Valley's Campbell, Heath's Dunlap stand on All-Ohio podium after PRs
Dave WeidigCOLUMBUS ― Reagan Campbell ran faster than she ever has Saturday during the heat in Ohio State's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
And Allie Dunlap vaulted higher than she has ever gone.
Even though they didn't emerge with coveted championships at the Division II state track meet, both Licking County League senior stars were able to smile while standing on the podium in front of the main grandstand.
Campbell, going for a second state title in the past three years in the 400 meters, nearly ran down defending champion Alexa Fortman before falling just a step short, but still ran a personal record :56.43 to Fortman's :56.21 in earning state runner-up honors. After she shared a hug with Fortman, who later ran the best winning 800 time of anyone in the state (2:09.47), the often-reserved but highly-competitive Campbell could not complain.
"I'm really happy with it," she said. "It was a good race, and it was my best time. I'm proud of where I've come to."
Four girls (Fortman, Campbell, third-place finisher Leila Metres of Hawken and Toledo Central Catholic's Mary Ellis, who ran fourth), all broke 57 seconds, and all made All-Ohio for a second consecutive year. But for the Bowling Green-bound Campbell, who dipped to seventh last year after 2021's title run, it was sweet redemption against another strong field.
"The first 200 (meters) was really fast. A lot of girls went out really hard, and that's kind of what I expected," she said. "My real focus was on the last 150, and I think I really showed up. It just wasn't quite enough. She (Fortman) is a great competitor. I enjoyed going up against her, and everyone else."
Later, competing against a star-studded 200-meter field that included Highland's amazing Juliette Laracuente-Huebner and Northridge's Colette Patti, Campbell bettered her regional time, clocking :25.32 and placing seventh. Laracuente-Huebner, who won in :24.23, nearly brought the Scots a team championship by scoring 40 points, after she also captured the 100 hurdles (:13.64), high jump (5-10.75) and long jump (19-11).
The hurdles time would have been a D-II state meet record, but it was ruled to have been wind-aided. Laracuente-Huebner, Highland's only state competitor, still walked off with the runner-up trophy for her team as Peninsula Woodridge edged her out with 45 points.
Earlier in the day, Heath's Dunlap continued her stellar late-season progression that literally has taken her to new heights. First, she cleared 11 feet for the first time at the LCL meet. Then, it grew to 11-4 at the regional. In the state, she first increased her school record to 11-6, then extended it to 11-10 on her last try at the height. She wasn't too far off in her three attempts at 12-2.
Dunlap missed once at 10-6, then cleared 10-10, 11-2 and 11-6 without a miss. Five girls did 11-10 and she was given seventh place based on misses, good for All-Ohio status.
"That was my goal, to get on the podium, after never having been there before," Dunlap said. "I was really trying hard to get that 12-2, and I almost did."
She exceeded her expectations.
"I felt good coming in, but probably not 11-10," Dunlap admitted. "Until I cleared 11-6. I've made really good progress, thanks to coach (Matt) Sorg at Licking Valley. The last two poles, I got them at practice (from Ohio Wesleyan), and it was the first time I was on them. A couple of weeks into the season, I started going to Valley. It makes you wonder what I would have done, if I had gone for four years?"
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