COLUMBUS — If Brent Ransbottom ever owns a dog, he’ll probably name him Spike.

A change of spikes may have been the difference as the Chesapeake Panthers senior high jumper captured the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III state championship Friday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Ransbottom overcame a day was marred by steady rains and cool temperatures as he unseated two-time defending champion Jake Dalessandro of Dalton.

“Everybody else was having problems so I changed my spikes,” Ransbottom said. “I slid maybe once or twice, but the (spikes) I had before were dull. I knew it would be slick and wet.

“I wasn’t worried about the rain. It’s mind over matter. We’ve jumped in wet weather all year. I was hoping it would play in my favor and it did.”

Ransbottom cleared 6-foot-5 to win the event on fewer misses. Dalessandro missed twice at 6-4 while Ransbottom cleared the height on his first try. Both had two misses at 6-5 before clearing the height. Neither were able to clear 6-6.

“The weather may have effected Dalessandro a little more than Brent,” Panthers coach Phil Davis said. “It wasn’t good weather for high jumpers. It wasn’t a good day for anything, really. But Brent did a really nice job.”

Ransbottom said it was satisfying to avenge last year’s runner-up finish to Dalessandro.

“It was a great feeling especially to beat someone who was a two-time champion. It’s kind of disappointing to win at 6-5, but a win is a win,” Ransbottom said.

Brandon

Hughes of Houston went 6-3 to take third place followed by Corey Grombacher of McDonald at 6-2, Scott Doseck of Haviland Way and Scott Wolfe of Crooksville at 6-foot, and Johnny Adams of New Lebanon and Justin Lee of Old Fort tied at 5-10.