COLUMBUS — It felt like any other day in practice for Ontario’s Tre Fowler and Jermel Powell.
The junior sprinters were lined up next to each other in the outside lanes of the 100-meter dash and approached it the same way they would’ve if the were on their home track.
“We do this all the time,” Fowler said. “We’re running to get better … I’m just happy for both of us.”
The only difference was the enormous grandstand on their right filled with screaming fans and the lights of Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium shining down on them after a lengthy weather delay pushed the Division III finals from 5:45 p.m. to a 9 p.m. start on Saturday.
“It’s a big atmosphere, it’s crazy,” Fowler said. “We really wanted to be here last year, but it didn’t happen. We just grinded every day to make it to this spot.”
They came in with matching seed times but it was Fowler pipping Powell by two-hundredths of a second for seventh in the duo’s first state appearance.
“That’s his event,” Powell said of the 100. “It makes me strive to get better.
“I’m grateful for our coaches. They helped me a lot this year and in the offseason, I told them I wanted to be here and it happened.”
Just before they raced Shelby junior Gavin Baker shrugged off a no height in the high jump earlier in the day Saturday and clocked a personal best 14.22 — 16th-fastest time in the state — in the high hurdles to place fourth from Lane 1.
“I’m happy I peaked at the right time, that was my best time all year,” he said.
Much like swimmers do, tapering plays a big part in runners making sure they’re at their best when it matters most.
“It’s pretty similar,” Baker said. “You want to stay in shape, but also lay off a little and take care of your body more. That’s more important come postseason so you can start peaking when you’re at your strongest and fastest.
“I wish I could’ve run faster, but you can’t be upset with All-Ohio.”
A day after breaking 11 minutes for the first time in her career in the 3200, Clear Fork junior Katrina Neal clocked her first sub-five minutes in the 1600.
“Not being here last year, showing up and (getting on) the podium in both feels good,” she said.
She was fourth in the two mile and seventh in the mile feeding off the atmosphere.
“It’s thrilling, it truly gives you motivation,” Neal said. “It gives you a lot. When you start to slow in the race and get lost in the motion of it, the crowd gets you going and pulls you back in.”
After going two-for-two in her state debut, there’s only one thing left to do next year.
“We’re going to try and get higher up and do better than we did today,” Neal said.
One of Ontario junior Audrey Mahon’s goals is to win an individual state championship.
She took the first step toward that on June 5 when she finished fifth with a 12.43 in the Division III 100-meter dash to earn a spot on the podium for the first individual All-Ohio honor of her career. It came at the beginning of a busy night for Mahon as she anchored the 4×200-relay team to a third-place finish and the 4×400-meter relay to a state title.
“I was tired, but I knew I had to take my deep breaths and just do what I had to do before going and doing my next race,” Mahon said. “I came in with low expectations coming in seeded sixth and my goal today was to come in and get a higher ranking. I am so proud of that and I can’t wait to see what I do next year.”
With two relay teammates graduating, Mahon may have more opportunities to seek individual glory during her senior year in 2027.
When Clear Fork junior Davis Hoeflich walked into Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, his main focus was to exorcize some demons.
Last year, as a sophomore, Hoeflich cleared just six feet at the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Track and Field Championships and took 18th missing out on All-Ohio honors after finishing second in the state as a freshman.
He did just that and more on Saturday, June 6 in the OHSAA Jesse Owens State Track and Field Championships Division III boys high jump competition. He cleared 6-feet-5 to take fourth and earn All-Ohio honors for the second time in his career.
“It was fuel, but I still need more to get what I want,” Hoeflich said. “This will push me to work harder and go further.”
Hoeflich dealt with two torn ligaments in his ankle in 2025 and needed preseason surgery just to compete. He did enough to qualify for state, but didn’t come close to his freshman performance.
On Saturday, he proved he was back to his usual self.
“It was mentally tough because I was jumping heights that I was clearing in eighth grade and I couldn’t get them as sophomore,” Hoeflich said. “I am still dealing with that, but I am pushing forward. My ankle is feeling pretty good now with almost no pain.”
Hoeflich cleared the opening height of 6-feet before missing once at 6-02 and clearing 6-04 and 6-05 on his first attempts and both heights. He fouled three times at 6-06, but the sting of last year is now gone and he is determined to go out with a bang as a senior.
“It was rough,” Hoeflich said. “But I feel like I have a bunch of momentum moving forward. I have a lot of work to do because the winner is a sophomore, so I will need to work to catch him.”
When Lexington senior Eli Barr picked up the pole vault as an eighth grader, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
But he knew what he wanted. He wanted to end up on the podium at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium one day. On Saturday, June 6, that dream came true. He tied for eighth in the Division II pole vault state championships clearing 13-06 to earn All-Ohio honors.
“It is pretty neat,” Barr said. “It has been a huge goal to get on the podium, but I still feel like I am a little disappointed I didn’t get 14-04. I wasn’t took worried about the rankings coming in because I felt like I practiced really well all week and felt I could get some decent heights.”
He cleared 13-feet and 13-06 on his first attempt at both heights before fouling out at 14-feet. But the way was successful as he walked away with a medal around his neck.
“It is very meaningful,” Barr said. “I picked up pole vault as an eighth grader and all I wanted to do was get All-Ohio, so I feel satisfied.”
Also earning All-Ohio honors on Saturday were a pair of seated athletes in Galion freshman Shaun Arthur and Mapleton senior Savannah Beane. Arthur placed seventh in the boys 100-meter with a new personal best time of 34.81, while Beane was fourth in the girls 100-meter with a three-second time drop of 25.96 and fifth in the 400-meter (1:56.42) besting her previous mark by a second.
jfurr@usatodayco.com / zholden@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Nine individual All-Ohioans from the area on Day 3 of state track meet
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