Ohio Middle School UPDATES

UPDATED

THE 5TH ANNUAL OHIO MIDDLE CHAMPIONSHIP is coming up again and this year the day is May 30th. Tough competition has produced some good times and the meet has grown thanks to director and organizer Trent Temple. REGISTER HERE

We put the word out this week on who to look for this year. Here are a few of the replies we got from Ohio Middle School Coaches. If one of your athletes is deserving of some recognition please email me direct or upload your video here

5/6

Liberty Union Junior High School located in Baltimore, Ohio has had quite a successful season. There will be some of these athletes competing at the jh state meet this year. Two of these athletes have gone undefeated. Jacob Basso, an eight grader, has mastered the 110 hurdles his first season out. His best time is currently a 15.5. He has not had any competition all season. Jacob also competes on the 4x100 and 4x200 teams. The 4x200 team may also be competing at the state meet. Brandon Altiers, the 2 time state cross country champion, has also gone undefeated this season in all of his events. He has set pr's in the 1600 and 800, and runs on our undefeated 4x400 relay. Brandon is planning on competing in the 1600 and 800 at the state track meet. His 4x400 team is trying to talk him into running on the 4x400 team as well. He is currently undecided. His 1600 time is a 4:56 and his 800 time is a 2:12. We are excited about competing at the state meet. Coach Mangette

5/3

VIDEO STEELE WASIK 110m Hurdle Medina, Ohio. Steele is working on breaking 3-4 school records at his school, Claggett Middle School. He is undefeated in each event in our conference (110 Hurdles, High Jump, Long Jump). He is one tenth of a second from breaking the school 110m Hurdle record and when he does, he will attempt to break the 200m Hurdle record. At mid-season, he is tied with school high jump record of 5’6”. We are joking that he will break the record for breaking records, should he reach his goal.

The following athletes will be trying to repeat as state champions.

Mcdonald, Matt Morrow D1 Boys Long Jump Hohlbaugh, Megan Green Track Club D1 Girls Long Jump Ballenger, Jared Fremont City Track Club D1 Discus

M.S.A.A. Would like to wish all athletes and teams good luck at the 2010 Middle School State Championships.

5/1

The Green Track Club will be returning to the state track meet in an attempt to defend their Division 1 state title. Girls that will be running that were members of the state winning team will be Katie Racco (cleared 7 ft in the pole vault this year, member of state winning 4x100m team, and state placing 4x200m team), Megan Hohlbaugh**(D1 state champ in the long jump and part of 4x100m state champ), **Emily Hooker**(4th in 200m,member of state winning 4x100m team, and state placing 4x200m team), **Bailey Coppenger (2nd place 7th grade discus '09). Along with these young ladies, we will be fielding a second team which is the Bulldog Track Club. Both teams are school teams made up of 7th and 8th graders from Green Middle School.

4/30

The Ultimate Track Club, out of Lorain County will be making there 3rd trip. Looking to place higher as a team, Jocelynn Rogers, Brionna Jones and Lamia Scott lead the girls in multiple events. The UTC expects big things out of Luther C Washington IV and Henry Dyson as they lead a group of young males.

4/29

LEVI WYSE from Archbold Middle School will be participating in the Middle School State Track Meet for the first time this year. As a 7th grader, Levi has already broken the school record in the 100M Dash with a time of 11.7. He is undefeated this year in both the 100M and 200M, and also anchors the 4x100 relay team which is undefeated and has tied the school record of 48.8.

4/28

AUSTIN MCDERMOTT from Bath Middle School in Lima Ohio will be competing in the 110 and 200 hurdles this season. Austin is an 8th grader who has beaten both school records this season and has only been challenged 1 time in the 110 hurdles. In the 200 hurdles, nobody has even come close to beating him. His times for the 110 are right around 16 seconds and his 200 time is right at 27 seconds. I have no doubt he will break 16 and break 27 before his normal season ends. All he needs is someone pushing him. This will be his first time running the middle school state meet.

Austins 110 Hurdles Middle School Record video

Looking for double gold. CHERYL CARPENTER throws for the Junior High Girls Track and Field team at Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio (Six year college preparatory school). As an eighth grader, this is Cheryl’s first year in track and field. She is currently throwing the 6lb shot put 34’-09” and the 1.0kg discus 82’-09”. “Currently” is the key word as Cheryl is the only student-athlete on our team who has improved with each meet. Cheryl is a coach’s dream. She trains hard. Cheryl has strong parent support. Her parents bought her a shot put and disc for extra training at home. Whenever she is asked about her competition, Cherly replies, “I am competing against myself.” When she defeats her inner demons of self-doubt, confusion, etc. , she cannot be beaten. Cheryl lost her first meet, but since then she has been ferocious in her determination to win. Look for Cheryl to compete for double gold in girls Division I shot put and discus. Submitted by Christo Lassiter, Assistant T&F Coach, WHHS Junior High School

4/28 BRANDON WICKS, a seventh grader at Middlefield Cardinal Jr. High, ran in the summer meets for the last two years. He responded his first year by qualifying for the AAU Nationals in the HJ, LJ, and 80m hurdles. He placed fifth in the high jump. The past year, 2009 Brandon decided to compete in the Pentathlon. It proved to be a great move as he placed third in the country. Now in seventh grade Brandon finds himself limited to what he can compete in (Three events). He is looking forward to competing against other experienced athletes. One event he’ll be sure to enter is the LJ, where he is consistently jumping in the 17 foot range.

4/27 The Beavercreek middle school team of FERGUSON won the state cross country team race in 09. They have four boys who have all ran between 5:06 and 5:19 in the mile and 2:20 and 2:23 in the 800. There are also three middle school boys from the other Beavercreek middle school Ankeney who have ran 5:14, 5:15, and 5:16 as well as 2:18, 2:22, and 2:23 in the half. That's seven middle schoolers that will be up and coming in the high school level who may do damage in a couple years. Too bad there is not a 4x800 or 4xmile at the state for these boys to compete in. There will be two there, however, in the low 5's by the state meet.

Is it possible a 4x800 might be added to the state schedule?

Darrell H Beal WOC, OHARN

4/26

MICHAEL FERNS will once again be participating in the Ohio Middle School Championships, last he had success in the 100m and shot put. New kid at the same school that transferred into St. Clairsville from Bellaire Ohio is Jaylon Brown. He has times of 11 flat in the 100m stopwatch timed at the Doan Ford Invitational and 11.5 laser at Buckeye Trail. He has broke all meet records that he attended this year.

LUCAS BALL participated in the Middle School Track Championships last year in the Pole Vault. The other day at our meet against Avon Middle School, Lucas cleared 12’ 9”. He is planning on participating again this year.

Ty Grude Head Middle School Track Coach South Amherst Middle School Firelands Local School District.

RHEN WEAVER: I am the Junior High boys track coach at John R. Lea Middle School in Apple Creek, OH. One of my runners Rhen Weaver will be a returning runner at the state meet this year. This is my first year as coach but last year I believe he placed 3rd in the mile. He is an unbelievable distance runner and so far this year he has ran a 4:59 mile and a 2:19 800 meter run. He has received first place honors at all of our meets so far, and has tied the school record. As the season starts to come to a close we are expecting big things from him and look forward to having him compete at the state level in June. Thanks!

STEELE WASIK working on breaking 3-4 school records at his school, Claggett Middle School. He is undefeated in each event in our conference (110 Hurdles, High Jump, Long Jump). He is one tenth of a second from breaking the school 110m Hurdle record and when he does, he will attempt to break the 200m Hurdle record. At mid-season, he is tied with school high jump record of 5’6”.

SHAY LAFOLLETTE: This will be the 3rd year that Shay LaFollette has participated in the Middle School State Championship. In 6th grade Shay got 22nd in 100 hurdles @ 20.37, 17th in long jump 11'1", and 15th in the high jump 3'8". In 7th grade she improved to 9th place in the 100 hurdles @18.08, 11th place in the 200 hurdles @ 32.59, and 19th in the high jump 4'0". Thus far this season according to Milesplit Junior High Rankings, Shay is sitting 2nd in the state in the 100 hurdles @ 16.70, 3rd in high jump @ 4'10", and 4th in the 200 hurdles @ 31.67.

JARED BALLENGER: From Fremont Middle School, won the MS State last year in the discus and placed high in the shot put. He has so far this year in 3 meet thrown 193' 191'11" 188" 178 feet 3 times. He threw the shot put tonight 52' on two different throws. I believe he is going to get over two hundred feet very soon. I have seen him over that mark 3 times in practice and it's just a matter of a good day for him to get it in a meet. Hopefully this Friday at the Margaretta Relays.

UPDATE 4/23 Jared had a series tonight at Margaretta of 196" 199'11", 189, and 171. Very nice series for him!

JOCELYNN ROGERS: Div I, Ultimate Track Club has run 12.9 and 27.3 so far this season.

LUTHER C. WASHINGTON: IV,div II has run 12.3 and 63, those times should reach 11.8 and 58 by mid May.

Our long jumper won Division 1 state last year as a 7th grader. He jumped 18'5 at state. Last week at a meet he jumped 20'1 1/2". His name is MATT MCDONALD and he is an 8th grader at Little Miami Junior High. We will more than likely be bringing him back up in May.

LITTLE MIAMI JUNIOR HIGH: We only have 7 boys this year on our team...but 4 of them are setting records left and right. We have a kid running 11.6 in the 100, another one running a 57 sec. 400, our 4x100 team is running 47.00, and our high jumper is going 5'8. We have a lot of talent in our small numbers. (The cost to go out for track at LITTLE MIAMI JUNIOR HIGH is $431 this year....just to go out. Team numbers went down from over 50 to 7 kids...way to hang in there Little Miami)

Lancer Track Team from the 2009 championships