Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes. Chalker junior Ethan Bosch (middle) races toward the finish line during the Division III 100m dash finals, winning the state title with a time of 10.76s on Saturday at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus.

COLUMBUS — The short sprints are always intense since so much can go well or wrong with the slightest movement or variable. It’s a challenge that Chalker junior Ethan Bosch has taken head on with confidence throughout the postseason.

Now for the first time in program history, the Wildcats can claim a track and field state title as their own. Clocking a time of 10.76s, Bosch stood atop the podium during a muggy and humid morning at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on Saturday, proud of what he achieved for his school.

This all comes after failing to even make it out of the regional finals last season. But the pomp and circumstance of state competition only brought out the best in Bosch.

“It doesn’t feel real. It feels crazy to even think about it,” Bosch said. “It feels so great, I put a lot of hard work into it. It’s just really crazy to me. During the offseason, I really focused on block starts so I can get out better. I worked on my top bank speed more consistently, and then going into indoor track, and just practiced as much as I could.”

Bosch has been participating in track and field since eighth grade, previously competing for Middlefield Cardinal during his freshman and sophomore campaigns.

Being a multi-sport athlete, his teammates encouraged Bosch to give track a shot.

Of all events, the 100m dash requires a litany of power and speed. Bosch earned the Division III regional title at North Royalton, clocking 10.90s, a week after winning the district title at Ravenna.

Going into Saturday’s final, Bosch was the top-seed after taking first in the preliminary round at Ohio State.

“It’s hard, because you can get the best start of your life and still come in fourth or eighth. You just have to perfect all of it. I’d say I wasn’t perfect, maybe 80-95 percent, but it got me the race today,” Bosch said. “I also ran the 4x100m (at North Royalton), and I got a knot in my hamstring, so all week I’ve been working on getting that better so I can run in this meet. … It’s crazy, (the atmosphere) makes me really nervous, but you gotta do what you gotta do to win.”

Bosch also competes in football and basketball.

“Track helps my speed for football and my agility for basketball,” Bosch said. “I want to improve my time and get first again. Then soon I’m going to run at nationals and compete there and get a good place.”

The New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet will be held later this month from June 19-22 inside the friendly confines of the historic Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania.

“I’m really excited to go there. Since I started in my eighth grade year, it’s just been a dream to come here and maybe one day make the nationals. Now that I have, I’m so grateful for the opportunity I got,” Bosch said. “I’m not really going to use (my state title win) as confidence, I’m going to use it as a learning experience because going there, there’s going to be a lot of great guys here. … I’m just really excited to be pushed to my full potential and have a good day there.”