Girls Track & Field: Upper Arlington Golden Bears driven to match 2021 success
Elaina Schneider was a key contributor to the Upper Arlington girls track and field team’s best season in her lifetime, but the sophomore tried to downplay the impact of returning four of last year’s six Division I state qualifiers when it comes to the Golden Bears’ fortunes this spring.
“I don’t think it really set any bar for this year, but it pushes us to work harder to get to the same point we were last year,” said Schneider, a sprinter and hurdler. “It’s more motivational for ourselves individually than it is an expectation we have to meet.”
In any case, the Bears started this season as well as last year, when they finished second in their first invitational and then won four of their next five by scoring an average of 161 points. UA got off to another fast start, finishing second in the season-opening Legends Track and Field Classic on March 26 at Cincinnati La Salle before sweeping the relays in the Upper Arlington Invitational seven days later, amassing 124 points to finish first ahead of runner-up Marysville (87).
Schneider, classmate Maggie Robertson and junior Clara Reynolds were part of UA’s seventh-place 1,600-meter relay at state last year. That same group, along with 2021 graduate Emma Schueler, was 14th in the 800 relay.
Senior Ellie Ford was ninth in the pole vault and Reynolds tied for 10th in the 400.
UA’s six state qualifiers were the program’s most since sending 11 to the meet in 2004.
“We’re really hoping to keep that going,” said Ford, an Ohio Northern recruit who has vaulted as high as 12 feet and also is a high jumper. “I met my expectations at the end of last season and this winter. I got 12 feet, which was my goal. Now I’m aiming to go 12-6 or 13-0 and then qualify for state and hopefully medal.”
Seniors Eleni Kourlas (distance) and Evie Sanford (throws), junior Sydney Callaghan (sprints, jumps) and sophomores Maggie Malone (distance) and Maddison Tyree (hurdles, sprints) also are back to help round out the team.
New additions include junior Emily Barker (sprints), an Ohio State field hockey commit, sophomore Fabi Corso (distance) and freshman Kyla Chenelle (sprints).
Corso competed as a freshman for Columbus School for Girls and like Malone is a two-time state cross country qualifier.
“We’re balanced,” said Elena Schmitt, who is in her first season as head coach after three as an assistant. “We have just as strong, if not a stronger, (1,600) relay than last year. We’ve been testing things early to see what it will look like.
“Every year is a new year. Every day is a new day. We’ll just work with the kids we have and do our best to get to June.”
Schmitt succeeded Courtney Ruppert, who coached for one season.
Ford said the size of the team, which exceeds 100 athletes, provides its own motivation.
“We have such a big team — varsity, (junior varsity) A and j.v. B. If you’re not working hard, you might find yourself on j.v. B,” Ford said. “You’ll move up if you work hard.”
dpurpura@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekDave
GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS
•Coach: Brian Schoch, fifth season
•Top athletes: Sophie Andrew, Abbie Baxter, Hayley Cook, Chai Dobbs-Euans, Madeline Palmisciano and Greta Tew
•Key losses: Tayler Pierce, Tia Thomas and Hannah Yochem
•2021 MSL-Ohio standings: Buckeye Valley (165.33), Bexley (129.33), Columbus School for Girls (106), Grandview (74), Columbus Academy (68), Worthington Christian (56), Wellington (26.33), Whitehall (14)
•2021 postseason: Third at district, fifth at regional, did not score at state
•Outlook: The Bobcats return several versatile athletes, including senior Sophie Andrew, who finished 16th in the Division III state meet in the pole vault (8-0) but also is a sprinter and hurdler.
Senior Abbie Baxter runs the 400 and 800, junior Chai Dobbs-Euans throws the shot put and discus and also is a high jumper, and sophomore Natalie Smith is a sprinter and jumper.
Sophomores Hayley Cook and Charlotte Tucker are top sprinters, and junior Greta Tew and sophomores Jillian Curfman and Madeline Palmisciano lead a young group in the distance and middle-distance races.
Coach Brian Schoch also expects Chloe Gehres (distance, middle distance) and Alaina Haj Abed (pole vault) to contribute as freshmen.
•Quotable: “We’re young, but it won’t take awhile for them to be ready. We’re young and good. We have a crew of athletes who can do different things. They have a lot of different skill sets.” — Schoch
—Scott Hennen
UPPER ARLINGTON
•Coach: Elena Schmitt, first season
•Top athletes: Ellie Ford, Clara Reynolds, Maggie Robertson, Evie Sanford and Elaina Schneider
•Key losses: Adiah Bonham, Elizabeth Lembach, Hope Perry and Emma Schueler
•2021 OCC-Central standings: Olentangy Orange (140), Hilliard Davidson (117), Upper Arlington (93), Olentangy Liberty (75), Dublin Coffman (60), Hilliard Bradley (38)
•2021 postseason: Second at district, eighth at regional, tied for 63rd at state
WELLINGTON
•Coach: Tonderai Tomu, second season
•Top athletes: Abigail Burkhardt, Eva Dulle, Dylan Ehlers, Lauren Okoye and Olivia Robinson
•Key losses: Caroline Cooke and Reagan Kadlic
•2021 postseason: Sixth at district, did not score at regional
•Outlook: Four of last year’s six Division III regional qualifiers return for the Jaguars, who were fielding a team for the first time since 2016. Seniors Abigail Burkhardt and Lauren Okoye and junior Olivia Robinson hope to have another strong season in the 800 relay after finishing 10th at regional, Burkhardt was 14th in the 100 and Burkhardt, Okoye and junior Dylan Ehlers were on the 13th-place 400 relay.
Sophomores Eva Dulle and Emerson Thompson lead the distance runners. Burkhardt and Ehlers are jumpers and Robinson also is a hurdler.
Throwers include sophomore Gigi Manley and freshman Katherine Armitage.
Total turnout is 15, up from eight a year ago.
•Quotable: “Moving forward, we’re setting ourselves up for success. Our goal is to make it to state — that’s the big goal — so I’m hoping all these girls can put something together. If we can get there, we can build even more from that. We’re hungry.” — coach Tonderai Tomu
—Dave Purpura
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Girls Track & Field: Upper Arlington driven to match 2021 success
