Four area athletes earn indoor All-Ohio honors

GENEVA — Four area athletes earned All-Ohio honors a the OATCC indoor state track and field championships, held over two days on March 6-7 at Spire Institute in Geneva. In Division IV, Western Reserve senior throwing standout Hayden Keith won the state championship in the shot put. His top throw was an effort of 58-feet-2.75 inches. At the outdoor meet last June, Keith placed seventh at the Div. III state championships in Columbus by throwing 54-feet-4.75. In Div. II, Norwalk senior Elliot Gahring placed eighth to earn the last spot on the podium in the 400-meter dash. His time of 49.76 seconds is also an NHS program record. Both Keith and Gahring will compete at the Adidas Indoor Nationals in Virginia Beach on March 22, while Gahring also qualified for the New Balance Nationals in Boston on March 13. Also from the area, Willard had a pair compete in in the Div. III field events at the indoor state championships. Cora Clark placed ninth in the high jump by clearing five feet, while Paige Adams also finished ninth in the shot put at 35-feet-7. In Div. IV, South Central had a pair of All-Ohioans in Autumn Fry and Lauren Ingram. Fry was fifth in the shot put (37-feet-8.75) and Ingram was fifth in the high jump (4-feet-10). Fry also competed in the 60 dash (16th, 8.41 seconds) and Ingram was also 13th in the long jump (14-feet-7.75). Also for the Trojans, Taylor Smith was 10th in the pole vault and Falynn Schumacher was 14th, as both cleared 10 feet. New London's Raeann Mitchell also cleared 10 feet. Also for New London, the 4x200 relay team of Hailey Crockett, Kira Waugaman, Izabella Phillips, Aubrey Parr was 13th in 2:02.03. This Saturday, Norwalk Middle School student Lillian Kipp will compete in the shot put at the Middle School state championships at Muskingum University in New Concord. Kipp will also be competing at the Adidas Nationals on March 20 in Virginia Beach.