COLUMBUS — The high school track and field season came to a conclusion Saturday with the final day of the state championships and two local athletes earned a spot on the awards podium.
Circleville’s Sydney Lattimer took fourth in the Division II long jump and Teays Valley’s Katy Zang was fifth in the Division I 3,200 meters at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Westfall’s Josh Trapp placed 12th in the Division II 800 meters.
• On her second attempt, Lattimer jumped 17’ 1.75” which was her best effort Saturday morning and gave her fourth place.
The senior said she felt good coming into Saturday’s competition.
“My whole entire week of practice, I was feeling good, weather was somewhat decent. I was like, okay, I’m ready, I’m ready for today,” she said. “And I got here, I was feeling it out, feeling the board, because I know they got a new track, so I had to visualize what runway I was going to be on, the board, everything. And I just felt really confident coming in.
“It wasn’t my best day. But, you know, I still gave it my all, and it got me fourth place in the state, so nothing to be mad about there.”
After placing 18th last year with a best jump of 15’ 11.25”, Lattimer was happy to wrap up her career with the spot on the awards podium.
“It means everything to me. I’m just soaking it all in,” she said. “It’s so bittersweet, especially coming off of last year. I didn’t make finals, and I was really bummed, but being able to make finals and get fourth in the state — it makes me happy, makes me excited.”
Along with earning a return trip to the state, Lattimer came in this year as a regional champion after taking the top spot at the Muskingum University regional last week.
“It didn’t really hit me that I was regional champion until after I got home. I was like, wow, I was a regional champion. This is crazy,” Lattimer said. “I was going in last weekend, just confident. I get really nervous easily, so I wasn’t as nervous last weekend.”
Shelby’s Madison Henkel won the state title Saturday at 18’ 9.25” with Bellefontaine’s Kylie Adams second at 18’ 7.75”.
• Zang ran out front early before finishing fifth in in the 3,200 meters in 10:37.59.
Daniela Scheffler from Uniontown Lake won the race in 10:21.82 while Lancaster’s Marisa Heil was second in 10:24.90.
Zang got out front and held the lead for two laps before dropping to third as the third lap wrapped up.
Battling a knee injury most of the season, she even sat out the OCC league meet in preparation for the postseason.
“I’ve been injured for about two months now, but I’m happy to still come out here and race, even though I wasn’t able to race the best of my ability,” Zang said. “I’m happy that God gave me the gifts to come out here and show my faith and everything, and I’m happy I was able to get on the podium. Last year, I got 11th, but we’re making slow improvements and I hope to come back for cross country, not injured and at my best.”
A stress fracture led to Zang dropping out during the cross country championship race in the fall. And then with knee problems this spring, Zang said she wasn’t in the shape she needed to be for the race.
“So, I haven’t been running, I’ve just been cross training because of the injury. I came out there way too fast and, of course, my hips, they weren’t in the best shape, so they weren’t able to keep the pace,” Zang said. “I was trying to get back up there, and then I just kind of got into my head a little bit. But that’s one of the things I plan on changing, trying to be stronger mentally and physically my next races.”
Despite the injuries, Zang was delighted to have improved upon her 11th place showing last year.
“It honestly means so much to me. I just felt so blessed again. God has given me amazing gifts,” Zang said. “My family and coaches have given me so much support. Coach Frank has been with me through my lowest, and so has my family. And Coach Frank makes sure I have everything I’ve needed and has just been an awesome guy. And my athletic trainer has been there for me to help me.
“And being on the podium just means so much. Even though it wasn’t first — a tiny win is still a big win in my heart.”
• Making his third appearance at the state meet, Trapp had earned an at-large spot in the 800 -meter race after having the fastest time among regional runners who didn’t finish in the top four at their regional.
As the runners were completing the first lap, Trapp was able to avoid an incident where several runners collided – with two of them not being able to finish the race.
He ran the two laps in 2:01.27 as he took 12th.
Marek Donaldson of Bluffton edged out London’s Cameron Carn to win the race. Donaldson won with a time of 1:52.41 while Carn ran it in 1:52.47.
Trapp took 15th in the race as a junior and was 18th his sophomore year.
• Fairfield Union’s Chayse Lipscomb won the 110-meter hurdles with a time 13.70 seconds – breaking the 29-year-old OHSAA Division II record of 13.71. Lipscomb also was state champion in the 300-meter hurdles.
Click on the links below for complete results from all three divisions.