Marysville’s Jacob Ranker goes over a hurdle during the Division I state semifinals in the 110-meter event. He did not qualify for today’s finals in the event, but did advance to today in the 300 hurdles, bottom photo at the right.
(Journal-Tribune photos by Sam Dillon)
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The Monarchs of Marysville track team put all of its eggs into one athlete’s basket, Jacob Ranker.
Ranker was the lone Monarch to make it to the Division I state meet this year and he will be racing for a state title in the boy’s 300-meter hurdles today.
He advanced to the finals after the preliminary round Friday evening.
The senior runner didn’t have his best race of the season as he came into the preliminary round with the second-fastest seed time in his heat of 37.87.
His prelim time of 38.45 was good enough to give him eighth place and advance him to the finals.
Ranker said his race didn’t feel very good while he was running.
“It didn’t feel very good (the 300 race), not good at all,” Ranker said. “I have advanced… that is all that matters,”
The Monarch runner started in lane two and was able to pick up a spot by the first hurdle and found himself sitting in sixth place coming into the turn.
Coming out of the turn, Ranker had pulled to fifth and was able to pick off one more runner during his preliminary run in the final 100 meters to finish his race in fourth place.
At the state meet, the top two runners advance to the finals from each heat with the next five fastest times advancing as well.
Ranker missed out on the state meet by less than a second last year.
His determination to get himself to this year’s meet is what drove him through the post-season.
“It is good atmosphere,” he said. “I’m glad I am here.”
Ranker also made it to the state meet in the 110-meter hurdles after taking fifth at regionals and winning an at-large bid for the final two spots of the state meet.
His 110-hurdle race on Friday was not as successful as his 300 as he finished in 11th place with a time of 14.77.
He wasn’t, though, too upset about his placement.
“In the 110, it is basically my warm-up for my 300,” Ranker said. “I wasn’t really expecting to get here for the 110, so the fact that I made it here for that race is beyond me.
“I’m not mad about that one.”
Now that Ranker has made it to today’s 300 finals, he said his goal is simple for his last race as a Monarch.
“I’ve got to give it all I got,” he said. “The competition is crazy, so I’ve got to stay locked in mentally and physically and that is the goal.
“I’m going against some of the best hurdlers in the state, so that speaks for itself that I am here.”
Ranker’s race is scheduled to begin at 5:50 p.m. at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at OSU.
State University.