Championship Saturday offers redemption for Central Ohio track athletes in Dayton
DAYTON, Ohio (WCMH) -- State championship Saturday became "Redemption Saturday" for at least three Central Ohio athletes who fell short of making the top of the podium a year ago. This year, they got their state title in Dayton.
In the girls 100 meter dash, Olivia Pace took home the gold for Westerville Central, winning in a time of 11.65 seconds. Last year, she ran a faster time (11.54) but got edged out by Holland Springfield's Maira Scott. On Saturday, the two switched places, with Scott taking second with a time of 11.95.
"It felt very good. I definitely had a strong mentality coming in based off of the challenges that I overcame throughout the past year," Pace, who will run for Southern California next year, said. "So I'm very blessed with how it ended."
Pace also placed second in the girls 200 meters and also finished fifth with her teammates in the 4x100 meter relay.
In the boys 1600 meter run, Westerville North's Ben Gabelman earned the state title after running a time of 4:08.75. The future Syracuse Orange runner ended his high school career on a high note, adding to the OHSAA cross country title won last November.
"Not winning last year kinda put a chip on my shoulder going into this year so I really went into this wanting to win," Gabelman said.
Grove City's Esther Faith-Henn came back from behind on the home stretch to win the girls seated 400 meter race, powering her way to her first gold medal in the event and adding to her 100 meter title from two years ago. It's a championship that she says she's worked four years for.
"I thought I wasn't going to make it really," Faith-Henn said. "It feels good. Tiring but it feels good."
Other central Ohio winners include Pickerington Central's quartet of Christopher Turntine, Juell Scott, Micah Coates and Lorenzo Brazell in the 4x200 meter relay. Olentangy Orange sophomore Brooke Chapman won the girls 1600 meter run with a personal best time of 4:55.08.
Olentangy Liberty had two athletes make the top of the podium on Saturday. Sophomore Elena Aldrink ran a personal best time of 10:35.34 to win the girls 3200 meter run. Senior Nate Hollingsworth set a school record to win the high jump, clearing a height of six feet 11 inches.
Upper Arlington captured the gold in the girls 4x400 meter relay, with the team of Maren Degenhart, Maggie Robertson, Elizabeth Poling and Elaina Schneider edging out Solon by 24 hundredths of a second.
Olentangy's Chayla Rankin won a state championship in the girls high jump with a height of five feet eight inches. Dublin Jerome's Samuel Richhiuti earned gold in the boys 3200 meter run with a time of 9:03.71.