Around five hours of rain delays impacted Day 3, the final day of competition for local athletes, but the weather ultimately set the stage for an electric finish as the Division III championship finals were contested under the lights at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Area athletes from Bellefontaine, Benjamin Logan, and Indian Lake wrapped up their seasons with several top-10 finishes and an All-Ohio performance on the state’s biggest stage. Benjamin Logan’s Abby Vance highlighted the evening with a fourth-place finish in the Division III long jump, while Indian Lake’s Christopher Timms earned a podium finish and All-Ohio honors in the boys shot put.
View Day 1 results for area athletes HERE.
View Day 2 results for area athletes HERE.
OHSAA Division III State Championships
Bellefontaine Chieftains
Girls
After qualifying for two championship finals on Friday, Bellefontaine’s Callie Shumaker returned to compete against Ohio’s best hurdlers under the lights Saturday night.
Shumaker finished ninth in the Division III 100-meter hurdles final, crossing the line in 15.34. She followed that performance with another ninth-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles, posting a time of 45.90. Although she narrowly missed the All-Ohio podium in both events, Shumaker was the lone local athlete to qualify for Division III running event finals.
In the field events, Kelsie Snapp concluded her season in the Division III discus competition. Snapp recorded a throw of 108 feet, 6 inches to place 17th in the state.
Benjamin Logan Raiders
Girls
Benjamin Logan’s Abby Vance turned in one of the area’s top performances of the day in the Division III long jump.
Vance soared 17 feet, 6½ inches to finish fourth in the state, earning All-Ohio honors and a podium finish for the Raiders. The top-five state finish capped off an outstanding season for the Benjamin Logan standout.
In Vance’s second trip to the State competition, she describes placing inside the top five and what she has learned over her time in Columbus.
Teammate Kyla Godwin also represented the Raiders in the Division III discus. Godwin recorded a throw of 109 feet, 8 inches to place 14th overall in the state competition.
Indian Lake Lakers
Boys
Indian Lake’s Christopher Timms secured a spot on the podium in the Division III shot put.
Timms posted a throw of 54 feet even to finish eighth in the state, earning All-Ohio honors and closing out his season with a top-eight finish against Ohio’s best throwers.
Despite the lengthy weather delays throughout the day, local athletes continued to perform at a high level, adding another All-Ohio finish and several strong state-meet performances to an impressive weekend for area track and field programs.
