While every event at the state meet is important and fun to watch and each has its little elements and story lines that interest different individuals, here are five events that should be labeled "Do Not Miss." If you are a true fan of Track and Field you won't want to miss these events.
Below are the events for Boys Division 1, in no particular order, that you will want to make sure that you get to see.
1. 3200m Run
Saturday at 6:10pm
This event could go one of two ways, it will either be a barn burner or a sit-and-kick race. Here's hoping to a barn burner. If the race goes out fast, Steve Padgett's (LaSalle) 9:00.97 record could be in jeopardy with the possibility that two athletes could dip below the 9-minute mark. Tsehaye Hiluf of Reynoldsburg and Nick Vogele of Anderson battled at the Eastern Relays in Kentucky and set personal best marks of 9:00.20 and 9:01.88, respectively, and are the favorties to take home a gold medal. Others that could contend for top spots on the podium are Nick Pupino (Copley), Sam Wharton (Tippecanoe), and Willy Fink (Maumee).
2. Discus
Saturday at 3:00pm
Any time you get a chance to watch a 200' thrower you should make sure you go and watch. Mack Tudor (Western Brown) set the Division 1 Record at 206'4" at the Wayne Invitational on April 24th. Since then Mack has been hovering in the 190' range and is ready to pop another big 200'+ throw. This group includes 6 athletes that have gone over 180', with another 5 athletes that have gone over 170'. Other athletes to watch include Chris Wormley (Whitmer), Aaron Zedella (St. Edward), Lovell Peterson (Wayne), Billy Price (Fitch), and Blake Thomas (St. Ignatius).
3. Pole Vault
Saturday at Noon
When the defending state champion is in an event, people take notice to see if they can defend their title. When the defending state champion is also the 2011 NBON Champion, the 2011 IAAF World Youth Games bronze medalist, the 2012 NBIN Champion as well as the 2012 OATCCC State Indoor champion and has an Indoor PR of 17-6.5 and an Outdoor PR of 17-1, everybody stops and watches. I'm talking about Jacob Blankenship of Gahanna Lincoln, who has cleared 17' the last two weeks, including 17-1 to reset the OHSAA Division 1 Record. While Blankenship is the clear cut favorite, Charlie Moushey (Westerville Central), Aaron Owens (Midpark), Michael Bennet (Coffman) and Cody Swisher (Findlay) will look to dethrone the defending champion.
4. 4x800m Relay
Friday at 5:00pm
This will be a fast race. It could take a sub 7:50 team effort to just make the podium. The top four times come out of the Pickerington Regional where a 7:50 effort didn't even make it to the state meet. Westerville North, Reynoldsburg, Lancaster and Pickerington North have already gone 7:47 or better. Add to that Anderson, Nordonia, Mentor, St. Ignatius, Stow-Munroe Falls, Kenston and Centerville, who have all gone 7:55 or better, and you have the makings of a fast and exciting relay race.
5. 1600m
Saturday at 5:05pm
The big question is whether Brannon Kidder of Lancaster will go for the Division 1 and State Meet record of 4:05.13 (which was set in 1988 by Bob Kennedy of Westerville North), or will he try to do just enough to get the win and try to conserve some energy so that he can take a shot at winning both the 1600m and 800m. Kidder had an impressive double last Friday at the Pickerington Regional, he won the 1600m in a time of 4:09.98, and then came back to win the 800m in 1:51.77, which shows he has a chance at the double. Others to watch for in the 1600m are Jacob Dumford (Westerville North), Willy Fink (Maumee), Garrett Crichlow (Twinsburg), Jarrod Genther (Canal Winchester), Jordan Redd (Fairborn) and Jacob Brumfield (Vandalia-Butler).
Returning State Champions
Event - Name (School) - Last Year's winning time/mark
110m Hurdles - Donovan Robertson (Berea) - 13.70
4x200m Relay - Thomas Worthington - 1:27.42
1600m Run - Brannon Kidder (Lancaster) - 4:09.32
300m Hurdles - Donovan Robertson (Berea) - 36.90
200m Dash - Anthony Young (St. Edward) - 21.59
3200m Run - Tsehaye Hiluf (Reynoldsburg) - 9:17.09
4x400m Relay - Glenville - 3:14.87
Pole Vault - Jacob Blankenship (Gahanna Lincoln) - 17-0