Westerville Central's Elijah Harris, Olivia Pace stand out at indoor state track and field
The Westerville Central duo of Elijah Harris and Olivia Pace took center stage at the Division I indoor state track and field meet Friday at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, combining to win three championships.
Harris, a sophomore, took first place in the boys high jump (6 feet, 7 inches) and triple jump (45-6 ½).
Pace, a senior and Southern California signee, won the girls 60 meters (7.37) and was second in the 200 (24.42).
Nine area competitors won individual championships and two relays took first in the meet, which is sponsored by the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches.
Other central Ohio girls champions were Hilliard Darby’s Ady Armstrong in the 400 (55.76), Lancaster’s Aubree Beery in the weight throw (48-4), Granville’s Nora Carrington in the triple jump (45-4 ¾), Olentangy Orange’s Brooke Chapman in the 1,600 (4:57.51), Hilliard Davidson’s 3,200 relay (9:17.98) and Pickerington North’s 800 relay (1:42.14).
The girls 800 relay was the area’s best event, as Gahanna Lincoln finished second (1:42.17) and DeSales was third (1:43.64).
Other second-place finishers were DeSales’ Katherine Dortmund in the 60 hurdles (8.72) and Orange’s 1,600 relay (3:23.64).
Other boys individual champions were Davidson’s Turner Schmidt in the weight throw (62-9), Westerville North’s Ben Gabelman in the 1,600 (4:08.79) and Dublin Jerome’s Sam Ricchiuti in the 3,200 (9:07.56).
Gabelman is the reigning Division I state cross country champion.
Jerome also won the 3,200 relay (7:55.49).
Boys runners-up were Licking Heights’ Alex Amartey in the weight throw (61-3), Dublin Scioto’s Weston Day in the 3,200 (9:08.5), Whitehall’s Andre Jackson in the 400 (48.26), Olentangy’s Hugh Jacobsmeyer in the 800 (1:55.11) and Central’s Robert Young in the 200 (21.98).
Mason (68) ran away to the girls team title. Davidson tied Huber Heights Wayne for second (26) and Darby and Avon Lake tied for fourth (24), followed by Olentangy Liberty (22), Central (20) and Lancaster (19.25).
Cleveland Heights (42) won the boys championship. Central was third (30), Jerome fifth (23) and Olentangy sixth (19).
Central Ohio grabs four titles at Division II/III meet
Fairfield Union’s two championships, one boys and one girls, led central Ohio in Saturday’s Division II/III state indoor meet.
Andrew Walton, the defending Division II state cross country champion, won the boys 3,200 in 9:19.93. In the next race, the Falcons won the girls 1,600 relay (4:08.56).
Central Ohio’s other two titles came on the girls side.
Columbus Academy’s Allison Klinefelter won the high jump (5-8 ½) and Northridge’s Isabel Evans was first in the 60 hurdles (8.84).
Klinefelter also was third in the triple jump (34-9).
Runners-up were London’s Cameron Carn in the boys 800 (1:55.62), Eastmoor Academy’s Donovan Delph in the boys long jump (21-11 ½), Fairbanks’ Rachael Hoover in the girls 1,600 (5:04.34) and the Hartley girls in the 800 relay (1:31.42).
Alliance Marlington won the boys team title (38), and Gates Mills Gilmour Academy (42) took the girls trophy.
Academy’s girls (10th, 42) had the area’s best team finish.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Westerville Central pair paces central Ohio at indoor state track
