Friday, May 31st, 2024
Zahn has record-breaking day at state
By Tom Haines
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Coldwater's Izzy Zahn crosses the finish line as she breaks the Division III state record in the 200-meter dash Thursday.
DAYTON - Whether or not Coldwater's Izzy Zahn repeats as state champion in the 200-meter dash today, she etched her name in the history books again Thursday.
Zahn blew away the field in the 200 prelims and set a new Division III state record, then won the long jump title on a tiebreaker on the first day of the state track and field championships at Welcome Stadium in Dayton.
"I was planning on saving more of my energy for tomorrow, but that happened, so that was good," she said of the record. "It was fun. I'm glad I ran that and broke the record. Tomorrow I hope I can run sub-24."
After running the 100 in 12.09 seconds to move on to finals, Zahn switched over to the long jump, posting a mark of 18 feet, 1 1/2 inches but landing in second place. Sandy Valley's Lexi Tucci, who won high jump earlier, jumped 18-7 3/4 after reaching 18-2 in her first try to take the lead.
Zahn then switched back over to the track for the first heat of the 200, where she immediately took control. She ran it in 24.06, a full second ahead of Purcell Marian's Tarajah Byrd in her heat and nearly half a second ahead of Trinity's Iniya Charlton with the next best time.
Against the record books, she was .33 seconds ahead of her state championship time last year, .16 seconds ahead of the state tournament record, and .13 seconds ahead of the overall Division III state record, set by Gates Mills Gilmour's Candace Longino-Thomas in 2009.
She runs it again at 7:55 tonight.
"I'm super excited," she said. "I'll definitely have competition, so I think that'll push me."
Before Zahn could go back to vie for a state title in long jump, though, she had to anchor the Cavaliers' 4x400 team. She took over with a small lead on Minster's Chaney Cedarleaf, but was passed by Margaretta's Olivia Saylor in the backstretch.
Zahn took over late, outsprinting Saylor to the finish for the top seed in today's final, then went back for her final three tries at long jump.
Despite dealing with fatigue from the 4x400, she matched Tucci's mark of 18-7 3/4 on her second-to-last attempt, but Tucci's earlier 18-2 jump gave her the tiebreaker by half an inch.
On her last try, though, Zahn hit 18-4 3/4 to take over the tiebreaker. Tucci had the final jump, but didn't get out cleanly and only went 12-10 1/2, giving Zahn the title.
"It was insane," she said. "I couldn't have done it without God, my coaches, my support. Just grateful."
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Marion Local's Jack Knapke took second in discus with a throw of 177 feet, three inches.
Marion Local's Jack Knapke, who will throw at Ohio State next year, was second in discus. He hit 173-11 in his first throw for a season high, then topped it in his third try with a throw of 177-1, nearly nine feet better than his sixth-place mark last year.
"I had a lot of confidence coming in, just knowing it was my fourth time coming here," he said. "My nerves were not near as high as the first time I came here."
Ashland Crestview's Wade Bolin hit 180 three times for first, but Knapke was four feet ahead of third place.
Minster's Charlie Schmiesing took fifth with a throw of 166-7. Versailles' Leland Bolin was eighth at 158-8, which he threw twice.
"We compete all year," Knapke said of Schmiesing. "He beat me a couple times, I beat him a couple times. But I got him when it mattered."
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Minster's Adriana Kremer was second in high jump, clearing 5-5 with a tiebreaker.
Fellow Wildcat Adriana Kremer, in her first trip to state, placed second in high jump.
Kremer cleared 5-3 on her second jump to ensure a spot in the top seven, then needed all three tries to get over 5-4. On the third, the bar shook but stayed up.
She then cleared 5-5 on her first try, ensuring a spot in the top three, before getting out at 5-6. Troy Christian's Elisabeth Waltz finished third on the tiebreaker because she needed two attempts at 5-5.
"Really happy. I didn't expect it at first," she said. Of what helped her get a three-inch personal record, she said, "Definitely keeping my arch and my speed going over the bar."
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Preston Rutschilling of New Knoxville (left) and Drew Boggs of Delphos St. John's celebrate after both made the podium in high jump.
In boys high jump, New Knoxville's Preston Rutschilling took sixth.
Despite a PR of 6-2 at regionals, Rutschilling needed an at-large bid after Midwest Athletic Conference rival Drew Boggs beat him by half an inch for fourth.
"Right away we looked at other regionals and saw that I was beating two of them already," Rutschilling said, "so I was pretty confident (of qualifying)."
Rutschilling cleared 6-2 on his first jump, then did the same at 6-4 for a spot in the top seven. He fell short at 6-5, taking sixth over Worthington Christian's Camden St. John on a tiebreaker.
Boggs cleared 6-5 on his last try but got no further, finishing fifth.
"Being from the MAC schools, we push each other, which is just making us better," Rutschilling said. "Six-four and 6-5 today. We just make each other better."
Minster's John Keller was 10th in long jump at 20-9 3/4, less than two inches out of ninth and a spot in the finals. Coldwater's Ava Schmitmeyer cleared 11-0 in pole vault but fell short at 11-6 to finish 10th as well.
In shot put, where Wade Bolin won again, Minster's Will Frimel placed 14th with a put of 50-1/2 and Schmiesing was 18th at 44-3/4.
On the track, Minster's girls battled Smithville and Rittman all through the 4x800 final.
Maggie Hemmelgarn had the Wildcats second behind Smithville at the first handoff, and Maria Niekamp briefly led in the second leg before Smithville retook first.
"We knew they were going to be our competition from the get-go," Hemmelgarn said. "Last year we ran a 9:19 and we won by a few seconds, and honestly, it's so cool to run against teams that talented, running the exact same with us."
Annie Hemmelgarn took the baton and traded first with Mogadore's Kasey Bolyard, handing off narrowly in front.
Rittman's Annabelle Snyder overtook Cedarleaf in the final turn and then Smithville's Kaitlyn Carr moved up to set up a three-way sprint to the finish line. Smithville won by .3 seconds over Rittman and .7 seconds over Minster in third.
It was a stronger field than 2023, when the Wildcats won by nearly 19 seconds. Despite ending up in third, Minster finished just a second off last year's time with an eight-second PR.
"Wasn't exactly how we wanted the race to go or how we hoped it would go, but I'm so proud of all of them," Maggie Hemmelgarn said. "It's been such an honor to race with these girls. Last place, first place, I wouldn't trade it for anything."
In the boys 4x800, Minster led at the first two handoffs, but then the race got tighter.
New Bremen, which found itself trailing early, reemerged in the third leg as Zach Wiedeman kept moving up. He ultimately passed Minster's Nick Prenger and Seneca East's Evan Schiefer for the lead at the final handoff.
"Zach took us from like 10th to first," Sam Bernhold said.
"Sam has to deal with everybody still compact, and same thing with Pierce (Whitlatch)," Wiedeman said. "First and second legs are so compact, and the third leg opens up a little better. I'm not going to lane four or lane three to pass somebody, I'm going to the edge of lane one, and I can keep doing that the whole entire 800."
Minster was around fourth when anchor Jack Grieshop took over, but he got the Wildcats to third for the final lap, with New Bremen's Jett Jellison in the lead.
"It's our second year running with this team, and we've got so much chemistry," Grieshop said. "We just ran so well together. I knew I could rely on them to put me in a good spot."
Fisher Catholic's Jack Gentile caught Jellison at the final turn and pulled away, and Grieshop and Seneca East's Owen Gahring dueled for second. Gahring crossed the line .11 seconds ahead of Grieshop with Jellison a second back in fourth, a second behind the school record.
"We've been running against New Bremen all year, and there's a pretty good rivalry there," Grieshop said. "I saw them out front, and that was definitely motivation to run them down and push a little harder. Then that Fisher Catholic guy, he came up too with me, and we just battled all the way to the end."
"The first bit of it, I was alone, so it was a little more me vs. me instead of having people to go for," Jellison said. "But once we hit the final turn, Catholic started to pass me. It was more how much I have in the tank, and can I push myself to the point where I can still finish the race."
Division III pole vault starts at 5 p.m. tonight, with running finals starting at 6:30 p.m. Division II field events, the 4x800 and track prelims start at 9 a.m.
