Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

They’re the First Four.

The first four area track athletes have qualified for the state meet to be held June 5-6 at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of the Ohio State University.

The top four finishers in each event qualify for the state meet.

Coal Grove Hornets’ sophomore pole vaulter Eli Willis led the way as he earned a second straight trip to the state meet. Willis won the Division III pole vault as he cleared 12-6.

Ironton Fighting Tigers’ senior Tim Maynard also qualified in the pole vault as he went over the bar at 11-6 and then won the jump off as he finished fourth.

Ironton senior on Maynard went 10-6 and was eighth.

The Hornets’ senior Austen Pleasants earned a trip to the state meet by finishing second in the discus with a toss of 144-feet, 7-inches.

The other qualifier was Chesapeake Lady Panthers junior Atiya Spaulding who was second in the Division II high jump by leaping 5-4.

Fairland Dragons’ senior Zach McKinney just missed the state meet by placing fifth in the discus in Division II with a 148-11 toss.

The running preliminaries were held with several athletes advancing to the finals.

In Division III, the Coal Grove Lady Hornets’ Leslie Mulkey was ninth in the 400-meter semifinals with a 1:03.1 time.

Mulkey also team with Jacy Jones, Emily Compliment and Chelsie Curry to run in three relay preliminaries.

The quartet was ninth in the 4×100, 12th in the 4×200 (1:54.96) and 15th in the 4×400 relay at 4:33.16.

Coal Grove’s Joe Akers qualified for the finals in the 300-meter hurdles as he placed seventh with a 42.81 time. He was 10th in the 110-meter hurdles at 16.52.

The Hornets’ Tanner Henry was 10th in the 200 meters at 24.05.

Henry teamed with Jacob Clark, Ranze Large and Tanner Dolen to finish 10h in the 4×100 at 46.55 seconds. Brandon Adkins, Akers, Dolen and Henry were 10th in the 4×400 relay with a 3:44.53 clocking.

In Division II, the South Point Pointers’ 4×100 relay team of Stephen Wagoner, Trent Paterson, Mason White and Keion Dre’Hill was eighth to reach the finals with a 45.03 time.

Fairland’s Jake Wireman was 12th in the pole vault at 13-feet and 12th in the 110-meter hurdles with a 16.54 time. He was also ninth in the 300 hurdles at 42.43.

Chesapeake Panthers’ Cecil Fletcher qualified for the finals in the 400 meters with a 52.16 time to place eighth. He was 11th in the 100 meters at 11.59 seconds.

Spaulding also qualified for the finals in two events. He was third in the 100 meters at 12.85 seconds and third in the 200 meets at 26.55.

Chesapeake teammate Jaylynn Pine was ninth in the 100 meters at 13.26.

Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers’ Tori Starr ran a 27.7 time and was 11th in the 200 meters.

The Division III meet was held at Fairfield Union in Lancaster while the Division II meet was at New Concord John Glenn High School.

All remaining finals will be held on Saturday.