Posted: Jun 05, 2019
By: Kristy Booher Angelo, Associate Athletic Director
For More Info: booherk@gilmour.org
The varsity track & field program competed in the OHSAA Division III state championship meet in Columbus on May 31 and June 1. A total of 19 Lancers qualified for the meet held at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University. When the two-day event finished, Gilmour had three individual and four relays earn podium finishes.
The girls team finished 19th with a total of 13 points and six trips to the podium. The 4x800 relay of Katie Engle '19, Mary Lombardo '22, Nina Padanilam '22 and Jorja Hlifka '20 finished eighth to snag the last podium spot with a season-best time of 9:49.25. Engle then went on to finish sixth with a season-best performance in the 1600 and 16th in the 800. She made history as the only Lancer distance runner - male or female - to finish her four years as a Lancer competing in all four distance races in both the track and cross country state meets. Annika Corcoran '19 also made program history in the long jump, finishing seventh with a jump of 16' 4 3/4" to become the first female to ever earn a podium spot in that field event. Additional podium finishes included Karah Henderson '19, battling an ankle injury, who took sixth place in the 100 hurdles. The 4x100 relay of Leilani Zeller '20, Henderson, Sophia Giancola '20 and Corcoran earned sixth place, while the 4x200 relay of Zeller, Kaleigh McNamara '22, Giancola and Madison Olsen '20 captured eighth. Rounding out the state performances for the girls were Olsen earning 12th in the 400 and the 4x400 relay finishing 16th.
The boys team fell on hard times this past weekend, but fought through adversity the best it could to finish 43rd with a total of four points - all coming from the 4x800 relay team of Tim Diemer '19, Tyler Clark '19, Nathan Reichard '20 and Connor Gerspacher '19, which finished fifth. The 4x400 relay of Craig Wilson '20, Diemer, Reichard and Bryson Simpson '20, was 15th. Clark ran to a 13th-place finish in the 1600 and was 17th in the 3200 to end his stellar career as a Lancer, while Diemer was 19th in the 800 to finish out his notable high school career. CJ Charleston '19 waited out a three-hour rain and lightning delay before competing in the long jump. His three jumps did not qualify for the finals. Andre Rodgers '21, who had a tremendous sophomore campaign, was unable to compete in his events due to an achilles injury. Garret Tomasek '20 and Cole Durdella '20 also made the trip as alternates.
Congratulations to all of the student-athletes who represented Gilmour Academy at this year's OHSAA Division III Track & Field state championship meet!
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