After posting a blistering 14.20-second mark in Wednesday’s preliminaries, Big Walnut’s Alec Carr won the finals of the 110 hurdles in 14.37 seconds to highlight the second day of the Division I regional championship meet Friday night in Pickerington.
Carr beat out Beechcroft’s Jayden Douglas, who closed a close second in 14.46 seconds. Carr and Douglas squared off later in the meet, with Douglas edging Carr by less than two-tenths of a second. Douglas crossed the line in 37.12 seconds while Carr clocked in at 37.30 seconds — a new school record.
Next time they race, it’ll be at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in the state track and field tournament.
Olentangy Berlin’s Cooper Citro will join them. Citro nabbed runner-up honors in the 800 with an effort of 1:54.85.
Other state qualifiers on the track included Olentangy Liberty’s 4×200 relay team (Brady Karam, Aedan Gilbreath, Nick Johnson and J.J. Sebert), which finished fourth in 1:27.62; and Orange’s Saketh Rudraraju, who finished fourth in the 3,200 in 9:22.24.
In the field, Olentangy Orange’s Joel Addo finished second in the high jump with an effort of 6-04. He also qualified in the long jump, finishing third in Wednesday’s final with a leap of 22-02.
Olentangy’s Reilly Worthington earned his second nod as well, following up Wednesday’s regional championship in the discus (162-09) with a third-place showing in the shot put (53-00.50). Orange’s Bobby Ogles will also make the trip to OSU, finishing fourth in the discus (147-00).
On the girls’ side, Olentangy Liberty’s Michelle Ezenekwe earned a spot in the state meet with a fourth-place toss of 121-08 in the discus. Orange’s Taylor Hill also kept her season alive, finishing tied for second in the pole vault. She cleared 12-00 — a mark eclipsed only by Pickerington North’s Sophia Bartels, who cleared 12-04 on her third and final attempt.
The duo will join Olentangy’s Chayla Rankin and Olentangy Liberty’s Camryn Thompson, who both qualified with stellar showings in Wednesday’s high jump final. Rankin won the regional crown with an effort of 5-07 while Thompson cleared 5-06 to finish third.
Other area state qualifiers include Olentangy’s Amelia Smith, who closed third in the 400 (58.51 seconds); Orange’s Ava Musgrove, who finished fourth in the 100-meter dash (12.44 seconds); Olentangy Liberty’s 4×200 relay quartet of Sophia Sampson, Natalie Nichols, Morgan Mahan and Kennedy Elfers, who combined to finish fourth (1:43.05); and Orange’s Josephine Davis, Musgrove, Cassidy Shimp and Teresa Christian, who teamed up to finish fourth in the 4×100 relay (48.66 seconds).
BOYS LACROSSE
Dublin Jerome punched a ticket for a return trip to the state final four, knocking off Olentangy Liberty 19-11 in Friday’s Division I regional final.
The Patriots scored the last five goals of the third quarter to slice what was a 15-6 deficit with 3:25 left to just four heading into the fourth.
Grant Kenley and Owen McGee scored twice during the rally while Luke Godwin scored off a feed from Charlie Howenstine to make it a 15-11 game with 13.6 seconds left in the third.
The rally ended there, though, as the Celtics got goals by Carder Ungerott and Xander Johnson to spark a 4-0 game-ending run.
