Track roundup: Taylor wins pole vault for Ross at regional meet
Margaretta's Kenna Stimmel surpassed her meet record in the pole vault, clearing 14 feet to finish first Friday at the Division III regional track meet at Port Clinton.
Stimmel cleared her mark of 12-8 as a freshman three times. She won the 100 meters at 12.47 seconds and was third in the 100 hurdles at 15.30 as the Polar Bears finished as runners-up.
"I cleared my first height, which was relieving because I no heighted here at conference last year, so it's always stressful when I'm here," she said. "I went for some attempts at 14-6¼ because our [Margaretta] boys record is 14-6 and I want the girls record to be above the boys.
"I had some good attempts so I know once I get my technique down and I tune-in to get ready for state, I can get it next week."
Jana Berg, Macyn Phillips, Olivia Saylor and Stimmel won the 4x100 at 49.61. They took a state crown together last season.
"Not as fast as we ran at state last year — but a season best," Stimmel said. "Jana ate up that curve well and caught people, Macyn kept that lead, Olivia ran well and attacked the curve, then I got the baton and — I always act like someone is in front of me and I have to keep pushing. I ran a really strong split."
Stimmel qualified in four events last season as well, winning the 100. She has two championships in the pole vault.
There always seems to be a surprise with such a busy schedule, but Stimmel has a bit of a routine.
"I got here and it was raining, so I was really stressing about vaulting in the rain," she said. "But the pit was closed so we relaxed a bit. When they said we'd be delayed for an hour I was even more stressed because I thought I'd be warming up for pole vault when I'm running for the hurdles and I wouldn't get enough warmup time.
"But everything went well, I finished warming up for pole vault, then went to hurdles and my 100."
She couldn't find her blocks before hurdles.
"Nobody would let me use their blocks," she said. "I didn't like the blocks here because they're wider than I usually use. I had to suck it up and use other blocks, so my start was bad because they move different — it's a mental thing — but I ended up making it.
"I got my blocks for the 100, so I was calmer and more prepared for that. I ran well in that event, Katie [Ruffener of Colonel Crawford] and I are really good friends so it was a friendly race for sure."
Jennifer Patrick won the discus at 125-9 and was third in the shot put at 38-8.
Saylor was third in the 400 at 59.14 and Riley Young third in the 3,200 at 11:31.44.
Old Fort's Macie Miller won the 1,600 at 5:07.10 and 3,200 at 11:08.46.
"I almost scratched the mile, which is ironic in a way considering I ran a 12-second PR and finished first," Miller said. "Then came the 2-mile and my mindset was — if I make it out, I make it out. It was a good day overall.
"I figured the 2-mile was my strongest race so I was just going to save all my energy and my legs for the 2-mile. I surprised everybody [in the 1-mile]. I ran well today and I'm happy about it. Without this competition here, I wouldn't have ran the way I did."
Emma Hammer, Caydie Buchanan, Jordan Beam and Olivia Vogelpohl were second in the 4x800 at 9:49.25 as Woodmore finished sixth. Azure Travis was third in the 300 hurdles at 46.28 and fourth in the 100 hurdles at 15.89.
Vogelpohl was third in the 800 at 2:19.67. Rahzia Rios, Hammer, Vogelpohl and Travis were third in the 4x400 at 4:01.78.
Gibsonburg's Brianna Montgomery was fourth in the 300 hurdles at 47.12.
Danbury's Shana Marie Richard was fifth in the 100 hurdles.
Gibsonburg's Cole Owens cleared 14 feet to earn a crown in the pole vault for the boys.
Margaretta's Cooper Tiggess, Tate Bailey, Cam Sosa and Kaine Smezer were second in the 4x100 at 44.35. JT Patrick was third in the shot put at 51-4.25 and Jake Leibacher fourth in the 100 at 11.37.
Old Fort's Evan Combs cleared 14 feet to finish second in the pole vault.
St. Joseph Central Catholic's Sam Paeth cleared 13-4 to finish third in the pole vault.
Danbury's Bradley Murray was fifth in the 800.
Division I at Findlay
Allison Taylor cleared 12 feet to win the pole vault Friday for Fremont Ross.
Makenna Englund was fifth in the high jump.
Division II at Lexington
Clyde's Brady Wilson won the 300 hurdles at 38.36 and was second in the 110 hurdles at 14.74.
Isiah Miller, Jaqui Hayward, Hayden Hower and Hayden Buhro won the 4x100 at 42.64. Owen Miller was second in the 400 at 49.68 as Oak Harbor's boys finished fifth.
Buhro was third in the 100 at 11.06 and fourth in the 200 at 22.40. Isiah Miller was fourth in the 300 hurdles at 39.53.
Bellevue's Kaylin Howey was second in the shot put at 45-4.75.
Oak Harbor's Carson Ridener, Judson Overmyer, Isiah Miller and Owen Miller were fifth in the 4x400. Overmyer, Hower, Owen Miller and Buhro were fifth in the 4x200.
Genoa's Aiden Hemmert was fifth in the long jump.
Port Clinton's Gracie Rohrer, Rebekah Nehls, Jade Mitchell and Alexis Shelton were third in the 4x100 at 49.39 for the girls.
Oak Harbor's Amelia Mizelle was third in the 300 hurdles at 46.06. Rylee McKitrick was fifth in the 100, and Effie Schulte, McKitrick, Ally Garner and Mizelle were fifth in the 4x100.
Bellevue's Ella Rucker was third in the 100 hurdles at 15.40.
Clyde's Keira Morris, Chloe Rex, Cora Liskai and Brooklyn Root were fifth in the 4x200.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Track roundup: Old Fort's Miller takes two regional crowns
