COLUMBUS, Ohio — Championship Saturday is just on the horizon at the 2023 OHSAA state track and field meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. Several athletes have already won state championships. But many more will be crowned on Saturday.
Friday’s semifinal races in the sprint events and relays offer a better picture of what to expect when a state title is on the line on Saturday. But those Friday results don’t always guarantee success.
Many Northeast Ohio girls track and field athletes are still in the mix to win a state title. Here is a look at each event featuring an area athlete in Saturday’s finals across all three divisions and who the favorites are to win or place very high on the podium.
100-meter hurdles
Juliette Laracuente-Huebner of Marengo Highland set the time to beat in Division II with a 14.13-second time in semifinals on Friday. Woodridge’s Anna Rorrer (15.10) and Lake Catholic’s Claire Duricky (15.30) are also in the finals and will run in Lanes 8 and 9, respectively.
100-meter dash
Trinity’s Iniya Charlton will be the only area runner in the finals of the 100 after clinching a spot in Division III. She will be in Lane 7 and has a chance to finish in the top five. Tiffin Calvert’s Leah Smith (12.11) had the fastest time in Friday’s semifinals.
4x200-meter relay
Gahanna Lincoln is the favorite to win in Division I after a 1:38.04 time in the semifinals. Shaker Heights is the only local team in this field and should be in the mix for a top-five spot.
Toledo Central Catholic had the top semifinals time in D2 (1:42.30). But Gilmour Academy, CVCA and Beaumont all have strong podium potential.
1,600-meter run
In D1, Westlake’s Sarah Peer has the top seed time from regionals (4:53.00) and is the top returning finisher from last year when he took second. But Olmsted Falls’ Katie Clute, the reigning Division I cross country state champion, and Mentor’s Savannah Dennison headline a strong field, particularly when it comes to Northeast Ohio runners, who will also challenge for first.
Dayton Oakwood’s Bella Butler had the best regional time in Division II (4:52.46). Gilmour’s Amy Weybrecht (5:01.88) comes in as the third seed and Woodridge’s Reese Reaman, who anchored her 4x800 team to a third-place finish on Friday, is fourth.
4x100 relay
Westerville Central had the top time in the D1 semifinals (47.19), with Columbus DeSales (47.64) and Pickerington Central (47.70) not too far behind. Cleveland JFK and Twinsburg will be on the outside lanes as they each battle for a podium spot.
Buchtel finished just 0.02 seconds behind Cincinnati Madeira and Oak Harbor for the fifth seed out of the semifinal in D2. Gilmour is also in the final after earning the ninth and final qualifying spot. Toledo Central Catholic (48.95) had the top time.
In D3, Dalton (49.40) was the only team to run faster than 50 seconds on Friday. Trinity (50.45) is the only local team in this race but is the fourth seed in Saturday’s final.
400-meter run
Amherst’s Ella Baker had the fastest semifinal time in D1 (55.78). Shaker Heights’ Claire Dunn (56.15) was second. Cloverleaf’s Riley Evans, who was the runner up last year at state, and Mentor’s Makenzie Stuckert, who took fourth, are also in this final.
Hawken’s Leila Metres was the fastest area runner in Division II, finishing fourth in the semis (57.62). But the favorites are top qualifier Alexa Fortman of Ottawa-Glandorf (56.65) and Newark Licking Valley’s Reagan Campbell (57.30), who was the state champion in this event last year.
Haviland Wayne Trace’s Sydnee Sinn, last year’s champion in this event, is poised to repeat after finishing in 55.81 on Friday, nearly two seconds faster than her next-closest competitor. Oberlin’s Olivia Hudson (59.11) will represent Northeast Ohio in this event.
300-meter hurdles
Solon’s Morgan Blackford is in Lane 1 in the final as she tries to place in the D1 final, with Wadsworth’s Ellie Zuro next to her in Lane 2. Gahanna Lincoln’s Camden Bentley is the favorite to not only win this event, but to sweep the hurdles.
Rorrer won her heat in Division II (44.93) and finished just 0.04 seconds behind Johnstown Northridge’s Isabel Evans for the top overall seed. Duricky also has a good chance to get back on the podium.
800-meter run
In D1, Dennison and Stow’s Jayla Atkinson are among the top contenders to win. Hilliard Davidson’s Celia Schulte (2:11.50) posted the best time at regionals.
Woodridge’s Marissa Boone (2:13.41) is the favorite in D2 based on regional times. Her teammate, Reaman, has a shot to join her on the podium. Weybrecht (2:15.29) had the fourth-best time in regionals and won this event at the state meet in 2021.
Mogadore’s Katie Lane is the only area runner in the D3 final. Sinn is the favorite based on her regional time. Lane is the 12th seed of 18, but has a shot to get on the podium.
200-meter run
St. Clairsville’s Emma Henry (24.75) had the top semifinal time in D2, but Laracuente-Huebner isn’t too far behind and could cap off a busy Saturday with another high place. Metres, who will be in Lane 8, is the only area runner in this field.
This will be Charlton’s third final of the day as she is in Lane 3 for the D3 final. Her 25.51-second time was 0.97 seconds slower than the top time on Friday, set by Coldwater’s Izzy Zahn. Dalton’s Brianna Chenevey (24.91) was the only other state qualifier in this event to break 25 seconds on Friday.
3,200-meter run
As is the case in the 1,600 final in Division I, Clute and Peer will be among the favorites. But Strongsville’s Julia Isham (10:24.65) had the fastest time from the regional meets.
St. Vincent-St. Mary’s Olivia Kindborn is the most likely area athlete to get onto the podium in Division II as she enters with the eighth-best time from regionals. Butler (10:55.66) was the only runner in the state to break 11 minutes in regionals.
4x400 relay
Solon won its heat in the Division I semifinals (3:54.70) and was second overall only to Upper Arlington (3:53.53).
Woodridge (4:00.70) took the top time from the semifinals in D2 by just 0.14 seconds ahead of Ottawa-Glandorf. Beaumont should be battling for a top-five spot.
Discus
Avon’s Rania Brown heads into the D1 discus final with the third-best throw from regionals (138 feet, two inches) and could be in the mix to win a state title. Bexley’s Sydnie Smith (145-7) is the top seed.
In D2, CVCA’s Kylee Zamecnik and Brookside’s Zuriah Redeff Koonce will both try to place. They are in the first of two fields and based on their regional throws, they have to make up some distance to get to the podium. Laracuente-Huebner (19-2.75) is the top seed.
High jump
Olentangy Liberty’s Camryn Thompson and Kings Mills Kings’ Zoe Lenney were the only competitors in Division I to clear 5-6 at regionals. Midview’s Alexis Weber should place high after clearing 5-4, which is tied for third best.
Long jump
Weber might have a chance to sweep the jumps. She holds the top seed in the long jump (18-10.5) with Lakewood’s Kaydence Doxley (18-8.25) not too far behind in second.
Shot put
In Division I, Lorain’s Samone Whitt has the best chance to place highest on the podium among area throwers after her 41-10.75 throw at regionals. That was third best behind Columbus Eastmoor’s Zuriya Robinson (42-0) and Warren Howland’s Courtney Clark (43-0.5).
After breaking two records and tying another in the discus on Friday in Division II, Norton’s Morgan Hallett will go for her third consecutive shot put state title on Saturday. She had the best throw (45-9.5) of any competitor in regionals.
Pole vault
North Royalton’s Marissa Ratliff looks like the top challenger in Division I to Pataskala Watkins Memorial’s Victoria Harvey, who had the top height from regionals at 12-9. Ratliff cleared 12-4. Berea-Midpark’s Finley Devins was one of five athletes in the field tied for clearing 12-0.
Tallmadge’s Kate Archer is the fourth seed (11-4) in Division II. But Springfield Greenon’s Tru Buddenberg (12-4) is the strong favorite with a height eight inches better than the next-best vaulter of the group.
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