Jonathan Alder’s Greg Nussbaum, left, secures a handoff from Ian Odell during the boys 4×400 meter relay event at the OHSAA state meet. The crew finished sixth in the Division II meet in Dayton.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
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Jonathan Alder’s pack of Pioneers reached the awards podium in three events during the Ohio High School Athletic Association state track and field meet.
“We treated it like any other meet to be honest,” senior Luke Goode said. “There’s no reason to change things if they’ve been working.
“I was just excited to get the opportunity to run at the state meet again and I think my teammates felt the same way,” he said.
The boys team was well-represented with its 4×800 meter relay team, which placed fourth, the 4×400 meter relay team that finished sixth and Goode, who was fourth in the 800 meter event.
“I think we were heading into the meet pretty confident,” JA head coach Justin Creps said.
The team of Brady Tremayne, Mason Hermiller, Greg Nussbaum and Goode marked the first JA athletes to reach the podium after the 4×800 meter relay finals.
Their fourth-place time was 7:57.47.
The top eight placers advanced to the awards podium.
“We thought our squad could match up with just about anyone,” Creps said despite losing Mark Goode to a season-ending injury. “He was a key part of that 4×800 team.
“We had Hermiller who wasn’t expected to be on that team and then all of a sudden, we are expecting him to step up,” said the coach. “He ran a really strong leg.”
Fourth place is the highest a Jonathan Alder boys relay team has ever placed at the state meet, according to Creps.
In the 4×400 relay prelim, the tandem of Cameron Jewell, Ian Odell, Nussbaum and L. Goode made it out with a time of 3:24.98. That placed them third in the first heat of the prelims.
The crew followed with a sixth-place finish in the finals with a time of 3:24.18.
“We’ve never had a 4×400 relay team make it to states before,” Creps said. “Making the final was really cool… I thought the boys competed really well.”
Luke Goode’s fourth-place time in the 800 was 1:53.78.
“A fourth place finish is really strong,” Creps said even though the senior was fatigued from other events in which he was involved. “He is the type of kid to sacrifice for his team, get the relays up there and get more kids to earn all-state recognition even if it costs him in his race.
“Making three trips to the podium is an accomplishment in its own right,” said Creps.
“Getting on the podium is always amazing, but that time was just really special because it was my highest placement,” said Goode. “I knew it was the last time I would get to feel that feeling.”
Additional local athletes were unable to reach the podium.
Tremayne competed in the boys 1600-meter run, finishing 15th with a time of 4:33.58.
“Brady is a fighter and went out really hard,” Creps said. “I’m sure he’s not super-stoked with how that race went but, like Luke, he was on the 4×800 the day before and got up on the podium.
“I think a lot of his focus was on that this week.”
Jewell competed in the prelims for the 400-meter sprint, but did not qualify for the finals. He finished 11th overall with a time of 49.98.
“We never had a sprinter quite like Cam,” Creps said. “I am just so proud of the maturity he developed this year.
“He really locked in and wanted to make the most of his senior year.”
Avery Murdock, the lone Lady Pioneer in the state meet, competed in the Division I girls discus.
The senior finished 18th overall with a toss of 106-11.
“She had her best day at regionals,” Creps said. “We had some realistic expectations heading into the Division I (state) meet, and we wanted to soak it all in for her.
“Making it to states was a check in the win column,” said the coach.
“We haven’t had a lot of throwers make it that far, so it was cool to see a lot of her teammates there experiencing the state meet,” said Creps. “Hopefully they’re making it a goal for themselves in the future.”
Despite losing several seniors to graduation, Creps is confident the program will reload for next season.
With recounts in enrollment coming in the next few months, the head coach is expecting to see the girls program return to Division II status.
“We have reason for optimism that we will move down to Division II,” he said. “Our goal every year is to try and win the conference and the district.
“Competing in the CBC is going to be a really tough task next year,” he said.
For other Pioneer athletes who seek to reach the state’s highest level, Luke Goode shared his thoughts on what it takes to do that.
“I would say you just have to want it,” he said. “Every practice you have to not go through the motions, you have to use every opportunity to make yourself better and always be thinking about your goals.
“(You can) make them a reality by doing everything you can to better yourself,” he said.