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Winning the 3,200 meters (10:56.35) after being out-leaned for second in the 1,600 (4:53.43) will have to do. It also was a major reason why Oakwood tied for second among girls teams.
That was the best an area girls or boys team fared in D-II. Dunbar, which has won four boys D-II state outdoor titles since 2012, won two relays but finished fourth.
West Liberty-Salem won the 3,200 and 800 relays and placed second in two other events to win a girls D-III state team title on Saturday morning. It was the first state title for the Ohio Heritage Conference rep, which outpointed runner-up Archbold 50-39. That wasn’t the only strong D-III Springfield girls showing. Catholic Central, fueled by three individual wins, was third (34).
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East Canton (42) won the D-III boys team title. Fort Loramie (25) was sixth. The running finals for the D-I girls and boys meets were late Saturday afternoon.
Hartman was in great position to win the 1,600, but couldn’t shake Hawken sophomore Ella Gilson, who nipped her at the end. That left the 3,200 for Hartman and junior teammate Elizabeth Vaughn. They led a thinning pack through seven laps and Hartman pulled away in the final 200 for a comfortable win. Vaughn was third.
Combined with the points Oakwood collected for a fifth in Friday’s 3,200 relay – both of which Hartman and Vaughn ran on – Oakwood soared to second and tied Akron St. Vincent-St. Marys for second as a team, each with 28 points. Cincinnati Indian Hill was the girls D-II winner (43).
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That was the best Oakwood has fared at the girls state meet, which began in 1975. Oakwood won three consecutive boys team titles from 1929-31.
“It was a very fun season,” Hartman said. “I have very supportive teammates and it was a blast.”
• There were six area boys D-II state winners, including the Dunbar 800 (1:27.36) and 400 (42.08) relays. None were more unlikely than Meadowdale hurdler Javan Poole.
The junior missed all of last season with an injury and ineligible grades. Healed and having shored up his academics, the tall and lean glider returned to the oval and his specialty, the 300 hurdles.
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He won the Piqua regional but dipped to third in his finals qualifying heat on Friday. That put him in a dreaded lane 2 for the final, “and that’s a really hard lane,” he said. “I had to make sure my stride was open and my arms were going, no matter what place I thought I was in.”
That turned out to be first (37.40).
Robie Glass of Springfield Shawnee won the D-II high jump (6-8) on Friday and was second in the 400 (48.08) on Saturday. Also winning in D-II on Friday was Northwestern senior Adam Riedinger in the shot put (59-7.50) and Miami East senior Blaine Brokschmidt in the pole vault (15-6).
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• Butler junior Dalton Shepler won the boys D-I pole vault (16-6) and missed three times at what would have been a state record 17-2.25. Centerville senior Yariel Soto, the defending state champ, was fourth (15-6). Soto, also the defending state champ in the long jump, was fourth in that event, too (23-6.25).
“It’s about darn time,” said Shepler, a heavy favorite to contend for state titles as a freshman and sophomore, but couldn’t make it out of those regionals. “I was just trying to get to state and I won. I’m super blessed.”
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• Also posting a D-II girls win was the Chaminade Julienne 400 relay (47.89). Placing second among D-II boys was CJ’s Calvin Hatcher in the 200 (22.12), Bryce Conley of Tippecanoe in the 3,200 (9:32.12) and the Dunbar 1,600 relay (3:20.69).
Placing second among D-II girls was the CJ 800 relay (1:42.93) and CJ’s Jazmyn Potts in the 300 hurdles (43.46).
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• WL-Salem opened the D-III girls meet on Friday by winning the 3,200 relay (9:19.08) and closed by placing second in the 1,600 relay. The Tigers had already secured the title before that race. WL-Salem also won the 800 relay (1:44.24).
Catholic Central benefitted from Abbie Engel’s tough distance double. The junior won the 1,600 (4:56.38) and followed with another win in the 3,200 (10:52.85). Catholic Central freshman Mallory Mullen also won the high jump (5-7) on Friday.
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Other area D-III winners were Fort Loramie senior Jake Rethman in the 1,600 (4:23.88) and Covington senior Lauren Christian in the shot put (44-7.25).
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