Tri-Valley's Gargasz PRs, places in D-I shot
Brandon HannahsZanesville Times Recorder
DAYTON — Tate Ruthers was focused on making up for a letdown in his regional performance.
The Sheridan junior came through with an impressive third-place effort in the 3,200, posting a time of 9 minutes, 21.79 seconds during Saturday's Division II running finals at Welcome Stadium.
Ruthers noted he dropped 25 seconds in his 3,200 time from last season. He credited his teammates, faith and familiar faces in the field, including Fairfield Union's Nathan Phillips and Andrew Walton, for an amazing end to the season.
"I'm happy, but not satisfied. I never thought I'd go 9:21 at state," Ruthers said. "It makes you more comfortable, knowing people with their style of running and racing. I also have to thank my teammates, especially seniors John (Skinner) and Simon (Conrad), for pushing me. God blessed me with amazing talent, and I can't praise him enough."
He was also one of three area runners capture an All-Ohio finish, going to the top-eight placers in each event.
Sheridan's Beckett Strong finished sixth in the girls 800 (2:15.85) and John Glenn's Jessica Church came in seventh in the 400 (57.52) to also stand on the podium.
Strong met her goal of standing on the podium, shining in an event she started earlier this season. She defeated Fairfield Union's Anna Conrad in that event at the Hank Smith Invite in Heath to set her on this path.
"My coach thought I'd be a good 800 runner, and after I beat (Conrad), he was like you're a better 800 runner than I thought," Strong said. "I had a bad experience of getting boxed in at districts so I was nervous going to regionals. I had a good start and was seeded third coming to state. I never imagined that. I wanted to be in the low teens by the end of the year and stand on the podium, and I did that."
Church posted a personal best in the 400 and will take lessons from this season to help in the future.
"I pretty good day, and I'm happy I P.R.'ed, but I wanted to place a bit higher and I can work at that for next year," Church said. "I need to work on my starting being a lot better. I need to pick up some speed so I give myself a better chance at the end."
More: John Glenn's Brayden Snider vaults to the top, grabs state gold
John Glenn freshman Ashlynn Kuklica also finished 14th in the girls 1,600 (5:16.97).
Tri-Valley's Chris Gargasz also made the podium in Division I, posting a school-record throw of 56-10 3/4 inches to place sixth in the shot put.
"It feels good (to set the mark). I didn't throw bad, but I wanted more," Gargasz noted. "It's surreal since last year I went on a trip and couldn't compete in the districts or regionals. I didn't look where I ranked because I just have to go out and perform. I showed I compete with these guys, and it's definitely awesome that my hard work paid off."
On Friday, several area athletes earned All-Ohio honors with top-eight finishes.
Along with John Glenn's Brayden Snider winning the girls pole vault title, Maysville's Bella Van Wey finished fourth in the girls shot put and discus. Both of her distances broke her previous school records, as she had a throw of 40-feet-11 3/4 inches in the shot and 138-feet-1 in the discus.
"It's really exciting to be so young and have a chance to do this," Van Wey said. "It was good competition, and it was nice to throw with familiar faces. It's also sad I won't get to compete with them again either."
In the shot, John Glenn's Chelsea Sotherden joined Van Wey on the podium in seventh (39-8 1/2), while Sheridan's Lily Dennis also made the podium in the discus, taking seventh (128-9).
Each was pleased to end their careers as All-Ohioans.
"After four years of knee injuries and other adversity, I'm really proud to be standing here," Sotherden said. "I finally figured out my left foot, and I rolled with it today. It's great feeling to end my career here."
"I was trying to get back to that 140 feet I had at the district and didn't quite get it. But, since I came to Sheridan last season, I improved like 50 feet," Dennis said. "Coach (Kirk) Washburn deserves a lot of credit. He would critique and help me, but he was also easy going. He helped me shine, and he knew how to calm my nerves. I'm glad I was able to get here and be on the podium."
Coshocton's Aiden Braxton also earned All-Ohio honors in the high jump, clearing 6-4, while Philo's Aidan Mahon finished ninth (6-4) and Cambridge's Bryson Anderson tied for 13th (6-2) in the event.
"I was aiming for the school record of 6-6, but I had a solid day and made the podium," he said. "Kyle (Maltarich of West Holmes) really helped me early in the season so competing with him was great, and I gave everything I had."
In other event finals, Ridgewood's Cody Croy placed second in the boys seated shot (18-11 1/4); Snider also came in 14th in the girls long jump (16-9); John Glenn's Ava Hoffman was 12th in the girls high jump (5-2); the John Glenn girls 4x800 of Kira Kaiser, Laurie Baughman, Brea Wilfong and Ashlynn Kuklica finished 12th (9:47); Mahone also came in 14th in the boys long jump (20-0 1/2); and the Sheridan boys 4x800 of Tate Ruthers, Hunter Adams, John Skinner and Simon Conrad placed 14th (8:11).
The top eight qualifying times in the running semifinals reached Saturday's finals.
Church reached the finals in the 400 in seventh (57.96) and was ran with Faith Saxton, Brea Wilfong and Ashlynn Kuklica for 17th in the girls 4x400 relay (4:14.81).
Cambridge's Zoey Caldwell just missed the finals in the 100 hurdles with a ninth (15.55) and came in 16th (47.39) in the 300 hurdles; Coshocton's Israel Rice was 11th in the boys 100 (11.16) and 17th in the 200 (22.86), and he joined with Riley Woodie, Logan Wince and Antwone Johns for 18th in the boys 4x100 (44.43); and Ridgewood's Kenzie Bice was 16th (1:00.49) in the girls 400.
Sheridan's Claire Shriner was 13th in the girls 300 hurdles (46.83); Sheridan's Hunter Adams came in 15th (51.37) and Mahon 17th (52.07) in the boys 400; the Philo's girls 4x200 of Makenna Staker, Aubree DeLong,Emily Stockdaleand Halli Harris placed 15th (1:47.68); West Muskingum's boys 4x200 of Jax Prang, Dustin Brown, Grant Rogers and Lane Kennedy was 17th (1:31.67); and Morgan's Adam Cooper came in 16th (41.51) in the boys 300 hurdles.
In Division III competition, Buckeye Trail's Janson Alloway finished ninth in the boys pole vault (14-4), Koen Eagon placed 13th (40.59) in the boys 300 hurdles and Charlie Parry tied for 14th in the boys high jump (6-0), while Rosecrans' Brody Zemba was 15th in the boys 200 (22.73).
