PHOTO CREDIT: DAVID NGUYEN
JAMES WENT TO NATIONALS AS A FRESHAMN
This Spring He Leads Ohio
Barack James finished fifth in the 110 hurdles final at New Balance Nationals Outdoor last June, went to New Balance Nationals Indoor in March, and this spring has run 13.79 in the 110H - first in Ohio, 44th nationally, a full second faster than the time he ran in Eugene. He is a sophomore who has been to two national meets and has not stopped improving between them.
The indoor progression told the story first. He ran 8.98 in the 60 hurdles in the winter of his freshman year. By the OATCCC D2 Indoor State Meet this past March he was at 8.00 in the prelims, sixth in Ohio. Outdoors this spring he has won every 110H he has entered, running 13.79 at the Saline Golden Triangle on May 1 to lead the state. The 300H is a secondary event in which he is still developing - 41.19 at Saline puts him 124th in Ohio.
Derek Harmer first cleared 6-4 as a sophomore. He cleared it again as a junior. He has placed at the OHSAA District and Region in the high jump in each of the past two seasons without pushing past that number. At the Bulldog Invite on Apr 25 he cleared 6-6 - a career PR, 14th in Ohio - in what is his final outdoor season. He has also run 12.29 in the 100 this spring, and has been one of the more consistent presences in the Northern Lakes League jumps for three years.
Emily Schultz ran 20.76 in the 100 hurdles at the Buckeye Conference Middle School Championships in 2022. She has run faster every season since - 18.05 as a freshman, 17.47 as a sophomore, 16.57 as a junior. At the Bulldog Invite on Apr 25 she ran 15.15, 26th in Ohio and a career best by more than a second. She has also run 49.11 in the 300H and gone 15-7.5 in the long jump this spring. She and Harmer are both seniors, both with their best marks on the books heading into the final weeks of their high school careers.
Beyond those three, Oregon Clay has real depth across events. Justin Lajti is 60th in Ohio in the shot put at 52-9. Cash Mahr is 152nd in the discus at 147-11. Arianna Bench is 102nd in the girls discus at 116-10. Logan Davis is 91st in the pole vault at 13-0. Carly Miller is 91st in the girls pole vault at 10-0. Tanner Reindel is 343rd in the 800 at 2:03.63. Jason Domagala is 271st in the 300H at 42.47. Christian Stephens is 345th in the long jump at 20-3. Olivia Muir is 223rd in the girls 200 at 26.53.
Let's see what happens next.
PHOTO CREDIT: DAVID NGUYEN
JAMES WENT TO NATIONALS AS A FRESHAMN
This Spring He Leads Ohio
Barack James finished fifth in the 110 hurdles final at New Balance Nationals Outdoor last June, went to New Balance Nationals Indoor in March, and this spring has run 13.79 in the 110H - first in Ohio, 44th nationally, a full second faster than the time he ran in Eugene. He is a sophomore who has been to two national meets and has not stopped improving between them.
The indoor progression told the story first. He ran 8.98 in the 60 hurdles in the winter of his freshman year. By the OATCCC D2 Indoor State Meet this past March he was at 8.00 in the prelims, sixth in Ohio. Outdoors this spring he has won every 110H he has entered, running 13.79 at the Saline Golden Triangle on May 1 to lead the state. The 300H is a secondary event in which he is still developing - 41.19 at Saline puts him 124th in Ohio.