Track & Field: Reynoldsburg Raiders boys 800 relay takes fourth at state

The pieces for what proved to be one of the state’s top 800-meter relays didn’t come together until late this spring for the Reynoldsburg boys track and field team.

After senior Deon Campbell, junior Shawn Payne and sophomores Deonte Milton-Baker and Mackenzie Tillman placed third in the event at the OCC-Buckeye Division meet May 14, Campbell and Milton-Baker were joined by seniors Ibrahim Fall and Markez Gillam for the Division I, district 2 meet, which concluded May 21 at Hilliard Darby.

That foursome won a district title in 1 minute, 27.28 seconds, but the relay changed again at the regional, which concluded May 27 at Pickerington North, with senior Sedric Cowans joining Campbell, Fall and Gillam and finishing third in 1:27.11.

That group stayed together the following week, and the result was a spot on the podium at the state meet held June 3 and 4 at Ohio State, as the relay finished fourth (1:26.83) to give the Raiders five points.

The last time Reynoldsburg scored at state was in 2019, when its 800 relay earned a runner-up finish.

“We had a decent season,” Gillam said. “We came out here in the second half of the season and kept PRing and improving our times. We’re not where we want to be, but we’re here.”

The members of the relay left state with an eye toward a strong finish at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, which are scheduled for June 16-19 in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania.

Shortly after that, Gillam will head off to college to play football at Indianapolis.

Cowans also has a college future in athletics, but in hockey. After competing for the Westerville Warcats club program because Reynoldsburg does not sponsor the sport, Cowans is planning to compete for Cincinnati.

Fall, who played for the boys soccer team and served as a kicker for the football program, is uncommitted but hopes to compete collegiately in track.

“We all came up as freshmen together,” Fall said. “We didn’t have a sophomore year due to COVID, our junior year we were all injured and at the beginning of our senior year we were injured, but we came back in the middle of April. We went back to work and we’re blessed to be here (at state). I wouldn’t want to run with any other group of guys.”

Also competing at the regional for the Raiders were Campbell in the long jump, Gillam in the 100 and 200 and the 400 relay of Cowans, Fall, Gillam and freshman Zayvion Mallory.

Others eligible to return include junior Tehron Spencer (hurdles) and sophomore Jackson Powell (middle distance).

•Senior Makailah McElrath-Walker closed her prep career as a three-time state qualifier for the Hartley girls team, but that was a feat that was in question not long ago.

On March 30, McElrath-Walker suffered a right elbow injury that sidelined her until the postseason.

“I wasn’t supposed to be here,” she said. “I had to get surgery April 4 and they told me I couldn’t run this season, but I made it back with my team. I only ran (a few) meets.”

After running on the 400 relay that made state when she was a freshman and placing 16th in the 100 last year, McElrath-Walker competed on the 400 relay that finished fourth (48.19) on June 4 in the Division I state meet.

Also on the relay were senior Zaria Robinson, junior Alex Etienne and sophomore Alana Andrew.

“I overall feel like we ran pretty well with the constant relay changes we had,” Etienne said.

Robinson was excited to close her prep career at state after injuries cut short two of her seasons. She also was a regional qualifier in the 200.

“It means a lot to me to push forward to make it here,” she said.

Juniors Asia Branch (discus, shot put), Joi Brown (high jump), Jackie Radous (middle distance) and Anna Torrell (distance), sophomore Piper Minnich (distance) and freshman Amiyah Odom (sprints) are others eligible to return.

The boys team didn’t have any Division II state qualifiers.

Senior Trey Saunders, who was the state runner-up in the 100 last season, settled for a sixth-place regional finish (11.24) on May 28 at Lexington.

Saunders, who will play football for Colgate, also ran at regional on the 400 relay with senior Richard Kenny, junior Noah Coates and sophomore Xavier Martin-Fuller and on the 800 relay with Kenny, junior Terrion Barbour and sophomore Julian Elliot.

Senior Daniel Tooson, who will play football for Slippery Rock, qualified for regional in the shot put but did not compete.

Kenny will play football for Ohio Dominican.

Barbour also was a regional qualifier in the high jump and the 110 hurdles.

Sophomores Xavier Martin-Fuller (sprints) and Nathan Ogden (middle distance) and freshmen Connor Caltrider (distance) and Javyn Tongor (middle distance) are others eligible to return.

•Three of the five members of the Reynoldsburg girls team who competed at state are eligible to return.

The 400 relay of senior Jamiona Ross, junior Hollyn Tillman, sophomore Latesha Asare and freshman Aarmya Jones finished fifth (48.19).

That same group finished third (48.94) in district 2 and third (48.5) at regional.

The Raiders entered the finals with the fifth seed and finished with the same time as Hartley but officially placed behind the Hawks.

“I’m very excited and glad I got to be (at state),” Asare said.

Also competing at state was senior Nya Collier, who placed 13th in the 100 hurdles (15.08).

The Raiders didn’t have any state qualifiers last season but had their 400 relay finish fourth at state in 2019 when Ross gained her first state experience.

Ross, who also helped the girls basketball team win the Division I state title in March, also was a regional qualifier in the 100 and 200.

“I’m just proud of all of us for getting (to state) in the first place,” Ross said. “I’m just happy to be here.”

Aquilla Jacobs, who joined Asare, Ross and Tillman on the 400 relay that won the OCC-Buckeye title, was another key senior.

Sophomores Aria Brown (shot put, discus) and Abigail Davison (distance) and freshman Alexandria Carrington (hurdles) are others eligible to return.

julrey@thisweeknews.com 

@UlreyThisWeek 

HARTLEY 

•CCL standings: Boys — Watterson (104), Hartley (76.5), DeSales (73.5), St. Charles (55), Ready (23); Girls — Watterson (125.5), Hartley (99), DeSales (82), Ready (23.5) 

•Seniors lost: Boys — Richard Kenny, Avion Murphy, Trey Saunders, Daniel Tooson and Alex Treon; Girls — Mia Martin-Fuller, Makailah McElrath-Walker, Payton Moore, Zaria Robinson and Rebecca Tepper 

•Key returnees: Boys — Terrion Barbour, Connor Caltrider, Noah Coates, Julian Elliot, Xavier Martin-Fuller, Nathan Ogden and Javyn Tongor; Girls — Alana Andrew, Asia Branch, Joi Brown, Alex Etienne, Piper Minnich, Amiyah Odom, Jackie Radous and Anna Torrell 

•Postseason: Boys — Fifth (66) at district behind champion Watterson (93), tied for 23rd (8) behind champion Sandusky Perkins (79) at regional; Girls — 11th (28) at district behind champion Granville (88), 22nd (10) at regional behind champion Gahanna (73), tied for 44th (5) at state behind champion Gahanna (47) 

REYNOLDSBURG 

•OCC-Buckeye standings: Boys — Lancaster (205), Pickerington Central (142), Reynoldsburg (81), Newark (62), Groveport (25), Central Crossing (6); Girls — Pickerington Central (159.5), Lancaster (147.5), Reynoldsburg (115), Newark (64), Groveport (23), Central Crossing (14) 

•Seniors lost: Boys — Deon Campbell, Sedric Cowans, Ibrahim Fall, Markez Gillam, Rylee Mays and Mitchell Rollins; Girls — Nya Collier, Rokielle Donald, Erniesha Guerrier, Aquilla Jacobs, Ayanta Jarmon, Milan Patterson and Jamiona Ross 

•Key returnees: Boys — Abdoul Bah, Zayvion Mallory, Deonte Milton-Baker, Jackson Powell and Tehron Spencer; Girls — Latesha Asare, Aria Brown, Alexandria Carrington, Abigail Davison, Aarmya Jones and Hollyn Tillman 

•Postseason: Boys — Seventh (45) at district behind champion Gahanna (122), 28th (7) at regional behind champion Westerville Central (55), tied for 46th (5) at state behind champion Pickerington Central (31); Girls — Eighth (40) at district behind champion Gahanna (134), 23rd (9) at regional behind champion Gahanna (73), tied for 51st (4) at state behind champion Gahanna (47)

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Track & Field: Reynoldsburg boys 800 relay takes fourth at state