Marysville’s Brynn Rychlik (top photo) pole vaults during the Division I state track and field meet at Hilliard Darby. In the bottom photo, Macy Miller of Fairbanks competes in the Division III high jump at Westerville North. All three divisions of Ohio high school track and field teams competed for state honors in three different locations for the first time. (Journal-Tribune photos by Tim Miller)
There was no last year, last year.
That’s what made this year a special year.
Confusing?
The coronavirus pandemic surely turned things upside-down during the past year.
High school athletes were not permitted to participate during a 2020 spring season.
The sports of baseball, softball, track and field, boys tennis and boys and girls lacrosse were completely shut down.
Seniors in the class of 2020 were not permitted to compete in athletics and show their skills.
The Union County area had several athletes who could have competed in the state track meet as a senior a year ago, but were denied.
One of the biggest disappointments on a local level was the inability of Jonathan Alder’s softball team to defend its 2019 Division II state championship.
I’ve said before and I’ll say it again… I feel the Lady Pioneers would have repeated as state champs.
That brings us to the recently completed 2021 spring sports campaign.
Our local baseball and softball teams were all knocked out of post-season competition before Memorial Day.
A number of those squads had successful seasons, but couldn’t make it beyond the district level.
This is the first season I can remember when we didn’t have a local diamond team playing after the holiday.
Another casualty of the pandemic is that high school teams haven’t been able to use facilities at The Ohio State University for state tournaments.
The 2020-21 state wrestling tournament was divided between three central Ohio High Schools, as was the state track and field meets last weekend.
It remains to be seen whether OSU and the Ohio High School Athletic Association will be able to come to another agreement.
Ohio State’s facilities for state wrestling and track and field competition were fantastic venues.
The university settings allowed high school athletes the opportunity to compete at an NCAA Division I venue.
Those high school years may be the only chance most of those high school athletes ever had a chance of doing so.
Splitting the state wrestling and track and field tournaments into different locations certainly took something out of those championship venues.
However, officials at Hilliard Darby (wrestling and track), Marion Harding (wrestling), Sparta Highland (wrestling), Pickerington North (track) and Westerville North (track) are to be commended for giving student-athletes an opportunity to compete at the state level.
Former Marysville High School track assistant coach Scott Forney and I briefly talked about this during the Division I state meet that was held at Hilliard Darby.
We both agreed it was a shame this year’s seniors could not compete at OSU’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
We also agreed, though, that competing in a state meet was at least something… more than what 2020’s spring sports athletes were able to do.
Let’s hope the 2021-22 sports year came return to a more normal frame work.
Joey Walker is pictured winning the Division II boys high jump at Pickerington North. The OHSAA used three high schools to conduct its state track meets this year. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)