Corerespondent photo / Robert Hayes Heartland Christian senior Rebecca Geiss kicks during the final 50 meters of the Division V girls 3200-meter run in Columbus.

COLUMBUS — Nearly 6,000 athletes from across the state made the trek to Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium for this year’s OHSAA state track and field championships. Schools from across the Tri-County area are well represented, with Thursday featuring Divisions IV and V action.

This is the first season under the new division model; previously, the state meet had only three divisions.

SOARING FOR SILVER

Brody Smith made state during the end of his junior-high days, but he always remained motivated to compete among the best at the varsity level. After failing to make the cut last spring, the sophomore high jumper snagged himself a boys Division IV silver medal Thursday evening, clearing a bar of 6 feet, 5 inches in the high jump.

He’s just the second athlete in Brookfield’s history to qualify for state in the high jump, and he also qualified for this afternoon’s Division IV long jump competition.

“It hurt,” Smith said about last spring. “But I knew what I could do, I got in the gym, I got my body right, and I knew that if I just got my mentals right, that I’d be where I wanted to be.”

“This track is so historic that you just feel it while you’re jumping. I knew that I would have a lot of competition. Sadly, I got second at regionals, so I was hoping for gold, but we settled for silver.”

Smith was leading the final three jumpers heading into the 6-foot-5 bar, but Margaretta’s Jake Bouy cleared the height on his first attempt, while it took Smith all three attempts. Bouy’s winning mark ended up at 6 feet, 6 inches.

“Obviously, I had to adjust a couple of things, but for the most part, I just had to stay locked in. If I jump hard, then my body will take me wherever I want to go.”

STATE VETERAN

Heartland Christian senior Rebecca Geiss is no stranger to the state meet, having made the trip all four years, including the one-off meet in Dayton in 2024. With the readjusted format, the 3200-meter and 1600-meter runs are on separate days, creating an opportunity to compete in both without having to run both on the same day.

Geiss is taking advantage of the opportunity, racing in the 1600 this afternoon after starting her state meet off strong with a bronze medal in the Division V girls’ 3200, posting a time of 10:59.85.

“I think this past season, I feel like my fitness is a lot better than it’s showing in races. Just trusting God that I’ll pull through. I definitely wanted to run a little bit faster and earn a better place, but I trust his timing.” Geiss said. “I feel like it’s still the same; everyone that was in the Division III last year was in the Division V this year. Even looking at the other divisions, excluding Division I, they all seem like they’re all about the same times.”

Geiss battled Natalie Nixon of Ottawa Hills down the backstretch, missing silver by less than four-tenths of a second. Smithville’s Kaitlyn Carr won the race decisively, clocking a 10:52.85.

“Usually, I don’t have the greatest kick, so I try not to leave it up to that,” Geiss said. “I was just giving it my all and came up a little short, but it’s OK.”

McDonald sophomore Naomi Sheesley also found the podium in the 3200, earning seventh with a 11:14.57.

MAPLEWOOD LEGACY

There are a handful of schools that people hear and instantly think “track and field,” and Maplewood is certainly among that elite group. Their boys 4×800-meter relay team started off the Division V meet well, taking home a bronze with a 8:00.47. McDonald followed close behind, earning fourth by running 8:00.76.

The quartet of juniors Ethan Nevinski and Brody Orr, senior Andrew Donaldson and sophomore Micah Sparks faced tough competition, as Ridgedale ran a season-best 7:51.73 to earn gold.

Donaldson has competed in tons of state races during his high school campaign, anchoring the Rockets’ relay group.

“It’s the second-hardest role, but all of the roles, one through four are tough. Leadoff role, you have the pressure of putting your team in the right spot, like our leadoff (Sparks) did,” Donaldson said. “It’s a great field, the top three all would have won state last year, but this year it’s tougher.”

“The bar keeps getting raised as a runner, splitting from to five divisions from three, you got schools like us that don’t have football. So what do we do? We run, that’s why our program is great in cross country and track. It just narrows down the runners to the fifth division. They all don’t have big school sports, and what can they do? Run track and cross. It makes the field more competitive for the elite part, but it was much more washed out at districts.”

The meet resumes today at 9:30 a.m.