Patience pays off for Elmwood runner
6/6/2010COLUMBUS - A 30-minute rain delay provided Elmwood's Katie Reiser extra time to reflect on the 100-meter state title she had just won and prepare for her 200 final.
And to turn on her cell phone.
"I got a bunch of text messages," Reiser said. "I don't even know how they got my number."
Saturday, Reiser's number was one - twice.
The Royals senior capped a brilliant career by winning both Division III sprints at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, alleviating any sting from a pair of runner-up finishes a year ago.
Reiser took the 100 crown in 12.16 seconds and the 200 in 25.03, twice edging runner-up Gretchen Walter of Sidney Lehman Catholic.
"It's the state meet and there are a lot of good competitors," Reiser said. "But I always thought I was going to be state champion.
Though Reiser said the delay did not bother her preparation, it did affect her lane condition for the 200. A puddle-heavy lane four was a concern for Reiser but obviously proved to be inconsequential.
"When I looked at Gretchen [in lane five] I said, I have puddles in my lane," said Reiser, who will run at Kent State. "She just laughed."
The Archbold boys did a lot of smiling yesterday, beginning with
the 800 relay in which they dominated in a time of 1:28.49 - just two one-hundredths of a second off the state record.
The team of Desmond Sleigh, Danny Young, Noah Keefer, and Nathaniel Hammersmith were the biggest reason Archbold finished fourth in the team standings with 29 points.
"I couldn't wait to run across the field and give everyone a big hug," Sleigh said. "It was a relief, and it was exciting."
Colonel Crawford edged Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas for the boys championship, 41-40. Versailles won the girls meet with 47.5 points.
Hammersmith is the only holdover from last year's 800 relay team that finished fourth. He's also the only senior member of this year's squad, and some viable replacements are waiting, evidenced by Sleigh and Keefer needing to win runoffs last week against two other teammates.
"I knew that the winner was going for a state place, and I knew I had to be on it," Keefer said.
Archbold's 1600 relay, comprised of Hayden Stamm, Young, Hammersmith, and Keefer, finished fifth. Individually for the Blue Streaks, Young was fourth in the 300 hurdles, and Hammersmith finished fifth in the 200. On Friday, Sleigh was third in the long jump.
Archbold may have garnered even more team points, possibly finishing as high as third, had its unbeaten 400 relay not been disqualified at districts for dropping the baton.
Liberty-Benton senior Seth Butler collected his third straight 800 title in 1:52.47. Butler wasn't happy with his time - his goal was to break the D-III record of 1:51.54 - but he's certainly satisfied with the career that was.
In hopes of breaking the mark, Butler opted out of the earlier 1600, but in his mind, a start in the 800 that was too fast, prevented him from breaking it.
"I'm not mad, I'm just a little disappointed to not get the record," he said. "Winning three championships, let alone one, is not something a lot of people can do."
Ottawa Hills senior Katherine Jamieson finished fourth in the 200 and second to Steubenville Catholic Central's Teddi Jo Maslowski in both hurdle events. Not only did Maslowski deny Jamieson in her bid to defend her 300 hurdle title, but she also broke Jamieson's D-III state record with a time of 42.61. Maslowski also set a new D-III mark in the 100 hurdles.
"I was happy with how it went, but I didn't run my best races," Jamieson said. "I had a little slip up [at the start] of the 100 hurdles. I think that kind of held me back, but I was happy with how I came back."
Lakota's Roger Guerra nearly fainted after his day was done, a testament to the amount of work he put in this weekend. For the second consecutive year, the Raider senior captured four medals - the maximum one is capable of - finishing fourth in the high jump and long jump, sixth in the 200, and third in the 100.
Guerra, who is leaning toward playing football and running track at Bluffton College, led the 100 field with about 50 meters to go but couldn't hold on. He experienced a similar fate in the 200, when he ultimately succumbed to exhaustion.
"At the turn I didn't see anyone beside me and then I saw four guys pass me," Guerra said. "I tried to put it in to another gear but there was nothing there."
Also winning D-III state medals were: St. Wendelin's Jaunna Gase (fifth, 100 hurdles); Liberty-Benton's Dakota Conkle (third, 110 hurdles) and girls 400 and 800 relays (sixth in both) and 1600 relay (fifth); Toledo Christian's Josh Steinmetz (sixth, 110 hurdles); Archbold's Trisha King (sixth, 800); Woodmore's Brock Avers (sixth, 800) and boys 1600 relay (fifth); and Delta's Colin Fisher (sixth, 3200).
Contact Ryan Autullo at:
rautullo@theblade.com
or 419-724-6160.