COLUMBUS: A 96-minute weather delay made the grounds and track wet for the majority of Saturday’s Division I finals inside Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Heavy rain, lightning and thunder sent athletes and spectators scrambling for cover, but once the skies cleared Hudson senior Gavin Gaynor showed up to win his second consecutive Division I 1,600-meter title in the 109th annual boys state track and field meet.
Gaynor, a Princeton recruit, crossed the finish line in 4:09.24. He has won two indoor and two outdoor state titles in the 1,600.
“My main goal coming into this season was to defend my title out here at the state meet,” Gaynor said. “The rain delay was less than optimal. I was considering going for the state record, which is 4:05.13 [set by Bob Kennedy of Westerville North in 1988]. Joseph Bistritz from Chagrin Falls ran 4:05.62 today [to win the Division II state title] and was pretty close to the record [before the weather delay]”
Strongsville senior Cassie Martin took first in the high jump (5-7) for her third title in a row in the 42nd annual girls state track and field meet. Mustangs freshman Emilia Lesniak and New Philadelphia freshman Aaliyah Currence tied for fourth at 5-6 each.
“I am so happy,” said Martin, who previously won state titles with jumps of 5-8 and 5-9. “I looked up to Taylor Burke when she competed at Medina. She was a three-time state champion, too, so to do the same as her is amazing. I am so excited.”
Martin, a Duke recruit, joined senior Megan Sievers and juniors Bethany DeLoof and Madeline Kreller to placed fifth in the 800 relay in 1:40.66.
Brunswick freshman Felicia Pasadyn crossed the finish line second in the girls 3,200 in 10:45.6. Pasadyn is a state qualifier in cross country, swimming and track and field.
“I just think you can’t ever say never,” Pasadyn said. “I honestly think that anything can happen and that quote came true during this race.”
Walsh Jesuit junior Mary Figler took third in the girls 800 in 2:10.42.
“Last year was my first year doing the 800, so it was kind of a learning experience for me and I took that into this year’s races,” Figler said. “Running against [Geneva senior] Brittany Aveni and [Chardon senior] Rachel Banks [who placed first and second] during the past two years showed me the ways of the race and how to compete.”
Marlington junior Lane Knoch placed third in the boys 110 hurdles (14.42) and second in the 300 hurdles (38.13).
“I did a lot better than I expected to do, to be completely honest,” Knoch said. “At the beginning of the year, I moved up to DI after I barely squeaked into the finals at state last year in DII, so I thought that I wasn’t even going to have a shot this year. To place on the podium in both events and to place so well in both events is really surprising.”
Copley senior Jared Davis, a Brigham Young recruit, finished eighth in the boys 110 hurdles (17.73) and fourth in the 300 hurdles (38.17).
“I did what I was supposed to do, except for the 110s when I had a little mistake and I didn’t bring my trail leg over the hurdle,” Davis said. “I fell, but I still finished the race. I was disappointed obviously, but I am proud of myself for how I did throughout the year. “In the 300s, I ran my race and didn’t do anything different and got the outcome I think I deserved. ... I enjoyed the moment more than worrying about winning so much.”
Perry senior Lucas Kelley won the boys pole vault title (16-8). North Canton Hoover’s Matt Peare (15-8) and Wadsworth’s Danny Malkowski (15-4) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
Medina junior Carolyn Wilder was third in the girls discus (137-7) and fourth in the shot put (42-9). Wadsworth’s Matt Blamble was third in the boys 200 (21.81), Copley’s Larnell Nealy finished fourth in the boys high jump (6-7) and Perry’s Macee Erickson placed fifth in the girls pole vault (12-8).
Twinsburg’s Justin Kimble (11.08) and Nordonia’s Tony Woods (11.08), friends since third grade, placed fifth and sixth, respectively, in the boys 100.
Twinsburg was sixth in the girls 800 relay (1:40.68) and fourth in the 400 relay (47.81) with Lauryn McKinley, Emmarie Foote, Nya Bussey and Rocki Jones.
Nordonia’s Faith Banks took fifth in the girls 400 (55.76) and was on the fourth-place 1,600 relay (3:51.71) with Carmen Licht, Katrina Eterovich and Aja Duvall.
GlenOak was fourth in the boys 1,600 relay at 3:18.06 with Gage Feola and Pierlus Burton teaming up with Paul Murray and Alex Nupp.