Kaleb Bosworth, left, of Fairbanks, passes the baton to Will Cochrane during Friday’s Division III semifinals of the boys’ 4 x 200 relay. The Panthers advanced to today’s finals.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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Triad hurdler Dominick McFarland, top photo, and sprinter Eli O’Brien, bottom photo, right, compete during the Division III semifinals on Friday. Both advanced to today’s finals.
(Journal-Tribune photos by Tim Miller)
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It has been several years since any athlete from Triad High School has advanced to the Division III state track and field meet.
A pair of Cardinals – hurdler Dominick McFarland and sprinter Eli O’Brien – qualified for the 2019 state competition that began on Friday at The Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Both made the best of their allotted time on the track during semifinals in their respective events.
McFarland, a junior, won his heat of the 300-meter hurdles with a clocking of 39.62.
That not only qualified him to today’s finals, but it was also the second-best time of any qualifier.
Anthony Tyler of Columbus Africentric earned the top prelim time in 39.08.
The other nine who followed Tyler and McFarland were Connor Kerr, Mogadore, third, 39.87; Xavier Dunifon, Bluffton, fourth, 40.13; Cameron Stine, Newton Local, fifth, 40.14; Brayden Gray, Hiland, sixth, 40.16; Trey Gruet, Cedarville, seventh, 40.26; Zach Huffman, Franklin Furnace Green, eighth, 40.44; and Justin Perry, Nelsonville-York, ninth, 40.47.
“I really got out of my blocks well and this is my best-ever time,” said McFarland. “This is my first time at the state meet and it’s the most competition I’ve face all year.”
O’Brien, also a junior, earned his trip to today’s finals with the seventh-best time of 22.46 in the 200-meter dash.
The other finalists are Justin Wright, Wellsville, first, 21.75; Josh Verhoff, Kalida, second, 21.76; Harry Mills, Columbus Academy, third, 22.25; Robby LeFevre, Fort Recovery, fourth, 22.34; Reece Serna, Evergreen, fifth, 22.37; Dylan Huff, Columbiana Crestview, sixth, 22.44; Michael Nichols, Ottawa Hills, eighth, 22.46; and Noah Carmichael, Cristo Rey, ninth, 22.69.
“I was pretty nervous since this was my first time at the state,” said O’Brien. “I was shaky all over, but I got out of the blocks well and finished with my best-ever time.
“I felt I just ‘sling-shot’ my way around the last curve.”
Fairbanks’ boys 4 x 200 meter relay team also earned a spot in today’s finals.
The foursome of senior Nate Timmons, sophomore Trey Good, freshman Kaleb Bosworth and senior Will Cochrane turned in the seventh-best prelim time of 1:31.81.
They trailed Columbiana Crestview, first, 1:28.0; New Middletown Springfield, second, 1:29.12; Fort Recovery, third, 1:29.88; Kalida, fourth, 1:31.26; Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, fifth, 1:31.26; and Africentric, sixth, 1:31.45.
The eighth and ninth-place teams respectively that qualified for the finals were Columbus Academy, eighth, 1:31.82; and Covington, 1:31.86.
“I felt each of us ran well,” said Bosworth.
“I thought we’d be close to making to the finals,” said Timmons. “Finishing races is what it’s all about.”
“We all just wanted to get to Saturday’s finals,” said Good.
Timmons competed in one other semifinal event, but did not advance to the finals.
He was in the same heat with McFarland in the 300 hurdles.
Timmons placed 12th overall with a time of 41.06.
“It was a lot harder than I thought it would be,” he said. “I hit the first two hurdles and that slowed me down.”
“The rest of the race, I kicked it and tried to finish the best I could.”