Girls state track preview: Cybak returns to Columbus, plus outlooks for every local
The last time the OHSAA State Championships were held at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Malena Cybak was just a wide-eyed freshman taking it all in.
This weekend, when the meet returns to OSU for the first time since 2019, the current Tuslaw senior will be ending her prep career with the hopes of bringing home a state title.
Cybak will be among a large contingent of area athletes poised to bring home All-Ohio honors in the state championships, which were held at Columbus-area high schools last season after being cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
And as the lone local with experience competing at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, running on a fourth-place 4x400-meter relay team, the Youngstown State recruit knows that environment will be one that many newcomers will need to get used to.
Cybak will compete in the 800 run, an event that she was runner-up in last June when the D-II portion of the meet was held at Pickerington North High School.
“It depends how you handle your nerves,” she said. “When you're down there the stadium is huge and last year with it not being there, it was different.
“Being there my freshman year, you get kind of a sense of how many people are going to be there and what the atmosphere is like. It's something else. You have to get used to it.”
Here’s a preview of each of the area athletes and relays:
DIVISION II
Jaylee Wingate (Norwayne, 1,600/800)
It’s been a historic season for Wingate and it’s only fitting it ends in Columbus. After bettering her area-record in the 800 to win the regional meet, crossing in 2:11.88, the junior is hoping for one more incredible finish in the half-mile this weekend. Indian Hill’s Elizabeth Whaley (2:10.25) and Ottawa-Glandorf's Alexa Fortman (2:11.21) are the only runners with better times this season. Don't count out reigning state champ Amy Weybrecht of Gilmour Academy and runner-up Malena Cybak of Tuslaw. Wingate is just behind the pace of Whaley and Oakwood’s Grace Hartman in the 1,600.
Annabel Stanley (Norwayne, 3,200)
An All-Ohio cross country runner, Stanley will be making her state debut on the track this Saturday. On the heels of her best of run of the season, an 11:25.85, the junior is poised for another personal-record time this weekend. The field is loaded with talented runners, led by a trio of sub 10:40 runners in Oakwood’s Grace Hartman, Springfield Shawnee’s Audrey Desantis and Oakwood’s Bella Butler.
Allison Morlock (Norwayne, discus/shot put)
Morlock’s state debut will include two events, as the standout junior qualified in both throws. Her career-best mark in the shot put, 40-3½, has her within reach of a podium spot. Only Norton’s Morgan Hallett and Bellevue’s Kaylin Howey have gone over 43 feet this season, leaving the door open for Morlock to win a medal. In the discus, her career-best 118-6, which was also set last weekend, has her outside of the top 10.
Kalie Campbell (Triway, long jump)
A two-time state qualifier, Campbell saved the best for last in her third-place district finish. The junior cleared 16-6½ on her final attempt to get one of the four automatic qualifying spots at the Youngstown Regional. But Campbell is capable of much more as she has a 17-3¾ leap to her credit this season, which would give her a solid chance at a top-eight finish.
Malena Cybak (Tuslaw, 800)
A runner-up in the event last season to Gilmour Academy’s Amy Weybrecht, Cybak is back for a final try at the state’s ultimate prize. And it will come down to the final 200 as field is loaded with runners below 2:12 – Elizabeth Whaley (Indian Hill, 2:10.25), Alexa Fortman (Ottawa-Glandorf, 2:11.21) and Jaylee Wingate (Norwayne, 2:11.88). The YSU recruit ran a personal-best 2:13.33 in her second-place run at last weekend's Youngstown Regional.
Jasmine Giauque (West Holmes, 100)
Earning the fourth qualifying spot from the Chillicothe Regional, the junior advances to state after a stellar season in both open sprints. Giauque, who just missed a state berth in the 200, comes into Friday’s prelim after a career-best 13.06 in the regional final. She will have her hands full, however, as both Kya Epps (St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Jadyn Haywood (Cham. Julienne) are capable of sub-12 times.
Lexy Starner (West Holmes, 3,200)
With three sub-11 runners in the field, the freshman will be put to the test in Saturday’s final. Starner, who clocked a personal-best 11:37.67 in a third-place run at the Chillicothe Regional, should be up for the challenge. Oakwood’s Grace Hartman leads the way with a 10:35.36, which she ran in April, followed by Springfield Shawnee’s Audrey DeSantis (10:39.56) and Oakwood’s Bella Butler (10:39.58).
Amy Hughes (West Holmes, shot put)
A career-best toss of 38-1 propelled the senior into a runner-up regional finish and a state berth. The veteran will look to take that personal mark over 40-feet this weekend – something that could get her into the finals. It won’t be easy, however, as Norton’s Morgan Hallett (47-6¼) and Bellevue’s Kaylin Howey (45-4¾) have been quite impressive this season.
Sydney Emler, Ellen Henslee, Elise Uhler, Shelby Vaughn (Norwayne, 4x100 relay)
Earning an automatic berth out of one of the fastest regionals in the state wasn’t easy, but this sprint unit has picked things up in the postseason. A season-best 50.78 at the Orrville District, followed by a 50.91 in their regional run has the quartet within striking distance of getting into the finals. Three teams, however, have broken 49 seconds this season, led by Toledo Central Catholic (48.39) and Gilmour (48.49).
Ellen Henslee, Sydney Emler, Lacy Hess, Shelby Vaughn (Norwayne 4x200 relay)
A season-best 1:46.35 at regionals proved that the group still has a little left in the tank, something they will need in their prelim run on Friday to get into a loaded final. The unit is four-plus seconds off the pace of Toledo Central Catholic, who won the Lexington Regional in 1:42.06.
Lacy Hess, Elise Uhler, Shelby Vaughn, Jaylee Wingate (Norwayne, 4x400 relay)
After adding the speedy Vaughn to the lineup this past week, the result was a season-best 4:02.81 and a state berth in the event. That move by veteran coach Terry O’Hare not only improved what was the area’s fastest 1,600 team by over 12 seconds, but it’s the seventh-fastest among the competing teams this weekend. Beaumont and Buchtel are the lone teams to break the four-minute mark this year.
DIVISION III
Brianna Chenevey (Dalton, 100/200)
A year after coming oh-so-close to claiming the state title in the 200, Chenevey is out to finish the job this time around. That experience, along with a district and regional title this spring in the event, has the junior coming in with a lot of momentum. Chenevey has come close to her personal record of 25.43 from 2021 on two occasions — the district final and regional prelim runs — and could give favorite Leah Smith of Calvert a run for her money. The sprinter also will compete in the 100, where she is 0.43 off the pace of the fastest time of the season coming in.
Lauren Clos (Dalton, 200)
Right next to Chenevey all season long has been Clos. But don’t get things confused, the junior is a standout sprinter in her own right, having clocked a 25.75 in her run at the Norwayne District, the ninth-fastest overall time in the state. Look for her to be, once again, shoulder-to-shoulder with Chenevey as the two look to push Calvert’s Leah Smith and Tree of Life’s Gianna Lee.
Corri Vermilya (Loudonville, 300 hurdles)
After missing out on the regional final as a freshman, the now-sophomore is heading to state in the event thanks to a personal-record 47.70 to earn the fourth state berth. Colonel Crawford’s Katie Ruffener is the lone runner in the field to have a sub-44 run to her credit this season, while Shelby Grover of Lucas — an MBC rival of Vermilya’s — ran a 44.31 last weekend.
Sydney Polen (Loudonville, long jump)
Despite the wind, rain and other conditions at the Massillon Regional, Polen proved it will take more than a weather front to deny her a state berth. And with perfect weather conditions expected this weekend in Columbus, Polen could be set to improve upon her career-best mark of 16-7 from earlier this postseason. With Lucas’ Shelby Grover (18-6½) far ahead of the competition, the rest of the field has a host of 17-foot jumpers for the junior to contend with.
Emily Thompson (Northwestern, shot put)
Thompson opened her prep career by going over 38 feet, setting the tone for an impressive rookie season for the thrower. The freshman improved upon the distance with a 39-4½ at the Triway Invitational in April and has kept herself in the 38-foot range for much of the postseason. Thompson will look that elusive 40-foot toss this weekend in a field where Molly Winner (Marion Local) and Kaitlyn Gum (New London) are both over 42.
Ainsley Hamsher (Orrville, pole vault)
With the chase for the school record now over, Hamsher will turn her attention to capping her career with a state title. Hamsher, who won the Massillon Regional with a record jump of 12-9 to become the school’s all-time leader in the event, will push for another record this weekend. Margaretta’s Kenna Stimmel, the defending state champ and Virginia Tech recruit, cleared 14-4 in April and is the favorite coming in.
Catrina Race (Orrville, pole vault)
A third-place finish at the Massillon Regional landed the sophomore her first career state appearance. Race, who has cleared 10 feet this season, finds herself in a loaded field of 10-plus vaulters, including Margaretta’s Kenna Stimmel (14-4) and teammate Ainsley Hamsher (12-9).
Merrick Gibson (Rittman, 800)
The freshman not only clocked a personal record in her runner-up finish at last week’s Massillon Regional, but she got some bragging rights over her older sister, Pyper, by over a full second. That finish of 2:18.66 has the rookie within striking distance of an All-Ohio finish as just three runners — Zane Trace’s Marie Souther, Minster’s Taylor Roth and Coldwater’s Haley Alig — have broken 2:17 this season.
Pyper Gibson (Rittman, 1,600/3,200)
A two-event All-Ohioan a year ago, Gibson will look to bring home another pair of medals this season in both distance events. The junior, who was runner-up in the 3,200 and fourth in the 1,600 last season, is in the hunt to not only get back on that podium but compete for the title. Her 5:03.65 in the mile is the third-fastest in the field, behind Maplewood’s Caleigh Richards and Ft. Loramie’s Claire Rethman. The 3,200 will also be close as her 10:57.67 from earlier this spring is fourth-best.
Abby Hartzler (Smithville, high jump)
The junior has been the area standard in the event all year long, highlighted by a school-record mark of 5-4½ to win the WCAL title. The mark is the seventh-best in the division, coming into Friday’s competition in a field that is led by Springfield Catholic Central’s Mallory Mullen (5-9). Wayne Trace’s Gracie Shepherd and Colonel Crawford’s Liv Krassow have jumped 5-6 this season.
Maddy Lengacher (Smithville, 400)
Lengacher will be making her second-straight state appearance, thanks to a career-best run of 1:00.42 to finish third at the Massillon Regional. The sophomore, who was 15th overall in the prelims last year at state, will look to improve upon that personal-best mark in a lineup of runners sub-60-second sprinters. Wayne Trace’s Sydnee Sinn comes into the prelims with the fastest time in the state (56.07).
Kylee Gray (Waynedale, 3,200)
On the heels of the best run of her career, the senior finds herself in the final and will a shot at all-state finish. Her 11:22.47 earned herself the fourth state berth out of the Massillon Regional but the time is the 10th-fastest among D-III runners this season. Caleigh Richards of Maplewood leads the field with a 10:42.82, with Michaela McGill (Mt. Gilead), Megan Hipple (McDonald), and Pyper Gibson (Rittman) all under 11 minutes.
Courtney Weaver, Lauren Clos, Macy Seeman, Brianna Chenevey (Dalton, 4x100 relay)
If any local relay has a chance at a state title, it’s the Bulldogs. With the steadiness of Weaver and Seeman, combined with the closing speed that has helped Clos and Chenevey to individual state berths, this team is loaded. Dalton’s 49.72 in the prelims at the Massillon Regional was the second-fastest time in the division this season, just 0.11 seconds off the pace of Margaretta.
Lauren Clos, Molly Soehnlen, Addesa Miller, Brianna Chenevey (Dalton, 4x400 relay)
This group earned a third-place finish at the Massillon Regional after a season-best time of 4:09.60. Another quality time could be in store, especially with a blistering-fast field that is led by Clavert, which won the Port Clinton Regional in 3:59.75. Both Wayne Trace and Coldwater also are close to breaking the four-minute mark.
Kenzie Cutlip, Corri Vermilya, Anna Templeman, Sydney Polen (Loudonville, 4x200 relay)
This quartet took the area by storm last season as a 4x1 relay, but after the group failed to get out of the district in the event, they turned their attention to the 4x2. And they haven't missed a beat, posting a season-best 1:47.46 last weekend and earning a return trip to state. The field is close too, with Madeira leading the way with a 1:45.05, one of six teams in the field to run under 1:46.
Sydney Shane, Claire Haas, Abby Hartzler, Maddy Lengacher (Smithville, 4x200 relay)
An at-large bid to the state meet, this group will look to compete in a loaded field that has six groups under 1:46 and one team, Madeira, nearly below the 1:45 mark. The Smithies have earned their trip to Columbus, however, thanks to a season-best 1:47.59 at the Massillon Regional, one of the fastest regionals for the event.
Maddy Lengacher, Abby Hartzler, Cadence Amstutz, Claire Haas (Smithville, 4x400 relay)
Fast. That’s the best way to describe the crop of teams that will compete in the 1,600 relay in Columbus. And while the Smithies earned a spot among the best in the state, thanks to a season-best 4:10.17, another fast run by the quartet will be needed to advance to the final. Madeira leads the speedy collection of squads with a 3:59.75, followed by Wayne Trace (4:00.13) and Coldwater (4:00.95).
Alyce Yoder, Sydney Reber, Kylee Gray, Clara Sundberg (Waynedale, 4x800 relay)
This group enters Friday’s final with two words on their minds – school record. And after a season-low 9:55.26 at Norwayne District, they're getting close to elusive mark of 9:50.68, which was set in the 2005 season. The fast field should help the relay unit to that goal, too, as Minster (9:39.50) is expected to take the race out fast, while Liberty Center, Fort Loramie, Coldwater and Woodmore are all under 9:50.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Track and Field: previewing the local girls state meet athletes
