SIDELINES

Area track and field competitors head to state

Southview boys, Clay girls among top area qualifiers headed to Columbus

Chelsey Barwiler of Southview qualified to state in the 400 and in two relay events.

THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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Chelsey Barwiler of Southview qualified to state in the 400 and in two relay events.

Southview’s boys track team placed 12th a year ago at the Division I state track and field championships.

The Cougars raced into this season looking to make much greater noise at the state meet.

A top-10 finish is a good possibility considering the Cougars qualified for four individual events and two relays.

Seniors Malcolm Johnson and J.J. Pinckney, returning state placers, lead the way for a team that finished as a regional runner-up.

Johnson enters state with the eighth-fastest qualifying time for the 100 meters (10.90) and eighth-best qualifying time for the 200 (21.90).

Pinckney returns to state for the 400 and owns the eighth-best qualifying time (48.97) among the 16 state qualifiers.

Jared Ballenger of Fremont Ross won the shot put and discus at the Division I regional.

Southview sophomore Frank Hayes is a first-time state qualifier for the 800 and ranks 13th overall among the state qualifiers with his regional-winning time of 1 minute, 54.52 seconds.

Southview’s 1600 and 800 relay teams are also looking to contend. Hayes, Earl Armstrong, Jay Lawrence, and Pinckney have the third-best qualifying time for the 1600 relay after taking first at the regional with a school-record time of 3:18.42. Nathan Hall, Matthew Morrison, Johnson, and Lawrence are among the middle of the pack of qualifiers in the 800 relay after posting a 1:28.76 at the regional.

“I’m just going in there with an open mind, and I want to do as best I can and have our team do the best we can,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we’ll come out on top.”

Perrysburg’s Courtney Clody, Taylor Monheim, Jordan Doore, Alexis Kemp, and Grace Reddick are looking seriously contend in the girls competition.

Clody, who qualified for state in four events — 800, 1600, 1600 relay, 3200 relay — leads the way for the Yellow Jackets, who are coming off a regional runner-up team effort.

Monheim returns to state as a 3200 qualifier and is also a member of the Yellow Jackets’ 3200 relay. Doore, Kemp, and Reddick are members of the Yellow Jackets’ relay teams.

Courtney Clody of Perrysburg has reached the state meet in the 800, 1600, and two relays.

“We want to keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Perrysburg coach Andrea Monheim said. “We expect to do really well in our 1600 relay and our 3200 relay and have Courtney and Taylor in the open events. We expect them to do well in the distance races.”

Clay, which qualified for state in five events, is also in position to make a run at a top-10 spot in the team results.

Grace Winckowski is expected to compete in the 100 and 300 hurdles after winning a regional title in the 100 hurdles and taking second in the 300 hurdles.

“This is right where I wanted to be at the end of the season, so I’m finishing my season strong,” Winckowski said.

Erin Gyurke (3200) and Haley Hess (1600) are the other Clay qualifiers. Hannah Hess and Sydney Hess are members of the 3200 relay, along with Gyurke and Haley Hess.

Southview sophomore Chelsey Barwiler qualified in three events, including the 400. She’s running with Alana Johnson, Kennedy Marable, and Lauren Micham for the 400 and 800 relays. Taylor Fitchpatric advanced to state in the 300 hurdles.

Whitmer’s TiTyana Gardner will be competing in shot put and discus, while Kaitlyn Barber (pole vault) and Alaya Hayes (shot put) also have advanced.

Malcolm Johnson of Southview will compete at the state meet in the 100, 200, and the 800-meter relay.

Bowling Green’s Maria Horrigan is a contender in the pole vault after winning the regional (12-10).

Central Catholic’s Kiana McClendon is among the state qualifiers for the 400, while Notre Dame’s Alison Connelly will compete in the 100 hurdles. Fremont Ross’ Cassie Woleslagel is a 300 hurdles qualifier.

Springfield’s Manny Durden was a Division II state runner-up in the high jump as a sophomore at Rossford. The senior is coming off a regional title after leaping 6-10. He enters state with the top qualifying height by two inches.

St. John’s Jesuit’s Nicholas Jarrell and Tevin Brown are each set to compete in two events. Jarrell advanced in the 3200 and as a member of the 3200 relay. Brown will run the 1600 and in the 3200 relay that also includes Jake Barnes and Benjamin Clark. The Titans’ Shon Layson is competing in the long jump.

“I’m just looking forward to it and hopefully getting on the podium, hopefully run around 4:15,” Brown said of the 1600.

David St. John of St. Francis de Sales is set to compete in the 3200 and as a member of the3200 relay that also includes Ryan Maraldo, Jason White, and Steven Will.

Jared Ballenger of Fremont Ross won the regional in the discus and is the top state qualifier in that event. He also won the shot put and is second in qualifiers.

Andrew Bonfiglio will represent the Knights at state in the 110 hurdles.

Whitmer’s Jamal Bell, Christopher Boykin, Alex Miles, and Tylor Miller qualified in the 400 relay.

Central Catholic’s George McCartney is making a return trip to state in the 3200. Anthony Wayne’s Sam Bruno is among a fast field in the 200.

Contact Donald Emmons at: demmons@theblade.com, 419-724-6302 or on Twitter @DemmonsBlade.