Honsaker’s three state track titles lead strong area showing in meet

By Pete Mollica

The area produced five more state champions and three runners-up Saturday.

COLUMBUS — Valley athletes had another productive day at the OHSAA track and field championships, held at the Jesse Owens Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University.

The area produced five more state champions, three runners-up and had 34 individuals and relays that won places at this year’s event.

Leading the way was Mineral Ridge High senior Nicole Honsaker, who added two more state titles to the one she won on Friday and became the first Valley athlete to win three events in the same season at state since Girard’s Cachet Murray in 2004.

Honsaker won the 100 high hurdles (15.0 seconds) and the 300 hurdles (44.27) Saturday morning.

Joining her atop the winners podium was East High’s James Allen in the 100 meter dash (10.77), West Branch junior Emilee Zets in the 800 meter run (2:16.23) and the Cardinal Mooney boys 4x100 relay team that consisted of Ray Vinapol, Braylon Heard, Charles Brown and Matt McWilson (42.84)

The runners-up included the Ursuline High girls 4x100 relay, which posted a time of 49.69 seconds. The relay consisted of Tim’Aira Gandy, Michaela Write, Elizbeth Emanuel and Jasmine Brown.

Ursuline came into the meet as the defending champions in the 4x200 meter relay, but took only a fourth place finish Saturday.

“We were a little disappointed after finishing fourth in the 4x200, but we made up for that in the 4x100,” said Emanuel.

Was there anything that they would have done differently if they had it to do over again?

“We would definitely like to be in some other lane than the eighth,” said Brown. “That’s a terrible lane to run in and we had never been there before.”

Warren JFK’s Audrey Maheu came into the state meet as the defending 800 meter champion in Div. III, but she finished second this year, posting a time of 2:12.32, which was better than the time she had a year ago when she won.

“I ran my best out there today, but it just wasn’t good enough to win,” she said.

The final state runner-up was Ursuline High’s Jamel Turner in the 110 meter high hurdles which he ran in 14.95 seconds.

“I ran a good race and I’m pleased with the finish, but I’ll be back next year,” said the sophomore standout.

In Div. I, besides Allen’s win in the 100, the next best finish came from Boardman’s Corey Linsley in the shot put. The junior heaved the ball 58 feet, 51‚Ñ2 inches.

“You are never satisfied when you don’t win and nobody comes down here hoping to get third place,” Linsley said. “It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it, and hopefully I’ll be back again next year.”

Some other third place finishes included McDonald’s Thomas Holland in the Div. III 800 meter run with the time of 1:54.96, while Lakeview’s Ben Moody took third in the Div. II 110 high hurdles in 14.96 seconds and West Branch’s Taylor Kring was third in the 100 high hurdles in 15.0. She also took a sixth in the 300 hurdles (45.42.)

Newton Falls senior KaiCee Kubicina took fourth in the shot put with a throw of 39-43‚Ñ4 giving her a second medal after winning the Div. II discus on Friday.

Probably the two biggest surprises from the area were Allen’s false start in the 200 meter dash, which he had a good chance of winning, and Canfield High’s Audrey Frimpong in the long jump.

Frimpong came into the meet as the defending champion in the Div. I event and also had one of the best qualifying marks of 19-5, which was just a inch behind her winning jump of a year ago.

But not only did Frimpong not repeat as long jump champion, but she didn’t even make it to the finals of the event and finished 13th with a best jump of 17-2.

mollica@vindy.com