AUSTINTOWN — A pair of state track and field veterans and a rookie will be making the trip to Dayton’s Welcome Stadium for next week’s Division II state championships.

Salem senior Kaylee Carlisle, her freshman teammate Madolyn Gorby, and Girard junior Mia Malito punched their tickets to the state finals with top-four finishes at the regional championships Thursday at Fitch Falcon Stadium.

Also advancing was Salem’s 4×800-meter relay of Maggie Hopple, Rylee Hutton, Megan Stafford and Maggie Hall, which finished second in a time of 9 minutes, 36.77 seconds. Only Woodridge (9:15.52) beat the Quakers.

Carlisle will compete in the shot put after finishing fourth with a distance of 36 feet, 7.50 inches. Carlisle finished seventh in the state last spring in the discus and will compete in that event during Saturday’s regional finals, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

Malito is also returning in the high jump. She finished third on Thursday with a height of 5-2.

“I didn’t have my best day but I really focused on getting one height at a time,” Malito said. “Once I cleared 5-2 I felt pretty comfortable.”

Malito said her goal next weekend will be to score points.

“My goal has always been just to get on the podium,” she said. “I need to work on my form. Everything else is pretty good but I’m hitting [the bar] with my legs on the way down.”

Malito will be joined in the event in Dayton by Gorby, who cleared 5-3 to finish second in the event behind Kara Deister of West Geauga, who cleared 5-6.

“I pray a lot to Jesus, and my family is here to support me so that gives me a boost,” Gorby said. “My goal next week is 5-5. I want to beat the school record.”

Scoring points but not advancing were Salem’s Lucas Adams (20-1.75), eighth in the boys long jump; Lexa Tortvin (35-2.50) of Struthers and Maddy Andres (35-1.50) of Salem, seventh and eighth, respectively, in the girls shot put, and Lakeview’s Jaden Kropp, Mason Wheeler, Luke Whitmore and Jake Langmeyer, sixth in the boys 4×800 relay (8:04.93).

Malito also advanced to Saturday’s finals in the 300 hurdles with the seventh-best qualifying time of 47.00.

Ava Littler of Canfield had the top overall time in the 100 hurdles (14.85) while Makiya Simpson of Niles advanced in the 100 (fifth, 12.69) and the 200 (eighth, 26.01). Hutton of Salem advanced in the 400 (eighth, 1:00.73).

Boys who advanced were Dwayne Moody of Liberty in the 100 (eighth, 11.22); Logan Butcher of South Range in the 400 (eighth, 50.16), and Anthony Bengala of Girard in the 300 hurdles (sixth, 40.26).

West Branch advanced its 4×200 (third, 1:44.93), 4×100 (sixth, 50.01) and 4×400 (fourth, 4:06.35) girls relays to the finals.

Salem’s 4×200 (sixth, 1:47.03) and 4×400 second, 4:03.02) girls relays advanced, as did the 4×100 girls relays from Niles (second, 49.36) and Girard (fifth, 49.71).

Boys relays advancing were Lakeview (sixth, 43.14) and Liberty (seventh, 43.35) in the 4×100, and South Range (seventh, 3:27.32) in the 4×400.

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