The destination has changed, but the goal remains the same for area track and field athletes who qualified for this week’s regional competition.
For the top four finishers in each event in regional competition, plus the next top two performances statewide per event, bids to the state meet at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium are forthcoming.
In Division I, the road to state goes through Port Clinton, where competition will take place Wednesday and Friday.
Division II athletes from the Oak Harbor and Ontario districts will compete in the regional at Lexington, where competition takes place Thursday and Saturday. Athletes from the Defiance district will compete in the regional at Piqua, also Thursday and Saturday.
Division III regional competition for Toledo-area athletes is slated for Wednesday and Friday at Fostoria.
Here is a look at the athletes and relays from the Toledo area who are the top seeds in their respective events heading into regional competition:
DIVISION I-PORT CLINTON
BOYS
Ethan Cope, St. Francis de Sales: Cope is the top seed in the 1,600 after winning 4:16.05 at districts. He qualified 1.76 seconds faster than No. 2 seed Connor Long of Anthony Wayne. Cope finished seventh in this event at state last year in 4:12.16.
Jayden Williams, Clay: A 1:54.52 in the 800 gave Williams the top seed. Medina Highland's Ty Sgambati is the No. 2 seed, 0.64 second back.
Connor Long, Anthony Wayne: He ran 9:16.52 in the 3,200, the best time among districts feeding into the Port Clinton regional. He was 2.52 seconds faster than Ruairi Zuercher of Rocky River.
Pierre Adams, Bowsher: His 179-foot throw at the district meet was nearly 2 feet better than Avon's Luke Hamilton, the No. 2 seed.
GIRLS
Maira Scott, Springfield: Seeded No. 1 in the 100 at 11.76 seconds, three-tenths of a second faster than No. 2 Nevaeh Lewis of Mansfield Madison. She's also the top seed in the 200, with her 24.07 district time 1.16 seconds faster than second-seeded Bralynne Dunn of Whitmer, and in the 400, where she posted a 56.38 time at districts that was 0.89 faster than No. 2 seed Riley Evans of Lodi Cloverleaf. Scott is the defending state champion in the 100 (11.42) and 200 (23.20).
Azurie Garrett, Whitmer: The No. 1 seed in the 300 hurdles, she posted a 44.23 time that was just a hundredth of a second faster than Clay's Makenna Langford, the No. 2 seed at the regional following their close district race at Clay. Garrett finished third at last year’s state finals in 43.88.
Anthony Wayne girls 400 relay: The team of Giavanna Harris, Olivia Witker, Kamryn Smith, and Madeline Zimmerman won its district race in 49.30 seconds, 0.21 second faster than Springfield.
Anthony Wayne girls 800 relay: The team of Harris, Witker, Smith, and Zimmerman is seeded first at 1:42.75, 0.85 second faster than No. 2 Lodi Cloverleaf.
DIVISION II-LEXINGTON
BOYS
Stefan Kolan, Liberty-Benton: Kolan is well ahead of the field when it comes to seeding following his 16-foot effort. The next three pole vaulters all posted 13-6 qualifying heights. Kolan finished fourth at last year’s state meet at 15 feet.
Micah Oliver, Elmwood: Oliver was the only competitor in the regional to clear 6-6 at districts. Bellevue's Wyatt Sumser, the No. 2 seed, cleared 6-4. At last year’s state meet, Oliver finished tied for fourth at 6-2.
Oak Harbor boys 1,600 relay: The team of Carson Ridener, Bodee Miller, Blake Nickel, and Wyatt Augsburger posted a 3:25.76 time at districts, nearly a second better than No. 2 seed Central Catholic. Oak Harbor’s relay finished eighth at last year’s state meet in 3:25.74.
Tyler Thompson, Oak Harbor: Seeded first in the 200 at 21.98, four-hundredths of a seconds faster than No. 2 seed Donovan Delph of Eastmoor Academy.
Tyler Gose, Liberty-Benton: Enters as the top seed in the discus at 162-11, nearly 3 feet better than Caledonia River Valley's Ethan Lyon.
GIRLS
Nyla King, Central Catholic: Claimed the top seed in the 100 with an 11.84 at the district level, with Lake's Brianna Braatz turning in the next-fastest time at 12.31. King's also the No. 1 seed in the 200 at 24.78 seconds, North Union's Gabby Lindsey second at 25.95. King is the defending state champion in the 100 (11.83).
Savannah Little, Lake: A 56.11 time gave her the No. 1 seed in the 400. King is the No. 2 seed at 56.50.
Lillian Frias, Genoa: Frias claimed the No. 1 seed in the high jump by clearing 5-6 at district, two inches better than Columbus Academy's Allison Klinefelter and Sandusky Perkins' Camryn VanVlerah.
Lake girls 800 relay: The team of Kennedy Eckman, Little, Vayda Delventhal, and Braatz qualified first in 1:43.45, nearly half a second faster than No. 2 seed Port Clinton.
Oak Harbor girls 1,600 relay: The team of Olivia Cherry, Kennedy Slates, Olivia May, and Effie Schulte claimed the top seed with a 4:00.73 district time, just shy of half a second faster than No. 2 seed Sandusky Perkins.
DIVISION II-PIQUA
BOYS
Nathan Strahm, Otsego: His 1:55.43 time in the 800 at district, just shy of a second faster than Carroll's Andrew Janson, was good for the top seed.
Xander Fackler, Bryan: Fackler ran 9:36.26 in the 3,200 at district, six seconds faster than Ottawa-Glandorf's Ty Rosengarten, to claim the No. 1 seed.
GIRLS
Brooke Simon, Otsego: A 137-6 effort in the discus claimed the top seed by a foot over Ottawa-Glandorf's Emma Hoffman.
DIVISION III-FOSTORIA
BOYS
Riley Nixon, Ottawa Hills: The distance specialist took the top seed in the 1,600 with a 4:19.00 time, 8.54 seconds ahead of teammate and No. 2 seed Michael Kelley. He’s also the No. 1 seed in the 3,200 at 10:04.98, 1.32 seconds faster than Kelley. Nixon finished second in the 1,600 (4:14.42) and 10th in the 3,200 (9:56.65) at last year’s state meet.
Ottawa Hills boys 3,200 relay: The team of Kelley, Joe Mayer-Heckathorn, Ian Jones, and Nixon posted an 8:13.30 time at districts, 2.58 seconds faster than second-seeded Defiance Tinora. Ottawa Hills finished second in the 3,200 relay (7:57.22) at last year’s state meet.
Samuel Haley, Pettisville: A 50.18 in the 400 gave Haley the top seed, 0.28 second ahead of Haviland Wayne Trace’s Eli Treece.
Elijah Gibbs, McComb: Gibbs has the top seed in the discus at 155-5, a foot better than No. 2 seed Max Walker of Liberty Center.
Evan Combs, Old Fort: Combs was the only athlete in the Fostoria regional to clear 15 feet at districts. Three pole vaulters cleared 14-4.
Ethan Lee, Fayette: Lee’s 2:01.59 in the 800 claimed the No. 1 seed by 0.13 second over Pandora-Gilboa’s Landen Moore.
GIRLS
Azure Travis, Woodmore: A 14.52 time at districts gave Travis the No. 1 seed in the 100 hurdles by 1.49 seconds over Leipsic’s Morgan Apple. She’s also the top seed in the 300 hurdles, where her 44.48 district time was 1.8 seconds faster than Ottoville’s Jessa Burgei. Travis is the defending state champion in the 100 hurdles (14.42) and 300 hurdles (43.82).
Emma Hammer, Woodmore: Hammer’s 2:19.69 time in the 800 took the top seed by 0.19 second over Pettisville’s Grace Remington and Liberty Center’s Gracie Miller. Hammer finished fourth at last year’s state meet in the 800 (2:17.26).
Aletha Fausnight, Liberty Center, and Alivia Mitchey, Evergreen: Fausnight and Mitchey tied at 5 feet for the best high jump showing at district.
Courtney Snyder, Van Buren: A 36-9 effort in the shot put took top-seed honors by 6 inches over Northwood’s Breanna Bolden.
JoAnna Kelley, Ottawa Hills: Kelley’s 11:31.43 in the 3,200 gave her the No. 1 regional seed by 5.6 seconds over Tinora’s Lauren Sattler.
Kaitlyn Ahrendt, Toledo Christian: A 123-5 effort in the discus was good for the top seed, 9 inches better than Van Buren’s Easton Wymer.
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