SIDELINES

Southview’s Pinckney tops among Ohio’s long jumpers

5/8/2013

Pinckney

As the final weekend approaches before of track and field league championship meets are held, several area boys and girls have posted times and distances that rank among the 10 best in Ohio in their events this season.

Highlighting that list is Southview’s Jenard Pinckney, who turned in the top long jump in the state when he soared 23 feet, 8½ inches at the Eastwood Relays on April 26.

Two other area boys rank in the top 10 in the long jump, with Findlay’s Tyler Brown ranking No. 3 after jumping 23-1½ last Friday at the St. Francis Knight relays, and Eastwood’s Devin Snowden ranking No. 6 from his 22-5½ jump at the Eastwood Relays.

Findlay’s Brown also cracked Ohio’s top 10 in a second event last Friday. He won the 400-meter race in 48.89 seconds, the state’s fourth best time this season.

Other boys ranked in the top 10 in field events are Liberty Center’s Nick Demaline, who recorded a No. 5 shot put distance April 20 when his heave of 60-1½ won LC’s Tiger Ivitational; and two discus throwers — Genoa’s Logan Bryer (No. 6, 179-6 at Margaretta Invitational last Friday) and Fremont Ross’ Jared Ballenger (No. 7, 177-11 at Mansfield’s Mehock Relays on April 20).

The top area girl on Ohio’s top 10 lists is McComb’s Becca Leppelmeier, whose 43-7¼ in the shot put April 26 at the Gibsonburg Invitational ranks fourth.

Leppelmeier is also one of four area girls to crack the list in the discus. Clay’s Nicole Breeden ranks No. 5 in that event with her winning 142-7 effort at the St. Francis Warm-up Invitational on April 6, Liberty-Benton’s Liz Streaker ranks No. 7 with her 141-11 effort at Ottawa-Glandorf’s Gold Medal Invitational on April 22, Woodmore’s Megan Pendleton comes in at No. 8 with her 139-8 throw at the Fostoria Booster Invitational on April 27, and Leppelmeier is No. 9 with her 139-2 at the Liberty-Benton Invitational last Saturday.

Bowling Green’s Maria Horrigan ranks fifth in the pole vault after clearing 11-6 at the Eastwood Relays, and Northview’s Alysha Welch ranks No. 6 in the high jump after she cleared 5-6 last Friday at Whitmer’s Nancy Erme Relays.

Contact Steve Junga at: sjunga@theblade.com, 419-724-6461, or on Twitter@JungaBlade.