The meet begins at 9:30 Friday morning with Division III long-distance relays and Division II field events and will continue into the evening with Division I events set to begin at 4:45 p.m. and running until 7:25.
Division II and III return to action at 9:30 Saturday morning with Division I field events following at noon.
Here is a look at what to watch for in each division:
1. Wayne is eyeing a repeat for the girls while the boys want to finish the job this time.
The Warrior girls won their first state track meet last season while the boys came up one point shy in a wide-open competition.
This year the boys bring back sprinters Jamier Averette-Brown (100-mater dash, 200, 4x1 relay, 4x2 relay) and Key’Shawn Garrett (200, 4x1, 4x2, long jump) and hurdler Keng Martin (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4x2, 4x1).
Representing the girls will be senior Te’aira Branham-Patrick (100, 200, 4x1 relay) and Trinity Bibbs (200, 4x1).
Beavercreek is another team to watch on the boys side with Isaiah-Michael Williams in the high jump, distance runner Jackson Davis (800-meter, 1600) and the 4x800 and 4x400 relays while Centerville is sending both long-distance relay teams, distance runner Daniel Emmert and Ethan Ireland in the pole vault.
The Elks also will be well-represented in the girls meet with Mia Fry running the 1600 and 4x8, Samaria Williams in the 200, 4x2 and 4x4, Alyssa Grim in the high jump and Ann Lehmann in the pole vault.
2. Coy Hyre is hoping for a big encore.
Hyre dominated the Division II meet last year as a junior for Brookville, winning the 100 in 10.65 seconds after qualifying in 10.51 and winning the 200 in 21.61 after qualifying in 21.20.
This year he is back in both sprints and part of qualifying 4x1 and 4x4 relay teams while Lucas Tipton qualified for the Blue Devils in the 800 and Xavier Stacy will throw the shot put.
Carroll senior Andrew Janson is also among notable returnees in Division II. He won the 800 last year and anchored the Patriots’ winning 4x800 relay and will run in both events again this weekend along with the 4x4 relay.
On the girls side, Oakwood junior Delaney Cahill is back after finishing third in the 3,200 last year. She will also run in the 4x8 relay and have plenty of company in Columbus.
Oakwood is also sending Sady Altenburg (100 hurdles and 300 hurdles), Kaya Asinjo (400, 800 and 4x8), Katherine Erwin (800, 4x,4, 4x8), Mia Allard (400, 4x4) and two pole vaulters (Mila Gelbart and Addie Cash).
3. In Division III, Marion Local is the two-time defending champion for the boys while Coldwater finished second among the girls teams last year.
The Flyers won the Midwest Athletic Conference boys meet and have three relay teams headed to Columbus plus Victor Hoelscher in the 100 and 200 and Cale Nagel in the long jump.
Likewise, the Cavaliers girls won the MAC meet last month and have numerous competitors heading to Columbus. That group includes Izzy Zahn, who won the 200 and long jump and was part of the victorious 4x4 relay team last year. She has qualified again in all three of those events this year along with the 400.
Also qualifying from Coldwater is freshman Claire Bertke in the 100, 200, 4x2 and 4x1, Audrey Alig in the 800, 4x4 and 4x8 and Rowan Schmitmeyer in the pole fault.
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