The Olentangy Orange boys track and field team made some serious noise in the relay events, qualifying four next week’s state showcase in all four, and senior Jayden Rodgers picked up an individual title in the 110 hurdles to highlight the Pioneers’ second-place finish at Friday’s Division I regional championship in Pickerington.
Rodgers secured first-place points in 110 hurdles with an effort of 14.16 seconds.
Orange also won a regional title in the 3,200-meter relay as the team of Andrew Schroff, Tommy Wintering, Alex Kenish and Tyler King crossed the finish line in 7:46.63.
As for the other relays, Orange nabbed runner-up honors in the 800- and 1,600-meter races — Joel Sarpong, Kevin Acheampong, Max Stewart and Jaeschal Acheampong teamed up to finish in 1:27.73 in the 800 and Jaeschal Acheampong, Christian Wright, Manny Anderson and King finished the 1,600 in 3:19.65 — and advanced to the state championship in the 400-meter relay as Brandon Ransom, Kevin Acheampong, Sarpong and Jaeschal Acheampong finished fourth in 42.96 seconds.
Other state qualifiers on the boys’ side from Friday’s action included Big Walnut’s Brandon Mosher, who won a regional title in the shot put with a heave of 56-04.25; and the Golden Eagles’ Tim Rumas, who finished second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.53 seconds.
In girls’ action, Orange won a regional title in the 400-meter relay as Brenda Agyekum, Grace Frye, Maya Patterson and Mackenzie Blendick combined to finish in 47.73 seconds.
Olentangy’s Siobhan Szerencsits and Olentangy Liberty’s Gracie Sprankle also nabbed regional crowns. Szerencsits won the pole vault with an effort of 13-05 while Sprankle picked up first-place points in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:43.60.
Other state qualifiers from Friday’s events included Agyekum, who finished second in the 100-meter dash (12.27 seconds); Blendick and Frye, who finished fourth in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, respectively (15.20 and 44.47 seconds); Delaware Hayes’ Torie Young, who finished third in the 400-meter dash (56.72 seconds); the Pacers’ Madeline Hayes, who finished fourth in the pole vault (11-04); Liberty’s Emma Bower, who finished third in the 3,200-meter run (10:47.17); and the Patriots’ 800-meter relay team of Carrie Lawal, Nicole Tonetti, Brea White and Sydney Englehart, which finished fourth (1:41.52).
Frye also advanced in the discus, finishing second with a toss of 132-08.
Division III regional championship
Delaware Christian sophomore Lyssi Snouffer, who earned a spot in the upcoming state championship meet with a regional title in the high jump earlier this week, came back and finished seventh in the long jump at Friday’s Division III regional championship meet in Lancaster.
Snouffer finished with a mark of 15-11.50.
