Girls Track Notebook: Loudonville's Shultz pushing herself to new heights

Leading the pack is hard enough, but Loudonville’s Tess Schultz has made a habit of it.

After a breakout season in 2023, which ended in an All-Ohio finish in the 1,600-meter run, the junior has wasted little time this spring getting back to that late-season form.

Schultz clocked an impressive 5:07.03 in winning the Bob Royer Invitational — the fourth-fastest time of her career that broke the previous meet record — and is already at a mark that she didn’t reach until the postseason a year ago.

But even more impressive than her times on the track is the veteran’s ability to come up with a plan before each race and, more importantly, stick to it even when the going might get tough.

“To run distance races, you have to have a strong internal motivation and drive, and Tess has that,” Redbirds distance coach Whitney Snyder said. “Before a race, we take a look at what the field looks like, build a strategy, and she goes for it and does her thing.

“She’s learning to trust the process and her abilities with every race moving towards postseason time.”

But for Schultz, who was fourth at the Division III state meet last June, it’s about versatility.

So far this season she has ran in everything from the 400 to the 3,200 — clocking personal-best runs in the 400 (1:03.39) and 3,200 (11:24.98) — along with shaving seconds off of her 800 and 1,600 times with every meet.

“The thing that has been the most apparent this season has been watching her settle into her racing strategies and following through,” Snyder said. “Her overall fitness is serving her well, which has helped her gain strength and consistency in her 1,600, as well as her 3,200.”

All-around athlete

It's common for track athletes to do a little bit of everything to help their team win in the regular season.

Smithville's Claire Haas is one of those athletes.

Haas had an impressive week as she registered the fastest 200 time in the area this spring, thanks to a 27.19, along with the second-best 400 (1:01.65) — trailing only teammate Maddy Lengacher (59.53).

If that wasn't enough, Haas has been a key member of sprint relays for the Smithies and recently broke the 15-foot mark in the long jump, clearing 15-2.

“We've known she has the ability and to see her able to put things together this season is wonderful,” Smithville coach Kirstie Mahas said. “Claire is such a hard worker and has a positive attitude even when things haven't always come together for her. She pushes herself, which in turn encourages her teammates because the individual successes help build team success. Claire is really developing into a well-rounded athlete with her performances in long jump and on the track.”

Hitting her stride

While Northwestern’s Emily Thompson has been the local standard in both throwing events, Haley Bittinger of Norwayne is quickly moving up the ranks. The sophomore recorded a personal-record 114-11 in the discus at the Nikki Reynolds Invitational, just a week after breaking into the 40-foot range in the shot with a 40-0½ toss at the Triway Invitational.

And it’s not just technique and strength that has helped Bittinger excel, it’s also been staying focused throughout the entire competition on her goals.

“Haley has put a lot of work in this past winter and has bought into the mental and physical part of the training in being a thrower,” Indorf said. “She still continues to grow with this and it’s exciting to see her growth in a short amount of time.”

** Waynedale senior Clara Sundberg has been among the top distance runners in the area her entire prep career. This season, however, the veteran has been on a tear in shattering previous-best times. A week after registering her personal-best 2:27.47 in the 800 at the Triway Invitational, Sundberg ran a 5:33.21 at the Josh Olin Night Invitational.

As the postseason gets underway later this month, she's now has her eyes set on setting more records — most importantly the school's 800 mark of 2:19.02 set back in 2005 by Tasha Stroh.

“We've been experimenting with different training this season and, after a couple of difficult cross country seasons, it's felt really good to be back and running faster times again,” Sundberg said, after her races at the Triway Invite. “Right now, I'm aiming for the school record and I'm hoping to get it.”

Final laps

A pair of Wooster seniors have stepped up in recent weeks. Mid-distance runner Mattie Dunlap recently clocked a personal-record 2:26.4 in a dual meet with West Holmes, followed by another 2:26.42 in a loaded field at the Nikki Reynolds Invite, while thrower Grace Kostohryz is fresh off of her first 100-foot toss in the discus of the season — going 106-11 — and added another spring-best of 38-9 in the shot put.

** Waynedale’s sprinters have been on a tear this spring and this past week was no different. The 4x1 team is just 0.05 seconds off of the school record after a 51.56, while the 4x2’s time of 1:49.07 is less than a second off the program mark. The group includes Anna Pittman, Callie Wolfe, Skye Morris, and Nayeli Cruz.

** The Rittman 4x8 team of sophomore Brooke Bowlby and freshman Selah Amos, Ryver Ramsier and Annabelle Snyder combined for the area's first sub-10-minute time of the season, running a 9:56.03 to win the Thrilla in Zoarvilla by over 16 seconds.

** Rayauna Lies of Hiland clocked a career-best 2:29.37 at the Tom Lantz Invitational, just the sixth area runner to break 2:30 this spring.

** Norwayne’s Kaylee Graham hit a big PR at Wooster last weekend in the 300 hurdles as the sophomore clocked a 47.86, just 0.06 seconds off of the area lead held by Waynedale’s Skye Morris.

** Orrville's 4x4 team enters the week on a five-meet streak of season-best times. The all-underclassman group of sophomores Cadence Wilson, Annie McAllister, Joscilyn Crenshaw and freshman Emma Buss recently ran a 4:31 to join the area leaderboard.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Girls Track Notebook: Loudonville's Shultz pushing herself to new heights