Cayla Eaton of Triad, right, clears a hurdle during the 300-meter race at the Division III state track and field meet at The Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
—
Addie Thrush, left, prepares to hand the baton to Fairbanks teammate Ally Gearhart during the 4×200 relay prelims at the Division III state track and field meet.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
—
Several athletes from Fairbanks High School and one from neighboring Triad took to the track at The Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium for the Division III state meet on Friday.
The finals were held for the Lady Panther 4×800 relay team.
Other area competitors ran during preliminary races.
None, however, advanced to the state finals that are scheduled for today at the same location.
The FHS 4×800 team consisted of Claire Baker, Elaina Lahmers, Addie Thrush and Rachael Hoover.
The foursome eclipsed their seed time of 10:05.87 with a clocking of 9:58.6.
That however, put the Lady Panthers in tenth place, two spots away from the awards podium.
“It was disappointing to finish only two places away from earning an award,” said Hoover.
“I think we all ran a steady pace and had a good race,” said Thrush.
Baker, just like a baseball pinch-hitter, had to take the place of Kate Ruff during the lead-off leg of the race.
Ruff tore a ligament in her foot during last week’s regional meet and could not compete at OSU.
“It was a little nerve-wracking,” Baker admitted of her race on the state’s biggest high school track stage.
“She did great,” said Hoover. “We’re very proud of her.”
Minster won the race with a time of 9:28.67.
Macy Miller of Fairbanks competed in both the 100 and 300 hurdles.
She was fifth in her 100 heat with a time of 15.72 and eighth in her heat of the 300’s at 50.29.
Cayla Eaton of Triad ran in the same heat as Miller during the 300 hurdles. She was fourth in 47.46.
“Oh, my gosh… that was a tough race,” said Miller, who was exhausted after her 300 heat. “I was battling my steps and couldn’t really get them right.”
Miller said her knees, which have given her some trouble since an injury in February, were a bit painful.
“I ran a good race,” said Eaton. “It was about what I expected.”
Eaton said earlier in the week she would probably need to get her prelim time down into the 45’s in order to move on to the finals.
Neither local hurdler qualified for today’s action.
The top two finishers in each heat, plus the next five fastest times (nine total) from the prelims moved on to today’s competition.
Kinley Green was very busy for the Lady Panthers.
She was sixth in her 100-meter dash heat with a new school record time of 12.66. That, however, only left her in 12th place overall after the prelims.
Green ran the lead-off leg for the 4×200 meter relay team that placed ninth in its heat with a clocking of 1:50.03. She ran with Kate Coy, Thrush and Ally Gearhart.
Green placed fifth in her heat of the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.17 and teamed with Gearhart, Thrush and Hoover in the 4×400 relay.
The 4×4 relay team finished eighth in its heat with a time of 4:11.66.
“I am tired,” said Green after the 4×400 event wrapped up the first day of the D-III meet.
“Running in the state meet was a learning experience for me,” she said. “I also think all four of us will be back at the state meet next year.”
The girls, though, weren’t particularly pleased with the outcome of this year’s 4×4 prelim effort.
“The race didn’t go well,” said Thrush. “We didn’t run our type of race and I’m not sure why.”
The quartet felt the heat of the early afternoon might have been a reason.
“It was good to run earlier this morning, but it was starting to get hot by the time we ran our last race,” said Thrush.
“Like I said last year at the state, I don’t like to run when it’s hot,” said Hoover.
“Besides,” said Gearhart. “All four of us ran two or three races today before this one.”
Gearhart placed sixth in her prelim heat of the 400 dash with a time of 1:01.69.
Her seed time was 1:00.63.
The reason for the slower clocking?
“I got sick right before the start of the race,” said Gearhart.
There are two more events for Hoover during finals races today.
She will compete in the 800 and 1600 meter contests.
“Those are the only events I’m running on Saturday,” she said. “I think I will be more fresh for them.”