Girls Track & Field: Gahanna Lincoln Lions capture third state championship

The Gahanna Lincoln girls track and field team put together a season that was close enough to flawless that it might be tempting to forget the bumps in the road.

The Lions won regular-season meets such as the New Albany Invitational on April 15 and the Eastern Relays on April 22 in Louisville, Kentucky, and then swept through the OCC-Ohio Division and all of their postseason meets with championships every time.

“Easy” isn’t a word that coach Roger Whittaker would use to describe his team’s journey, however.

At the Division I state meet June 3 and 4 at Ohio State, Whittaker found a balance between when to use standouts such as juniors Camden Bentley and Ayanna Stafford and when to rest them.

The Lions wound up not having senior Alyssa Shope on the final day of the meet, as she was unable to compete in the 3,200 meters after winning the event a year ago. But after a spring in which she battled illness, Shope was able to run a leg of the 3,200 relay that placed sixth (9 minutes, 22.39 seconds) on the opening day of state.

Seniors Lauren Stringer and Camryn Nelson didn’t run in the finals but got to close their prep careers by running legs in the 800 relay and 400 relay, respectively, during preliminaries June 3.

That enabled junior Amryne Chilton, who had been out since the league meet because of a right quad injury, to get additional rest before helping the 800 relay capture the title in 1:38.32 and the 400 relay earn a runner-up finish in 47.91.

The Lions scored 47 points to finish ahead of runner-up Westerville Central (31) and win their third state title. They’ve finished in the top three in eight consecutive state meets.

“We just kind of played it close to the vest and said, ‘We’re not going to do anything wild and bold. We’ll just do what we do,’ ” Whittaker said. “I had a couple girls run at the last minute (in preliminaries) when I took some people out. That’s why we’re here.

“I took (Stafford) out of the 200 (preliminaries) and said, ‘I need you tomorrow. I don’t need you hurt.’ If we would’ve put Camden in the (400 relay), she might have gotten four gold medals, but she’s not a robot and she’s going to break down at some point. But she’s unreal.”

Bentley helped the Lions take a big step toward their goal of the team title by winning the 100 hurdles (13.25) and 300 hurdles (42.82). Her time in the 100 hurdles would have topped the state record, which she set when she ran 13.45 in her preliminary heat, but it’s not considered a record because of a 3.3 mph wind.

She was state champion in the 300 hurdles and runner-up in the 100 hurdles a year ago.

“The crowd and the atmosphere make me go faster,” Bentley said. “(Winning the 100 hurdles) was my redemption this year. I’m very excited.”

Stafford, meanwhile, was a state qualifier in the 100 and 200 but did not compete in the 200, instead taking third in the 100 (11.8) after being seeded 10th.

“I didn’t even know if I’d make it to the finals (of the 100) coming (into state),” Stafford said. “I figured out my start. At first, I wasn’t really driving the first 30 meters, but I started to drive and my turnover kicks in about 60 meters into the race and that’s what helps me.”

Bentley and Stafford joined Chilton and sophomore Keena Sanders in the 800 relay final, while Stafford, Sanders and senior M’Kaia Trent ran in the 400 relay final with Chilton.

“It’s very exciting because it’s our first time running under 1:40 (in the 800 relay),” Sanders said.

Joining Shope on the 3,200 relay were senior Hannah Reich, junior Ava Tominack and sophomore Addy Galloway.

The other state competitor was junior Daisha Decree, who placed 11th in the long jump (17 feet, 8 1/2 inches).

“It’s special, and (most of the state competitors) were underclassmen,” Whittaker said. “We won state in 2015, 2018 and now 2022, so it’s been amazing.”

•New Albany’s only state qualifier, junior Mary Schultz, finished eighth in the 800 (2:15.16) in her first appearance at the meet.

“I was seeded 10th, so I’m very proud,” Schultz said. “This is my first year where I wasn’t injured and the farthest I’ve made it. This atmosphere is so amazing. It’s so enjoyable just to be here. It’s so overwhelming, but I thrive off pressure. I thrive off the running culture. For all these people here to be so obsessed with running like I am, it’s really special.”

Schultz trimmed 0.57 of a second from her time at the regional, where she finished fifth to earn an at-large state berth, and more than six seconds from her time of 2:21.33 in the district 2 meet, where she placed third.

Schultz is among four regional qualifiers eligible to return, along with junior Olivia Gaines, who was seventh in the 400 (59.79), and their teammates on the ninth-place 1,600 relay (4:04.75) in junior E’moni Saxton and sophomore Aubrey Glover.

Junior Stephanie Thomas helped anchor the distance runners along with senior Sammie Sika.

—Dave Purpura

•Columbus Academy sophomore Alli Klinefelter stood proudly on the podium after finishing fourth in the high jump (5-5) at the Division II state meet June 3.

“I was really excited,” she said. “The adrenalin at this meet helped me jump as high as I did. There were a lot of good girls here. I was just hoping to make the podium, so I’m just proud of myself and how I did.”

“It was a great experience for her,” distance and high jump coach Chris Mealick said. “Making it here, at the beginning of the year she would have never told you that she thought she thought she could do that. We’re definitely planning on building on this.”

Klinefelter earned her first state berth by finishing third (5-4) at regional May 26 at Lexington. She was second with a personal-best 5-6 at district May 17 at Westerville South.

“We knew she had the capacity to get this far,” coach Ashlee Abraham said. “We’ve had so many injuries and she was one of them. She was in a boot (because of a right ankle injury). To see her in a boot and now placing at state is amazing. I’m so proud of her.”

—Frank DiRenna

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COLUMBUS ACADEMY 

•MSL-Ohio standings: Bexley (142.5), Columbus School for Girls (115), Worthington Christian (96), Academy (90), Buckeye Valley (80.5), Grandview (77), Wellington (32), Whitehall (20) 

•Seniors lost: Julia DeVore, Kennedy Jackson, Mary Kate Prall and Lindsay Sutherland 

•Key returnees: Irena Alahakoon, Samantha Frickel, Alli Klinefelter, Ella Lowrie and Samantha Whitson 

•Postseason: Tied for seventh (49) at district behind champion Northridge (63), 22nd (11.5) at regional behind champion Gates Mills Gilmour Academy (73), tied for 36th (5) at state behind champion Dayton Oakwood (47)

GAHANNA LINCOLN 

•OCC-Ohio standings: Gahanna (153), Westerville Central (131), New Albany (98), Pickerington North (85), Grove City (40), Westland (16) 

•Seniors lost: Camryn Nelson, Kimora Perkins, Nahjae Pinager, Hannah Reich, Abby Schedgle, Alyssa Shope, Lauren Stringer, M’Kaia Trent, M’Kya Trent and Aniyah Wells 

•Key returnees: Camden Bentley, Amryne Chilton, Daisha Decree, Addy Galloway, Keena Sanders, Ayanna Stafford and Ava Tominack 

•Postseason: First (134) at district 2, first (73) at regional, first (47) at state 

NEW ALBANY

•Seniors lost: Gabby Abbruzzese, Caroline Daly, Isabel Goldstein, Ellie Haffer and Sammie Sika

•Key returnees: Olivia Gaines, Aubrey Glover, Mary Schultz and Stephanie Thomas

•Postseason: Seventh (43) at district behind champion Gahanna (134), tied for 24th (8) at regional behind champion Gahanna (73), tied for 72nd (1) at state behind champion Gahanna (47)

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Girls Track & Field: Gahanna Lincoln wins third state championship