Olivia Todd, Braylon Oneal leave state track meet with Black River more visible in hurdles

SULLIVAN − He didn't have much of a break.

After Black River's Braylon Oneal just zoomed past the finish line in running the final leg for the Pirates in the 4x100 relay state final on Friday in Dayton at Welcome Stadium, he didn't have much time to get a breather. Oneal had another state final coming up in about 15 minutes after helping his team get fourth-place (43.44) in a tight finish. Oneal, along with his teammates Aden Macfarlane, Seth Gaspari and Alex Woolfrom picked up their medals on the podium, did about a five-to-seven minute group interview with the media until Oneal took off for the 300 hurdles, his favorite event, which he initially went in the wrong direction.

That was a short turnaround, huh?

More: Ashland State Track Recap: Crestview's Bolin, South Central's Williams get on podium

"Yeah, tell me about it,' said Oneal, after both events were complete. "After the race [4x100], I walked down there and the officials told me to check in down there [pointing]. So, I ran down there and when I turned around they were getting in the blocks. So, when they were getting in blocks, I was running across the field to get down there."

No matter, the close proximity in races didn't effect Oneal in the Division III state final, as he rushed to a fifth-place finish (40.19) and earned his second medal of the day. Oneal wasn't the only hurdler from Black River that joined the medal party.

Add Olivia Todd to the fun, who earned All-Ohio honors (top-eight finishers medal) in both the 100 (7th place) and 300 hurdles (6th place). With that, Black River has something cooking in the hurdles events.

"The fact that I got All-Ohio twice, yes, I am very satisfied and thankful," said Todd, after both finals were done.

That speed work in the hurdles has been pretty common for the two seniors in their careers, especially this year, but for Black River as a whole, there's not a lot of school history in producing state-level hurdlers. To have two hurdlers − one boy and one girl at that − from the same school, each qualifying for state for the first time, and earn medals at the same state meet, kind of puts a smaller D-III school like Black River on the map in the hurdles events, in some respects.

"We put the school on the map for sure these past few years," Oneal said, a Lorain County Conference and district champion in the 300 hurdles this year. "Relay team (4x200 team) came to state last year too. These last couple of years have been real good for the school."

"I actually hold the records at our school in both hurdles," Todd said, a two-time Division III district champion in the 100 hurdles. "There was no hurdler to my knowledge that came before me."

The last girl from Black River that was an All-Ohioan was Rebecca Herte, who won the Division II state title in the pole vault in 2011. Zoey Bungard was a state qualifier in the pole vault at this year's state meet.

"I was the next girl to be here since then," stated Todd.

Even more interesting, is the fact that Todd and Oneal are cousins. Two hurdling cousins.

"Yeah, were both hurdlers. It was fun when we both qualified for state," Todd expressed.

What's been most rewarding for both, is what each had to experience to get to this point.

Todd was a regional qualifier in both the 100 and 300 hurdles last year. She wasn't able to advance past regionals in the 300 hurdles (6th place) but during the 100 hurdles final, Todd fell and was disqualified for interference. For Oneal, an injury prevented him from competing in the postseason.

"What happened last year, I knew right away at regionals, I wanted to do summer track. I knew I had to train in the summer," said Todd. "I trained in the summer and some in the fall and then I made state in indoor season. Then I went into outdoor and I've been really training. I was really dedicated to make it here. I never knew my ability would get me to the podium. Praise God because I would not be able to do it by myself."

"It was great," said Oneal, on the state experience. "I didn't get to go last year. I broke my collarbone the day before conference meet."

"It's been really fun watching him because last year he got injured," Todd said. "I'm really proud of him and I hope he's proud of himself. I've been cheering him on this whole postseason. I'm grateful to have another hurdler partner."

Todd said that the two usually practice at the same time and have worked out together throughout the season, while Oneal pointed out that the two do feed off the other in both hurdles events.

"Oh we do," Oneal said, who was also a state qualifier in the 110 hurdles and participated in the pole vault this season. "Love her to death and it's always fun running with her. We go back and forth with each other. Fun competition. Actually at our home meet, we got to run together. The officials let us run."

For Todd, while wearing her 300 hurdles medal, she started thinking about the change she'll have to make when she starts running track for Cleveland State University next year.

"That was my last race running the 300 hurdles," said Todd. "It was kind of like a relief but at the same time I put in a lot of work. I've dropped two seconds since the beginning of the season. That's not my favorite race. I enjoy the 100 better. In college, it's the 400 hurdles. So, I gotta prepare for that."

Let's see who comes aboard for Black River next and keep this hurdle energy flowing in the future.

jsimpson@gannett.com

Twitter/X:@JamesSimpsonII

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Olivia Todd, Braylon Oneal leave state track meet with Black River more visible in hurdles