Arianne Olson claims state crown, West Ottawa girls finish 4th

The West Ottawa girls had a strong finish at the state championships held at Rockford stadium Saturday evening as they finished fourth with 47 points.

It was a day filled with excitement for the West Ottawa girls as they tallied eight top-ten finishes. Arianne Olson led the way for the Panthers as she placed top three out of her four events.

Olson started the day off by helping her team secure second place in the 4x800 meter relay with a time of 9:04.06 and dropping 20 seconds from their seed time.

She then went on to place second In the 1600, with a time of 4:44.52, dropping 11 seconds and finishing only five seconds behind the seventh fastest girl in the country, Julia Flynn.

Olson knew that Flynn was a tough competitor, and she wanted to use Flynn as a way to push herself to go faster.

“I knew her season record was a 4:40 and my season record was a 4:49, so I just knew it would be a good opportunity to have a good race and practicing competing,” Olson said.

Although Olson was proud of how she’d finished, it wasn't about the place to her. It was about having fun, getting better, and being the best she could be.

“It feels really good,” Olson said. “I wasn’t necessarily focusing on the place, but just focusing on feeling like I did my best and staying in the race for as long as I could.”

Olson wasn’t alone during the race. Her teammate Helen Sachs finished No. 6. with a time of 4:52.80. Being able to watch her teammate succeed, Olson enjoyed her own success even more.

“It’s really great always to have a teammate there, so you're not alone…at the beginning of the race and at the end of the race,” Olson said.

Following her second-place finish, just 30 minutes later, Olson wins the 3200 with a 10:12.43. The six-second drop marked a new personal record for Olson.

Having had more confidence for the 3200 than the 1600, Olson put her head down and focused on keeping proper form.

“I was just trying to stay on it in the middle laps because that's usually the hardest spot to go too slow and slowly lose time, so I was just trying to keep running fast,” Olson said.

As Olson turned the corner for the final 100 meters, she comfortably led the pack and focused on finishing hard and enjoying the moment.

“I was just trying to hold my form and finish strong because I knew I would have a pretty good time…I was trying to run as fast as I could, but also just enjoy it too,” Olson said.

Coach Kyle Barnes is amazed at the elite caliber athlete Olson has been, and their relationship has turned into mutual respect that creates an ideal environment to flourish.

“To have someone at that level it’s just different than coaching other kids,” Barnes said. “It’s turned into a good mutual relationship…we rely on each other to do good things.”

“Most people don’t get to coach a kid like her, and it’s been fun,” Barnes said. “She works hard; it’s not just talent… she’s not a kid that shows up and thinks she’s really good; she works really hard.”

Running on the track was only part of the Panther’s success. They also proved to be competitive in the field events as senior pole vaulters Natalie Blake placed No. 2. and Kayla Hintz placed No. 4.

Since middle school, the senior duo has been longtime friends, and Hintz feels that their friendship was a big part of her motivation, success, and good memories.

“I’ve known her since seventh grade, and we just got off on the right foot, and it’s been like that ever since,” Hintz said. “We always push each other in practice, and she's proud of me, and I’m proud of her, and I couldn’t have asked for a better friend to compete with.”

Blake felt proud of all that she had accomplished throughout her four years and was thankful she had been able to compete with longtime friends and teammates.

“This is almost the perfect ending,” Blake said. “It left me still a little hungry for more because I know I could clear some higher bars, but it was a good way to wrap up the season…I’m running the 4x400 relay, and that’s just kind of a fun event, but it’ll be a good way to end it with the girls I’ve been competing with since middle school.”

Blake competed in the 4x400 meter relay along with Megan Postma, Arianne Olson and Sophia Bonnema and placed No. 9. with a time of 4:01.86. Bonnema also finished No. 19. in the 800 with a 2:23.44.

The West Ottawa boys finished 30th. With nine points. Issac Easter finished No. 6. in the 300-meter hurdles with a 39.30 and No. 6. In the long jump, 21 feet 3 inches. Carston Cole finished the 3200 No. 6. with a time of 9:11.42.

The Zeeland West boys finished 50th. with three points. Skye VanderKuyl received all-state honors after placing No. 6. In the discus with a throw of 144 feet 9 inches.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Arianne Olson claims state crown, West Ottawa girls finish 4th