How did Southwest Ohio athletes do at the OHSAA state track and field meets?

James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer
·7 min read

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at Ohio State University has been buzzing with record runs and fast times.

Dozens of Southwest Ohio competitors have been here this weekend for state championships and medals.

Besides record runs and throws, there has been bad weather. Action was suspended due to lightning until 7:30 p.m. Saturday night, with the Division I meet finishing around 10 p.m.

State champs, so far: Who are Southwest Ohio's state track and field champions in 2023?

Greater Catholic League-South relays race on top

St. Xavier and La Salle won relay championships this weekend. St. Xavier won the 4x800 relay on Friday, and La Salle won the 4x100 relay Saturday.

Moeller finished second in the 4x200 relay by a narrow margin and eighth in the 4x400.

Mason Comets nearly fly on top of girls standings

Mason finished second in the team standings in the girls meet, losing by seven points to Gahanna-Lincoln. Mason trailed by a point entering the final event, the 4x400 relay, but Gahanna-Lincoln won that.

Leading the way was junior Abby Love, who won two individual medals in the sprints and helped two of Mason’s relays score points.

Mason scored points in all four relays, led by the 4x100 and 4x800 relays, which notched state runner-up finishes.

Also winning solo medals for the Comets were Efa Paschka, Grace McKay and Andrea Burke.

Several locals double up on medals

Several local athletes won multiple medals against the highly competitive big-school field in the Buckeye State.

Micah Rice was a three-time medalist for Moeller, finishing eighth in the solo 400 and helping the Crusaders finish second in the 4x200 relay and eighth in the 4x400.

Sycamore’s Mannie Arbabi finished second in the shot put and sixth in the discus. Ironically, his discus throw was exactly 100 feet longer than his shot put mark.

Northwest senior Malachi Snow finished second in both hurdle events.

Girls sprint rivals Summer Swartwout of Colerain, Dashayla Worlaw and Abby Love of Mason all medaled in both the 100 and 200, with Swartwout leading the way by finishing in the top three in both. Swartwout and Love are juniors, and Worlaw, a sophomore, so they could easily do it again next season.

Love won four medals Saturday, helping the Comets finish second in the 4x100 relay and seventh in the 4x200 relay.

Ross junior Myah Boze medaled in both hurdle events, including a state runner-up finish in the 300 hurdles.

Maria Gill, Kendal Erbach, Sam Erbach and Emme Greely of Waynesville celebrate winning the 2023 OHSAA state championships in the 4x800-meter relay.
Maria Gill, Kendal Erbach, Sam Erbach and Emme Greely of Waynesville celebrate winning the 2023 OHSAA state championships in the 4x800-meter relay.

Waynesville legend keeps winning

Waynesville junior Samantha Erbach finished her junior season with another state title, helping the Spartans win the 4x800 relay by anchoring the final leg.

Sister Kendal Erbach ran the relay with Emme Greely and Maria Gill.

Individually, Samantha Erbach finished second in the 1,600 meters at the state meet and fourth in the 800.

Samantha Erbach from Waynesville finished second in the 1,600 at the state track meet in Columbus Saturday, June 3, 2023.
Samantha Erbach from Waynesville finished second in the 1,600 at the state track meet in Columbus Saturday, June 3, 2023.

She won the district championship in the 800 and finished second in the regional meet. She finished second in the 1,600 at both the district and regional championships.

Erbach, who led Waynesville’s soccer team to the Division III state championship in 2021, had another banner season in the fall of 2022. She finished second in the Division II state cross-country championship after finishing as regional runner-up, and she and the girls soccer team finished as state runner-up as well.

Nijah Robinson of Finneytown shares the certificate she won for being voted the cincinnati.com indoor track and field athlete of the week March 10.
Nijah Robinson of Finneytown shares the certificate she won for being voted the cincinnati.com indoor track and field athlete of the week March 10.

Robinson brings home two medals to Finneytown

Finneytown senior Nijah Robinson was the local star among the relatively few state qualifiers in the Division III girls meet.

She went home with two state medals, finishing third in the 200 meters and eighth in the 100 meters. She was third in both events in the regional meet after winning the district championship in both events. She was also the Cincinnati Hills League champion in the 100.

Robinson was the CHL Athlete of the Year for the season.

CHL has a strong day in the Division II state meet

The Cincinnati Hills League had a big medal haul Saturday.

Madeira won three medals in Division II girls meet. The 4x200 relay finished third and the 4x100 relay finished seventh in the state. Hannah Jung, Kate Schomaeker and Vivian Momper ran in both events. Both teams had won regional championships the week before.

Mariemont senior Bennett Turan finished fifth in the 3,200 at the state track and field championships at Jessie Owens Memorial Stadium Saturday, June 3, 2023.
Mariemont senior Bennett Turan finished fifth in the 3,200 at the state track and field championships at Jessie Owens Memorial Stadium Saturday, June 3, 2023.

Cate LeRoy finished eighth in the 800 for the Amazons.

Wyoming won three medals in the meet. Penelope Webb finished second in the DII girls high jump, one inch shy of the state champion, and Olivia Hill finished third in the long jump. Hill tied a school record in the event.

Indian Hill’s John Podojil and Mariemont’s Bennett Turan also had medal finishes in DII races. Turan shattered the school record in the 3,200.

Which Cincinnati athletes won state medals at the OHSAA state track and field meet?

Here are all the top eight finishers in Southwest Ohio in the state meet, counting the Division I events that have been completed as of 6:45 p.m. Saturday.

Sycamore senior Mannie Arbabi finished runner-up in the shot put at the state track and field championships at Jessie Owens Memorial Stadium Saturday, June 3, 2023.
Sycamore senior Mannie Arbabi finished runner-up in the shot put at the state track and field championships at Jessie Owens Memorial Stadium Saturday, June 3, 2023.

Boys Division I

400: 8. Micah Rice (Moeller) 49.06.

800: 3. Calvin Kilgallon (Lebanon) 1:52.73.

1,600: 5. Cayden Dyer (Loveland) 4:11.19, 8. Charlie Vause (Milford) 4:12.30.

3,200: 4. Evan Trapp (St. Xavier) 9:08.53.

Koy Beasley of La Salle, left, edges Cole Kepner of Avon to lead the Lancers to the state championship in the 4x100 relay during the OHSAA Division I state track and field tournament June 4, 2023, at Ohio State University's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Columbus, Ohio.
Koy Beasley of La Salle, left, edges Cole Kepner of Avon to lead the Lancers to the state championship in the 4x100 relay during the OHSAA Division I state track and field tournament June 4, 2023, at Ohio State University's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Columbus, Ohio.

110 hurdles: 2. Malachi Snow (Northwest) 13.81.

300 hurdles: 2. Malachi Snow (Northwest) 37.22, 7. Gavin Orth (St. Xavier) 39.01.

4x100 relay: 1. La Salle (B.J. Ross, Timiko Jackson, Tyrone Brown, Koy Beasley) 41.42

4x200 relay: 2. Moeller (Karson Hobbs, Tennel Bryant, Lamont Cox, Micah Rice) 1:26.14.

4x400 relay: 8. Moeller (Drew Robinson, Josiah Love, Lamont Cox, Micah Rice) 3:19.75.

4x800 relay: 1. St. Xavier (Evan Trapp, Jack Nesbit, Alexander Garay, A.J. Graf) 7:45.21, 7. Mason (Max Liao, Charlie Cooper, Isaac Schachleiter, Brendan Roe (7:49.71).

Discus: 6. Mannie Arbabi (Sycamore) 159-10.

Shot put: 2. Mannie Arbabi (Sycamore) 59-10, 6. Josh Basich (Harrison) 54-10.

Pole vault: 4. Jason Deem (Loveland) 15-8, 5. Henry Hoblitzell (Talawanda) 15-0.

Northwest senior Malachi Snow reacts after finishing the 110 hurdles during the OHSAA Division I state track and field tournament June 4, 2023, at Ohio State University's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Columbus, Ohio.
Northwest senior Malachi Snow reacts after finishing the 110 hurdles during the OHSAA Division I state track and field tournament June 4, 2023, at Ohio State University's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Columbus, Ohio.

Girls Division I

100: 3. Summer Swartwout (Colerain) 11.82, 6. Abby Love (Mason) 12.03, 7. Dashayla Worlaw (Mt. Healthy) 12.08.

200: 2. Summer Swartwout (Colerain) 24.19, 4. Dashayla Worlaw (Mt. Healthy) 24.68, 5. Abby Love (Mason) 24.79.

400: 7. Jada Irwin (Princeton) 55.85.

800: 3. Caroline Murnan (Loveland) 2:12.03.

1,600: 5. Grace Biddle (Little Miami) 4:55.73, 6. Efa Paschka (Mason) 4:55.76.

3,200: 6. Evelyn Prodoehl (Lakota West) 10:44.25, 7. Grace McKay (Mason) 10:45.84.

100 hurdles: 6. Lily Eagleston (Mason) 14.75, 7. Myah Boze (Ross) 14.89, 8. Lindsey Hartman (Loveland) 15.04.

300 hurdles: 2. Myah Boze (Ross), 43.29, 4. Katlyn Pham (Lakota East) 44.70.

4x100 relay: 2. Mason (Nora Moore, Emilia Capiello, Kate Hartley, Abby Love) 47.64, 3. Lakota East (Mikaylah Chandler, Lena James, Qiersten McClain, Ivy Smith) 47.82

4x200 relay: 3. Lakota East (Ivy Smith, Mikaylah Chandler, Katlyn Pham, Lena James) 1:39.72, 5. Princeton (Jada Irwin, Amirah Dixon, Kelise Rabb, Bella Williams) 1:40.34, 7. Mason (Nora Moore, Eden Orr, Tori Killens, Abby Love).

4x400 relay: 5. Mason (Joy Resig, Ava Arengo, Avery Legault, Tori Killens) 3:53.34.

4x800 relay: 2. Mason (Grace McKay, Efa Paschka, Carlie Condit, Avery Legault) 9:07.64, 6. Loveland (Madison Conatser, Delaney Cilley, Parker Mentzer, Caroline Murnan) 9:18.98.

High jump: 2. Zoe Lenney (Kings) 5-6, 5. D’Asyia Cotton (Northwest) 5-4.

Long jump: 7. Mandy Gehring (Oak Hills) 17-10.25, 8. Caitlin Evans (Milford) 17-9.75.

Shot put: 3. Andrea Burke (Mason) 42-0.

Colerain's Summer Swartwout, left, and Mt. Healthy's Shay Worlaw finished the 200 meters during the OHSAA Division I state track and field tournament June 4, 2023, at Ohio State University's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Columbus, Ohio.
Colerain's Summer Swartwout, left, and Mt. Healthy's Shay Worlaw finished the 200 meters during the OHSAA Division I state track and field tournament June 4, 2023, at Ohio State University's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Columbus, Ohio.

Boys Division II

100: 6. John Podojil (Indian Hill) 10.72.

1,600: 8. Nico Arraje (Wyoming) 4:23.84.

3,200: 5. Bennett Turan (Mariemont) 9:34.04.

Long jump: 5. C.J. Boothby (Clermont Northeastern) 21-10.25.

Pole vault: 2. Grant Harrison (New Richmond) 15-8.

Girls Division II

400: 6. Ashley Yontz (Fenwick) 58.29.

800: 4. Samantha Erbach (Waynesville) 2:14.34, 8. Cate LeRoy (Madeira) 2:17.82.

1,600: 2. Samantha Erbach (Waynesville) 4:53.90.

3,200: 6. Brady Sterbling (Bethel-Tate) 11:19.12.

4x100 relay: 7. Madeira (Corinne Westbrook, Kate Schomaeker, Hannah Jung, Vivian Momper) 49.48.

4x200 relay: 3. Madeira (Hannah Jung, Keira O’Cull, Kate Schomaeker, Vivian Momper) 1:42.65.

4x800 relay: 1. Waynesville (Emme Greely, Kendal Erbach, Maria Gill, Samantha Erbach) 9:17.62.

High jump: 2. Penelope Webb (Wyoming) 5-7.

Long jump: 3. Olivia Hill (Wyoming) 18-1.

Boys Division III

100: 6. Braeden Austin (Summit Country Day) 11.00.

400: 2. Brandon Rogers (Cincinnati Christian) 49.01.

110 hurdles: 6. Alex Underwood (Georgetown) 15.00.

Girls Division III

100: 8. Nijah Robinson (Finneytown) 12.46.

200: 3. Nijah Robinson (Finneytown) 25.36.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How did Southwest Ohio athletes do in OHSAA state track and field?

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