Regional track: Morgan girls repeat runner-up finish, JG's Tooms leads area boys

CHILLICOTHE — The Muskingum Valley League’s heavy hitters swung for the fences at regional track and field meets in Ross County this past weekend.

None hit harder than Morgan's girls, who rode dominant showings from Josie Kneirim and Odessa Smith to a second straight runner-up finish in the Division II meet at Chillicothe High School.

One day earlier, Crooksville senior thrower Grace Frame added more hardware to her impressive career with a third place showing in the discus (112-10), which came after a win in the shot (38-6) on Wednesday in the Division III meet at Southeastern.

The Raiders finished with 63 points, just three behind champion Steubenville (66), while Sheridan rode a balanced showing to a fourth-place finish with 54 points. John Glenn was sixth at 42 1/2.

In the boys meet, John Glenn's boys were seventh (27), while Steubenville took that meet by 11 points with 61 total. Lisbon Beaver Local was second (50) and Chillicothe Unioto third (39).

The top four finishers in each event, plus at-large bids, advanced to the state meet on June 3 and 4. The event returns to Ohio State's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium for the first time since 2019.

Girls

The MVL's strength in running events showed at Chillicothe, where Knierim took the 100 (:12.62) and 200 (:25.53) and ran the anchor leg on the winning 4x200 (1:45.7). She also anchored the 4x100 that was third (:51.21).

She topped the 20-point mark for her efforts, as did Smith, who took home the 100 hurdles (:15.24) and 300 hurdles (:45.79), then qualified with an at-large berth in the long jump, where she was fifth (16-2 3/4).

She also ran on 4x200 with senior Paige Gorrell and junior Emily Pinkerton on a team that continues to dominate. Sheridan's team of Beckett Strong, Adrienne Spicer, Julie Nichols and Katelyn Heath again was their top competition at 1:46.1. Both will stand strong placing chances at the state meet if their improvement continues.

Gorrell and Knierim were joined on the 4x100 by sophomore Aleah Bogue and junior Autumn Garber. Pinkerton just missed qualifying in the 400, where she was sixth (1:00.18).

Raiders coach Vikki Bogue said her team "was on fire today," adding she is proud of their hard work and dedication and happy to see it paying off in the results.

The 4x200 team broke their own school record.

"They are great role models and great teammates," Vicki Bogue said. "No only are these girls fast as lightning, they're very intelligent. We are excited to go to Jesse Owens Stadium next week."

Smith was part of a dominant showing from the MVL in the hurdles. John Glenn’s Kara Fields was a close second (:15.43) and Meadowbrook’s Camden Black took third (:16.06) in the 100 hurdles.

In the 300s, she finished just ahead of fellow MVL combatants Claire Shriner and Beckett Strong, of Sheridan. Shriner, who false started in the 100s, clocked at :46.16 and Strong :46.72. Fields just missed qualifying at :47.07, which was good for fifth.

The MVL's big day in the relays continued in the 4x400, where Sheridan's team of Shriner, Strong, Julie Nichols and Katelyn Heath took first by almost two seconds in 4:06.3. Runner-up Steubenville came in at 4:07.8; John Glenn was seventh (4:15.7).

Heath also qualified in the long jump, where she was second in 16-9 1/2, but missed with a ninth-place showing in the 400 (1:01.5). Her long jump mark trailed only Sabria Jones, of Steubenville (17-8 1/4). Nichols was 13th (15-2 3/4).

Rilea Waite posted a personal best in the shot, placing fourth with a distance of 37-0 1/4 — fifth-pace Pam Kandrach was at 37-0. Maysville's Karli Sidwell was seventh (35-7 1/4). Spicer was fifth in the 100 (:13.2) and seventh in the 200 (:26.78).

John Glenn’s 4x800 team of Abigail Derry, Grace Lawrence, Laurie Baughman and Brea Wilfong placed third (9:53); Brea Wilfong took third in the 800 (2:21.7) and freshman Jessica Church was fourth in the 400 in :59.57.

Chelsea Sotherden narrowly missed qualifying in the discus, placing fifth in 109-11, just one inch behind fourth-place Chanee Cremeens, of Gallipolis Gallia Academy. Brayden Snider, a freshman, was fifth in the pole vault (11-0) to earn an at-large berth, and Jordan Killiany was sixth (10-6). Emily Thompson, of St. Clairsville, was fourth in 11-8.

Ava Hoffman was eighth in the high jump (5-0), Claire Smith 10th in the shot (34-4) and the 4x400 took seventh (4:15.7). Abigail Derry was ninth in the 800 (2:26.5) and Marina Nicolozakes 10th in the 300 hurdles (:49.63).

New Lexington's McKenna Pingle was fifth in the 400 (:59.91) and Sydney Hambel was sixth in the 3200 (11:48.9); Isabella Starlin was 11th in the 100 (:13.6) and anchored the 4x100 that was ninth (:53.01).

Boys

John Glenn senior Chris Tooms will return to Columbus in the 1600 and 3200, in addition to the 4x800, where he joins teammates Caiden Lake, Carson Clouse and Kody Clendenning after they were fourth in 8:21.

It took all of Tooms' mettle to survive and advance in the 3200, where he part of a race that saw the top three runners break the meet record. Tooms finished in 9:31.8, more than 20 seconds better than fifth-place Charles Putnam, of Portsmouth.

Tooms was just behind champion Corey Schobelock, who clocked at 9:24.0 to set the new regional record. Barnesville's Tyler Jenkins (9:25.5) and Unioto's Turner Markko (9:28.3) also broke the old mark.

The 1600 race was also a fight to the finish, with Tooms' 4:20.9 less tan a second behind Minerva's Connor Shingleton (4:20.5). Unioto's Gabe Lynch (4:22.9) and Garaway's Bobby Palmer (4:23.4) also advanced.

Muskie teammate Elijah Kuklica, also a senior, placed third in the 400 in a sterling :50.72 to keep his season. He finished just behind Steubenville's Brenton Jones (:49.75) and Garaway's Brendan Chapman (:50.72).

Kuklica also anchored the 4x400 team that was eighth in 3:35.6.

Tooms said his mission was to simply advance. He's excited to take some teammates with him to Columbus.

"I wasn’t sure how I would do in the 3200 time-wise today with doing the 1600," Tooms said. "It’s always a good time getting to race those guys. I knew both races would end up in a wild finish. Unfortunately I couldn’t come out with the win, but the plan was survive."

Clendenning added a seventh in the 800 (1:59.6). It took 1:58.4 to advance.

West Muskingum's Rashid Sesay was fifth in the 100 (:11.35) and Ty Shawger sixth in the high jump (6-0), with Shawger falling in a jump-off for the final qualifying spot.

Maysville's Codah Bunting was eighth in the pole vault (12-0) and Philo's Jaxson Radcliffe eighth in the long jump (20-0).

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Morgan girls track repeat as regional runner-up, Tooms paces area boys