Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COLUMBUS — Wipe the slate clean.

Regardless of the qualifying times and distances, it’s a fresh start for every athlete as they participate in the Ohio High School Athletic Association state track and field meet Friday and Saturday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Times and distances very from meet to meet, so the qualifying numbers don’t always determine the finishes at the state meet.

For Chesapeake Lady Panthers’ senior Jordan Porter the numbers are in her favor. She won the discus in the regional meet at 136-feet and was second in the shot put at 42-7.

Porter will throw the discus at 9:30 a.m. Friday in the Division II meet and return to throw the shot put at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Porter has the fourth best distance in the shot put. Jenni Ross of Middletown Fenwick leads at 44-4.25. In the discus, Porter is second only to Lauren Jones of Garrettsville Garfield at 137-2.

South Point Lady Pointers’ junior Tori Koukos will run in the 100-meter hurdle preliminaries at 2 p.m. Friday.

In the boys’ Division III meet, Coal Grove Hornets’ junior Brandon Adkins comes into the meet as one of the top high jumpers. His event will be at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Ben Olewiler of Ashland Crestview has the top height at 6-7 entering the meet but Adkins and Findlay Liberty Benton’s Zach Garver both cleared 6-6 in the regional meet.

Coal Grove’s 4×200 relay team of seniors Conor Markins, Mason Nance and Ian McFarland and freshman Tanner Henry had the 10th-best time of 1:31.63 in the seedings, but all the times are close.

The 4×200 preliminaries are at 10:40 a.m. Friday.

At 4 p.m. Friday will be the discus and pole vault events. The Hornets’ junior Austen Pleasants will throw the discus and freshman Eli Willis will be in the pole vault.

The top distances in the discus are 178-9 by Christian Smith of McDonald and 170-feet by Marcus Myers of Hamler Patrick Henry.

There are six pole vaulters over 14-feet and six more over 13-feet.