophomores with White coming away with the win with a time of 14.28, winning by 0.63 seconds. In the 300m, it was also white coming away with the victory, with a time of 42.69, winning by 0.39 seconds. 

While she didn't set new PRs at state, White is already on her way to becoming an all-time great in Ohio. She currently ranks tied for 30th all-time in the 100m dash, tied for 15th all-time in the 100m hurdles and 5th all-time in the 300m hurdles. If you look at it for just the sophomore class for Ohio, her ranks improve to 19th in the 100m, 2nd in the 100m hurdles and 1st in the 300m hurdles. 

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Scott Cruises for 200m Win

Maira Scott did her thing in the 200m, winning both the prelims and finals with times of 23.55 and 23.66 that are among the best times nationally and in state history. Scott won the finals with a time of 23.66, dominating to the tune of a 0.78 second victory over Olivia Pace. Her times of 23.55 and 23.66 from the meet, rank 13th all-time and 22nd all-time among all performances all-time. 

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Aldrink Wins 3200m With Historic Sophomore Time

Elena Aldrink narrowly won the girls 3200m title over a surging Rae Kawalec who finished as runner-up. Aldrink, a sophomore, won with a time of 10:35.34, to Kawalecs 10:37.38. This was a new PR for Aldrink, who had a previous best time of 10:50.23. With her huge PR, Aldrink moved from outside to top 100 3200m times all-time in Ohio, up to 28th all-time. 

Her time of 10:35.34, also ranks among the best in her class all-time for Ohio, ranking 5th all-time for the Ohio sophomore girls all-time. It also ranks as the 28th best time in her class this season. 

All-Time Ohio Sophomore Girls 3200m Times