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June 9, 2011
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Commentary
Another strong school year ends The book on the 2010-11 high school sports year is complete. Inside are memories that will stay in the hearts and minds of athletes forever. Here are highlights from another thrilling year in central Ohio. Chris Diaz of Watterson completed his final two years of boys tennis undefeated in singles and capLARRY tured his secLARSON ond consecutive Division II state title. Diaz won the Division I doubles title with his brother, Philip, as a freshman. The Upper Arlington duo of Billy Weldon and Stu Little won their second consecutive Division I doubles title. ... After finishing second the first two years of her high school career, junior Morgan Ransom of Columbus Academy was medalist in the Division II state girls golf tournament. ...Chase Delande of Hilliard Davidson won a state wrestling title at 145 pounds. ...With no seniors, DeSales won the Division II state baseball title. The Stallions beat defending champion Jonathan Alder in a semifinal. Grove City (Division I) and Newark Catholic (Division IV) also reached state. Niki Flower of Upper Arlington overcame an injury-filled season to finish as runner-up in the Division I state girls tennis tournament. It was Flower’s only loss in her final two years of high school. Lauren and Ashley Thai of Hilliard Bradley won the Division II doubles title. ... Harvest Prep won its second consecutive Division IV girls basketball title. Pickerington North reached a state semifinal in Division I. ... The Dublin Jerome boys lacrosse team and the Academy girls team captured state titles in Division II. Watterson (Division III) and Hartley (Division IV) won state football titles, and Davidson (Division I) reached a state semifinal. ... Meghan Parsley of Hilliard Darby closed her prep gymnastics career by qualifying for state in all four events — balance beam, floor exercise, uneven bars and vault. ... State title winners in boys track and field were Tsehaye Hiluf of Reynoldsburg, Drew Windle of New Albany, the Thomas Worthington 800 relay, Nick Frye of Ready, Nigel Preacher of Brookhaven and Jake Blankenship of Gahanna. Blankenship and Olentangy Liberty twins Joey and Chris Uhle completed a record-breaking year by finishing 1-2-3 in the pole vault in Division I. The Pickerington North girls and Worthington Christian boys were state runners-up in soccer. ... Liberty reached the state hockey tournament for the first time. ... Thomas and Academy played in a state field hockey semifinal, with Thomas winning. The Cardinals finished as state run-
By Eric George/ThisWeek
Sarah Meier of Grandview Heights takes off on the second leg of the 1,600-meter relay after getting the baton from teammate Jordan Fitzgerald (back left) during the Division III state meet June 4 at Ohio State. The Bobcats finished sixth. Meier also placed second in the 300 hurdles and third in the 100 hurdles.
Grandview Heights Roundup
Bobcats fare well at state meet By SCOTT HENNEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Sarah Meier got the secondplace finish she had been hoping for and reached the podium three times in the Division III state track and field meet at Ohio State. On June 4, the senior for the Grandview Heights High School girls team finished second in the 300-meter hurdles (45.16 seconds), third in the 100 hurdles (15.33) and was a member of the sixth-place 1,600 relay (4:04.63) with teammates Jordan Fitzgerald, Caitlyn Sarich and Emily Lachey. The top eight in each event reach the podium. In the 300 hurdles, Meier was runner-up to Steubenville Catholic Central’s Teddi Jo Maslowski, a Duke recruit who also won the 100 hurdles and holds the state record in both events. “I have gotten third three times here (at state), so it’s good to be up there another step,” said Meier, who was third in the 300 hurdles as a sophomore and junior and in the 100 hurdles this year. “Teddi is better than good, so I couldn’t have expected more. I have wanted to be up here (in second) for the past two years.” Meier was disappointed with her finish in the 100 hurdles, but that gave her more incentive in the second hurdles event. “I’m really happy with second. I knew I had to go out in front because Teddi always goes out in front,” Meier said. “I tried to stay with her as long as I could. I didn’t know I had that much in me.” Coach Brian Schoch said Meier had a performance to remember. See LARSON, page B2 “Sarah kept pushing and
By Eric George/ThisWeek
The Bobcats’ Hannah Stefanoff runs with Halle Markel of Gates Mills Gilmour Academy in the 3,200 meters during the Division III state meet on June 4. Stefanoff placed fifth.
pushing (in the 300 hurdles), but she was going up against the best 300 hurdler in state history and (Maslowski) has the times to prove it,” Schoch said. “But Sarah finished second (in the 300 hurdles), third (in the 100 hurdles) and was on a (1,600 relay) that finished sixth, so that’s not a bad day to have. A lot of runners would love to have that kind of performance.” The Bobcats tied Fort Lo-
ramie and Gates Mills Gilmour for eighth (21 points) in the girls meet behind champion Steubenville Catholic Central (41) as 71 teams scored. The 1,600 relay trimmed nearly three seconds off its regional time of 4:07.06. Schoch jumbled the lineup to get the best from his runners, moving Fitzgerald to leadoff, Sarich to the third leg and Lachey to anchor. “We put Jordan in the lead
By Eric George/ThisWeek
Joe Trapp of the Bobcats nears the finish line en route to a fifth-place finish in the 200 meters in the Division III state meet on June 4.
and kept Sarah in the second spot to get as much of a lead as we could,” Schoch said. “We had a 4:04 in the finals and a 4:07 last week (at regional), so to drop three seconds in a week is amazing. “Jordan started off great and then Sarah had her usual good run. Caitlyn and Emily then ran hard and allowed us to finish sixth for the second time in as many years.”
Last season, the 1,600 relay of Fitzgerald, Meier, 2010 graduate Paige Lachey and Emily Lachey was sixth at state in 4:06.61. Hannah Stefanoff, a Georgia State recruit, finished fifth in the 3,200 (11:29.68). “Hannah has had a fantastic career,” Schoch said. “She just wasn’t happy with her last race See BOBCATS, page B2
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