DIVISION III

Leppelmeier nabs discus title

3 area boys, led by Tigers’ Demaline, place in shot put competition

6/8/2013

COLUMBUS — McComb’s Becca Leppelmeier stood on the top step of the awards podium with a huge smile Friday afternoon during the state track and field championships.

The McComb senior had collected the Division III girls discus state title after recording a winning toss of 144 feet, 7 inches.

She also placed second in the shot put with an effort of 45-7.75.

While Leppelmeier claimed the state discus championship, Woodmore’s Megan Pendleton made it to the awards stand by placing eighth with a throw of 127-7.

Pendleton, the younger sister of state record-holder Emily Pendleton (183-3, 2007) and state meet record-holder Erin Pendleton (168-10, 2008), also received her award with a beaming smile after becoming the fourth Pendleton in the family to make the awards stand in the family’s favorite event. Carly Pendleton was the 2011 state champion.

“I’m happy because I did better than I did last year,” said Megan Pendleton, a senior this year. “It feels good. I made the podium for myself.”

Liberty Center’s Nick Demaline came up three inches from becoming a state champion with his best throw of the day in the shot put. He heaved a toss of 59-11.75, which earned him a state runner-up medal.

“I’m always disappointed if I don’t finish first,” said Demaline, a junior, who is still recovering from a left knee injury. “I couldn’t spin last year [in the shot put ring]. I’ve got one more year, but I’ll never be satisfied until I win it.”

Patrick Henry’s Jacob Carrizales placed fifth in the shot put with a toss of 56-2.25 while Liberty-Benton’s Zack Smelcer earned seventh with a throw of 54-5.50.

Liberty-Benton’s Brian Miller finished fourth in the high jump after clearing 6-4. The top three finishers all cleared 6-6.

Liberty-Benton’s Chase Cook scored a third-place finish in the long jump with an effort of 22-1.50.

Cook also earned a place in the 100 and 200 finals after recording times of 11.04 and 22.28, respectively, in preliminary heats.

Patrick Henry’s Zach Nye looked good yesterday in the 110 hurdles. He turned in a time of 14.71, which earned him the second fastest time heading into today’s final.

Woodmore’s Andrew Shrewsbury didn’t make it out of the preliminaries for the 100 (11.38) and 200 (22.66), respectively.

Shrewsbury and teammates Michael Travis, Malachi Brown, and Zach Sandwisch earned a spot in the 800 relay final after turning in a preliminary effort of 1:31.80.

Liberty-Benton’s 400 relay team (Kyle Bowsher, Cook, Chase Conkle, Austin Combs) turned in the fourth-best time (44.00) among the preliminary heats to earn a place in the final.

Toledo Christian’s Noah Wood ran a time of 52.40 in a preliminary 400 race, which didn’t get him into the final.

Elmwood’s Austin Jasso, Alex Jasso, Michael Baer, and Aaron Arnold posted a time of 3:30.26 in the boys’ 1600 relay preliminaries, which was the 13th fastest time. McComb's Brandon Ishmael, Clay Dysert, Jerry Brown, and Cody Wilson followed with the 14th best time (3:31.24).

Elmwood (Andrew Jasso, Lorne Strausbaugh, Josh Mathias, Alex Jasso) and Liberty Center (Henry Elling, Joe Seedorf, Jason Hadley, Cameron Weaks) placed 13th (8:20.17) and 14th (8:28.42), respectively, in the 3200 relay.

In the girls competition, Archbold’s Kinsey Smith placed eighth in the long jump (17-0).

Archbold’s Meridith Short, Kassidy Garrow, Tressa Parsley, and Jensyn Garrow posted the second-fastest time in the preliminaries of the 1600 relay.

They qualified for today’s final with a time of 4:04.80. Minster ran 4:03.28.

Liberty Center’s Paige Chamberlain, Brittany Atkinson, Kelly Haubert, and Olivia Kundo turned in a time of 9:41.09 in the 3200 relay final, which earned them a third-place finish. Archbold (Mara Beck, Tressa Parsley, Darian Oberlin, Kassidy Garrow) ran 10th (9:54.67).

Gibsonburg’s Colleen Reynolds will run in the 100, 200, and 400 finals after recording times of 12.51, 25.83, and 58.05, respectively.

Toledo Christian’s Darian Westmeyer didn’t qualify for the 100 hurdles final after running 16.27 in a preliminary heat. She also came up short of advancing to the 300 final after posting a time of 48.70 in a preliminary heat.