State Bound

Published 11:49 pm Saturday, May 29, 2010

There will be a nice little caravan heading to Columbus next weekend.

After three area track standouts punched their state meet tickets earlier in the week, five more in Division II and six in Division III earned trips to the Ohio State University Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium next Friday and Saturday.

In Friday’s Div. III meet at Lancaster Fairfield Union, Coal Grove Hornets’ senior Oakie Haynes led the qualifiers as he won the 100-meter dash at 11.15 seconds, was second in the 200 meters (22.19 new school record), and ran the anchor leg on the 4×100 team that placed second.

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Joining Haynes on the 4×100 team were Jake Brown, Sebastian Woods and Alex Bare who combined for a 44.18 time for a new school record.

Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers’ senior Lorna Ceaser was second in the discus to get a spot in the state meet. Ceaser hurled the discus 115-1, her personal-best.

Coal Grove’s Chelsea Delong was fourth in the discus to earn a trip north as she threw 114-0.

The top four qualifiers in each event advances to the state meet.

Ironton’s Taylor Hacker was seventh in the 1600 meters with a 5:32.80 clocking and she ran a 12:42.32 in the 3200 meters. Teammate Ariel Schweickart was ninth in the 1600 (5:44.40) and she ran a 2:40.88 in the 800 meters.

Also, Coal Grove pole vaulter Jake Murphy was eighth with a 10-foot height. Kyle Estep went 9-6. Teammate Jacob Pauley was seventh in the 1600 at 4:41.39 and Greg Bender threw 42-6 in the shot put.

At the Div. II meet Saturday in Byesville, South Point Lady Pointers’ Kayla Fletcher qualified in two events to lead qualifiers.

Fletcher was third in the long jump at 15-11.75 and fourth in the 100-meter dash at 13.15 seconds.

Ironton’s Gary Monroe became the third Fighting Tiger to qualify as he ran a personal-best 4:21.71 to place fourth in the 1600. He joins pole vaulters Jon Monnig and Ryan Sias on the trip north.

Ironton’s Pierce Reeves ran a 4:41.70 in the 1600 to take ninth and Adam Stumbo ran an 11:08.38 in the 3200 meters.

Fairland Lady Dragons pole vaulter Megan Brooks and hurdler Jordan Aldridge earned return trips to the state meet.

Aldridge was second in the 100-meter hurdles with a 14.98 time while Brooks cleared 10-3 to place third in the pole vault.

Also for Fairland, Chad Gibson took second in the 800 meters with a 1:57.51 time. He also ran a leg on the 4×400 relay team with Matt Bloomfield, Garrett Wireman and Hunter Gibson that was seventh with a 3:31.26 time.

The Dragons’ Raine Wireman ran a 2:08.83in the 800, Kenny Smith went 5-11 to place ninth in the high jump, and Sydney Pettit ran a 5:48.15 in the 1600 meters.