Area athletes ready for shot at state meet

Perrysburg senior Emily Wyrick wins the 400 meters at the Northern Lakes League meet. She won the 800 at the Division I regional and will run at state on a 3200 relay team, which has the top qualifying time.

THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Sasha Dailey is from Rogers High School, not Sylvania Soutview High School.

Perrysburg senior Emily Wyrick wins the 400 meters at the Northern Lakes League meet. She won the 800 at the Division I regional and will run at state on a 3200 relay team, which has the top qualifying time.

Perrysburg’s first-year girls track coach Andrea Monheim could easily be in the same position as many coaches.

Her work could already be complete with the state track and field championships in Columbus the only remaining meet.

But four Yellow Jackets, specifically the school-record holding 3200-meter relay team, have extended Monheim’s inaugural season.

Senior Emily Wyrick, juniors Courtney Clody and Taylor Monheim (Andrea’s daughter), and sophomore Jordan Doore won the regional 3200 relay in 9 minutes, 15.62 seconds, breaking the record (9:18) set two years ago.

“We’ve been peaking at the right time, and we’ve been looking forward to getting to this point in the season,” said Andrea Monheim, who was a assistant coach for three seasons.

The foursome are among the area’s best chances for a championship Friday and Saturday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

The Yellow Jackets have been grinding their way to contending for a state title ever since running at the state indoor championships.

“That really kind of got it all started for us back during the indoor season,” coach Monheim said. The Jackets won the indoor title with at time of 9:32.

Perrysburg enters with the fastest Division I qualifying time in the event. In fact, its record-setting run is seven seconds faster than the next fastest state qualifying team (Bay Village Bay, 9:22.62).

The Yellow Jackets would like nothing better than to close out the outdoor season the way they finished off the indoor season.

“They really want to do that,” coach Monheim said. “Obviously, there are more teams involved in the outdoor season than during the indoor season. If they don’t win it, they want to finish with a good time.”

Perrysburg junior Courtney Clody won the 1600 meters at the Division I regional and helped the 3200 relay team to a victory.

Perrysburg also has a chance in individual events.

Clody captured the 1600 at the regional with a time of 5:04.80. Her time ranks fifth among the 16 state qualifiers.

“She’s the most mentally toughest,” coach Monheim said.

Wyrick, who will run at the University of Toledo, ran a personal-record time of 2:14.09 to win the 800 at the regional.

Taylor Monheim qualified for state in the 3200 with a personal-record run of 11:10.78 for fourth-place at the regional.

“These girls do everything right,” coach Monheim said. “They do all the things on their own. They eat right and get their rest. They’re so well-disciplined.”

Plenty of other area athletes have their sights set high at the state meet.

Northview’s Janelle Noe (300 hurdles), Rogers' Sasha Dailey (200), and Notre Dame’s Chantalia Young (100, 200) have an opportunity to make the state meet memorable.

“I’m going in humble and I plan to run hard and try to win,” said Dailey, a junior who won the 200 at the regional in 25.06. She was a D-II state meet placer in the 100 and 200 as a freshman.

Among the Division I boys, Findlay senior Tyler Brown has qualified in four events (high jump, long jump, 400, 200).

But Brown, who will run track at Eastern Michigan, is expected to only compete in three. He ran the 200 at the regional to help the Trojans in the team standings, placing fourth. Brown heads to state as the favorite in the long jump (23 feet, 9¾ inches) and 400 (47.73).

St. Francis de Sales senior Kyle Lach has one of the fastest qualifying times in the 1600 after prevailing at the regional with a time of 4:19.79.

Knights teammates David St. John, Daniel Lenart, and Jacob Baugh and Lach have the second-fastest time among state qualifiers for the 3200 relay after a time of 7:51.32 at regional.

St. John, a sophomore, is also looking to place in the 3200 after a runner-up finish at the regional.

“It’s a very awesome accomplishment, but I’m not going to be just content with it,” St. John said. “I’ll use it to help get better and better every year.”

Southview junior sprinters Malcolm Johnson (100, 200, 800 relay) and J.J. Pinckney (400, long jump, 1600 relay) lead a Cougars team optimistic about making a strong team showing.

Pinckney, Perry Burkes, Jeremy Cook, and Chad Justus own one of the top 1600 relay times (3:19.68) among the qualifiers.

Eastwood’s Joey Salinas, left, and Devin Snowden race in the 300-meter hurdles at the Northern Buckeye Conference meet. Snowden won the event at the Division II regional and ran on two winning relays.

Start senior Dionte Carey will compete at state for the first time after placing second in the 300 hurdles (38.71) at the regional.

Perrysburg senior Bryant Byrd reached the state meet for the first time, qualifying in the 800 by placing third at the regional with a personal best time of 1:55.92.

In Division II girls, Wauseon sophomore Taylor Vernot was runner-up in the 1600 (5:17.27) and 3200 (11:31.57) at the regional, while freshman teammate Seneca Wyse qualified in three events (100, 200, 400).

Wyse ranks second in the 200 (25.22), third in the 100 (12.44), and fourth in the 400 (57.68), respectively, among qualifiers.

Liberty-Benton freshman Michaela Butler owns the top state qualifying marks in the 100 and 200 after posting winning times of 12.08 and 24.83, respectively, at the regional.

Napoleon freshman Peyton Lee captured the 100 hurdles (15.14) at the regional.

Among D-II boys, Bryan’s Brandon Poncsak is the favorite in the 300 hurdles. His winning regional time of 14.40 is the fastest time among the qualifiers.

Isaiah Conkle (100, 400 relay) and Devin Snowden (300 hurdles, 400 relay, 1600 relay) are key members for Eastwood, which looks to contend for the team title.

Conkle’s time of 10.97 in the 100 for third place at regional is third among qualifiers.

Snowden, who won the 300 hurdles in 38.86, also owns the third-fastest time qualifying time.

Among Division III boys, Woodmore’s Andrew Shrewsbury (100, 200, 800 relay) is among the top sprinters. He finished fourth at the regional in the 100 (11.17) and second in the 200 (22.16).

Liberty-Benton’s Chase Cook (100, 200, long jump, 400 relay) will be among the busiest competitors. He won the regional long jump at 21-9¾.

Woodmore’s Megan Pendleton is looking to challenge for a discus title after a second place at regional with a throw of 134-10.

Toledo Christian’s Delainey Phelps and Darian Westmeyer look to contend in two events each.

Phelps swept the 1600 (5:13.13) and 3200 (11:16.58) at the regional, while teammate Darian Westmeyer won the 100 hurdles (15.45) and finished third in the 300 hurdles (46.39).

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