State Scoop: Ohioans Excel At Wittenberg, SPIRE Institute

Wittenberg University

Lining-up for just the second time this season, following a 4:18.52 1 mile effort at December's MSTCA Holiday Challenge in Boston, Ben Gabelman (Westerville North) opened his new year racing with a decisive triumph in the 3200, going 9:05.27 for a 17-second margin of victory. 

The mark represents a state lead for the 2023 OHSAA Division I cross country champion and a US No. 5 for the 2024 indoor campaign. 

Make it six meet titles in his seven pole vault starts for Wayne junior classman Eric Pugh and none more impressive than his latest showing. 

Pugh successfully cleared 16-8 to shatter what were his existing PRs. He had a previous best of 16-0 indoors and if you care to combine seasons, he tacked 2-feet onto his top outdoor result of 14-8. 

Pugh's result comes with some historical significance. He's steadily climbing the ladder on Ohio's all-time high school indoor list and now sits at No. 8.

Next up in the A.T. rankings, he'll look to surpass Lucas Kelley (Massillon Perry), who currently checks-in at the No. 7 spot via his 16-9.25 clearance during the 2016 season. 

Regardless of the numbers, Pugh is displaying that he's on another level in 2024. He leads the state rankings by a foot and change and from a national standpoint, he resides in a tie for No. 4. 

The 4x800 meter squads from Toledo-St. Francis and Dublin Jerome pushed each other to sub 8-minute performances, going 1-2 in 7:58.90 and 7:59.21, respectively. 

Their marks stand as the top two state-wide and No.'s 6 and 7, nationally.

Repping the Knights were Ethan Cope, Kale Seymour, Wil White and Sam Arquette.

For the Celtics, relay duties were taken on by Ethan Ishida, Charles Guerrera, Graham Tyler and Sam Ricchiuti. 

Looking ultra-sharp in his indoor season debut was Koy Beasley (LaSalle), who busted out a pair of sub 7-second 60m efforts. 

The senior, who took runner-up honors at the 2023 OATCCC Division I State Championships, went 6.97 for the top prelims mark and then earned the meet title in a Ohio No. 2 / USA No. 11 time of 6.81. 

SPIRE Institute & Baldwin Wallace University

New state leaders emerged away from The Steemer this past weekend, as well, with Ohio's top two 800 meter showings going to Preston Rieger and Matthew Sopchak. 

New Philadelphia's Rieger clocked 1:55.88 and Chardon's Sopchak produced a 1:56.31 time, as the Ohioans took 5th and 7th overall amongst a national level field of half-milers mixing it up at the SPIRE Institute. 

Delton Wright collected his third high jump meet title in as many attempts with his 6-6 tie for OH No. 1 performance at nearby Baldwin Wallace University. Wright, a senior, represents the Berea-Midpark Titans.