DIII-IV State Indoor Track and Field: Oberlin girls repeat as champs

The battle for the top was hardly a battle at all. The Oberlin girls successfully defended their Division 4 state title Saturday at the 22nd annual Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Indoor State Championships for Divisions 3 and 4 at SPIRE Institute in Geneva. Oberlin scored in six events as it amassed 58 points to outdistance Smithville (35) and Ansonia (26) for the top spot. Last year Oberlin held off Rittman 42-34. Seniors Olivia Hudson and Alyssa Webb led Oberlin. Hudson won her second 400-meter indoor state title in three years as she clocked 57.29 to defeat Tiffin Calvert senior Emily Miller (57.82). Hudson later added a third in the 200 (25.63) as she finished behind Spencerville senior Audra McMichael (25.36) and Antwerp junior Mia Stoye (25.60). Webb contributed with a third in the 60 (7.92) and a fourth in the 200 (26.07). Hudson was instrumental in helping Oberlin defend its titles in the 800 and 1,600 relays. Hudson and Webb teamed with senior Aubrey Abeyta and sophomore Cayman Noble to win the 800 relay in 1:42.86, easily defeating Newcomerstown (1:49.44). Oberlin wrapped up the day with Hudson and Abeyta teaming with sophomore De'Shyana Freeman and freshman Hailey Petzak to win the 1,600 relay (4:10.00) over Rittman (4:16.31). Both of the winning relay times were significantly faster than Oberlin's winning times last year: 1:45.52 and 4:12.33. "I felt great today," said Hudson. "Some of my races weren't my best but what's important is they helped the team. As a team we all did well and I'm proud of us all. We've been working hard this season and it came all out on the track today. "It feels great to be able to defend our title and to end the indoor season on a high note. There will be definitely more to come outdoors as we continue to work hard." Noble also contributed in the field events with a fourth in long jump (16-8.5). "It was a big motivator knowing that we had to defend our title," Webb said. "Our team performed amazing. I'm very proud of all of us. I think I performed well in my events, getting a new PR in the 60 and 200 with a 7.88 and 26.07. I had a great leadoff leg in the 4x200 to quickly make up the stagger." Oberlin also got a nice boost on the boys side. The Phoenix's 3,200 relay of Grant Abeyta, Peter Caldwell-Kepner, Brandon Bertoni and Collin Boardman was fourth (8:44.60). "The boys 4x800 and the girls did awesome but that's because of the work we've put in since November," Oberlin coach Rodney Hooks said. "Everyone had a personal best today in each of their individual events and relays. The coaches are so very proud of our team." In Division 2 action Friday, Amherst senior Camden Simo finished second in the 25-pound weight throw with a toss of 57-9.25. Logan senior Talen Alford won the event with a 58-4.75. Comets sophomore Evan Swiers was ninth at 52-1.25. Amherst junior Alex Sixbey was 11th in the Division 2 girls pole vault with a mark of 11-6. Granville's Annie McCracken won the event, clearing 13-4. Contact Paul Heyse at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Division 3 Boys Team scores 1. Glenville, 67; 2. Oak Harbor, 29; 3. Morgan, 26. Local team: 36. Firelands, 6. Out of 64 teams that scored. Top local results 200: 1. Ja'Vier Kerr (Glenville), 21.64; 11. Colton Clough (Firelands), 22.64; 12. Andrew Pawlak (Firelands), 22.74 400: 1. Kerr (Glenville), 48.31; 3. Clough (Firelands), 48.96 1,600: 1. Maddox Roach (East Liverpool), 4:21.87; 5. Eli McConoughey (Keystone), 4:28.61 3,200-meter relay: 1. Liberty-Benton, 8:03.49; 15. Elyria Catholic (Luke Jones, John Barber, Ian Pallardy, Brayden Van Dyke), 9:02.76 Triple jump: 1. Jaxon Pauley (Morgan), 43-6.25; 13. Maverick Whalen (Elyria Catholic), 36-5 Girls Team scores1. Beachwood, 52; 2. Tie – Eastwood and Maysville, 29. Local team: t-28. Elyria Catholic and Vermilion, 8; 36. Firelands, 6; 42. Brookside, 5. Out of 66 teams that scored. Top local results 60: 1. Kdyn Harris-Tate (Beachwood), 7.77; 3. Brooke Whisenant (Vermilion), 7.86 200: 1. Kyrsten Ginn (Beachwood), 24.92; 14. Whisenant (Vermilion), 27.42 400: 1. Meena Abdul-Basser (Beachwood), 56.86; 3. Audrey Smith (Firelands), 59.25; 7. Whisenant (Vermilion), 59.97 1,600: 1. Gwen Huddle (Napoleon), 4:53.50; 12. Bree Bodde (Elyria Catholic), 5:27.87 3,200: 1. Huddle, 10:47.71; 14. Bodde, 12:14.16 60-meter hurdles: 1. Madison Jones (Meadowdale), 8.72; 4. Avery Davis (Brookside), 9.16 800-meter relay: 1. Beachwood, 1:41.64; 12. Elyria Catholic (Talia Doud, Ella Feskanich, Sophia Niederst, Madelyn Krese), 1:52.13 1,600-meter relay: 1. Fenwick, 4:06.84; 6. Elyria Catholic (Krese, Sylvia Linnell, Niederst, Feskanich), 4:19.14 High jump: 1. Katie Burns (Adena), 5-3; 13. Teaghan Jasinski (Firelands), 4-10 Triple jump: 1. Emma Tamasovich (Maysville), 36-9.75; 4. Niederst (Elyria Catholic), 33-8.25 Division 4 Boys Team scores 1. Shenandoah, 33; 2. Ansonia, 30; 3. Seneca, 23. Local team: t-10. Black River, 16. Out of 65 teams that scored. Top local results 3,200: 1. Bennett Lehman (Ansonia), 9:53.84; 11. Connor Rhein (Black River), 10:28.91 1,600-meter relay: 1. Shenandoah, 3:34.40; 2. Black River (Austin Pamer, Lucas Olive, Kyle Vonderau, Noah Orgel), 3:35.72 3,200-meter relay: 1. Fisher Catholic, 8:20.62; 2. Black River (Orgel, Rhein, Olive, Vonderau), 8:40.91; 4. Oberlin (Grant Abeyta, Peter Caldwell-Kepner, Brandon Bertoni, Collin Boardman), 8:44.60 Girls Team scores 1. Oberlin, 58; 2. Smithville, 35; 3. Ansonia, 26. Out of a total of 65 teams that scored. Top local results 60: 1. Audra McMichael (Spencerville), 7.76; 3. Alyssa Webb (Oberlin), 7.92; 5. Cayman Noble (Oberlin), 8.02 200: 1. Audra McMichael (Spencerville), 25.36; 2. Mia Stoye (Antwerp), 25.60; 3. Olivia Hudson (Oberlin), 25.63; 4. Webb (Oberlin), 26.07 400: 1. Hudson (Oberlin), 57.29; 7. Aubrey Abeyta (Oberlin), 1:00.99 800-meter relay: 1. Oberlin (Abeyta, Hudson, Cayman Noble, Webb), 1:42.86 1,600-meter relay: 1. Oberlin (Abeyta, De'Shyana Freeman, Hailey Petzak, Hudson), 4:10.00 3,200-meter relay: 1. Rittman, 9:57.92; 11. Oberlin (Phoebe Shuck, Rose Marie Boyer, Molly Caldwell-Kepner, Melody Cyrus), 11:37.31 Long jump: 1. Kendyll Dent (Harvest Preparatory), 17-3.5; 4. Noble (Oberlin), 16-8.5