“I thought we were in seventh, actually,” Hartman said after the race. “Honestly, the first lap I thought this isn’t going to happen. The second lap I thought, well, I’m a little bit closer so I might as well try for it. The last 200 I just tried to push as hard as I could.”
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Hartman stormed past both Tippecanoe and Carroll with about 300 meters remaining to finish third at the Division II track and field regional championships at Piqua High School on Thursday. Oakwood finished in 9:45.10. Tipp was fourth in 9:48.40 and Carroll missed a state berth in fifth at 9:51.44.
Cincinnati Indian Hill won in 9:34.66 and Defiance was second in 9:34.84.
“I didn’t know until the end (we qualified for state),” Hartman said. “I actually thought we finished in fifth.”
“I knew,” said junior teammate Elizabeth Vaughn, laughing. “I was like, ‘Grace, it’s that one. You gotta catch her!’”
Oakwood, which entered the 16-team event with the fifth-fastest time in the seedings, fell as far back as seventh. The foursome of senior Mary Kidwell, junior Lily Eifert, Vaughn and Hartman stayed close to the leaders and gave themselves a chance entering the final hand off.
“It’s super exciting. I knew we had the chance but it feels so surreal,” Eifert said. “This is my first time going to state so I’m excited.”
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The Jills’ 3,200 team failed to qualify for state last season, but this team has state experience elsewhere. Hartman, Vaughn and Kidwell competed at the D-II state cross country championships in November with Hartman finishing second, Vaughn 10th and Kidwell 75th out of 177 runners.
Kidwell also competed at the D-II swimming championships in March on Oakwood’s 400-yard freestyle relay team. Qualifying for Columbus in track is additionally gratifying for Kidwell since last year’s 3,200 team was hampered by injuries.
“We were really struggling at the end of the year to put a team together,” Kidwell said. “I’m so happy to come back with these ladies and make it to state. They’re a heck of a team.”
“We just wanted to qualify and make it to the next round,” added Vaughn. “We haven’t quite all run together yet so we’re still figuring each other out. There’s more to come from us.”
As the fourth leg Hartman earned the applause coming to the finish, but just like those clean baton hand offs, she passed off the accolades to her three teammates.
“All of them are great,” Hartman said. “They do the majority of the work.”
Also qualifying for the D-II state meet next week:
* Miami East senior Blaine Brokschmidt set a personal record in the pole vault to win his second straight regional title. Brokschmidt won the event clearing 15-9, surpassing his previous outdoor best of 15-0. He went 15-1 during the indoor season. Otsego senior Blaine Kitchen was second at 14-02.
* Milton-Union junior Ally Lyons finished third in the high jump clearing 5-3. Lyons finished in a three-way tie and won it by clearing 5-3 on her first attempt, while the other two competitors need three jumps. Starting at 4-06, Lyons cleared her first seven heights on her first attempt before going out at 5-4.
* Dunbar sophomore Greg Packnett placed third in the long jump at 21-09.5 and Ponitz senior Mykal Comminey was fourth at 21-08.75. Packnett’s best jump came on his sixth and final attempt. Comminey, who fouled on three of his attempts, came up with his qualifying jump on his third attempt.
* The Dunbar boys 3,200-relay team of seniors Isaiah Walker, Amari White, Bruce Sargent and junior Deandre Jolly finished fourth in 8:19.46. The Wolverines edged out Monroe by 1.38 seconds.
* The Tipp girls 3,200-relay team of seniors Katie Taylor and Jillian Brown, junior Tori Prenger and sophomore Mackenzie Dix finished fourth.
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