COLUMBUS — It wasn’t her top performance of the year, but Columbia senior Alexa Dorricott had plenty of positives to take away from the state track and field championships Friday at Ohio State.
Dorricott vaulted 11 feet to finish fifth in the Division III state pole vault and earn All-Ohio honors (top eight) for the second straight year. Last year, Dorricott finished fifth with a vault of 10-8. She was 11th at the 2006 state meet with a mark of 10-0.
“I feel pretty about good about it,” Dorricott said. “It wasn’t my best of the year, but it was better than last year. I didn’t feel nervous today. That helped.”
It wasn’t the best of meet conditions by a long shot. Temperatures were unseasonably hot in the mid 90-degree range and 20- to 30-mph winds buffeted the area all day long.
Dorricott cleared a career-record 11-6 three weeks ago at the Patriot Athletic Conference meet at Brooklyn, but then struggled at both districts and regionals. She cleared only 9-9 at the Norwayne district and 10-0 at the Navarre regional.
She escaped both districts and regionals with fourth-place finishes.
“It was just very windy at districts. I’m not sure why I struggled at regionals. It was just a bad day,” Dorricott said.
Dorricott appeared in top form Friday. She cleared 10-0, 10-4, 10-8 and 11-0 on her first attempts, then missed three tries at 11-4, with her first and third attempts narrowly missing.
“I jumped higher than I did here last year and still came in fifth,” Dorricott said.
Dorricott should feel right at home next year. She already impressed Ohio State coaches and will vault for the Buckeyes in 2008-09.
Troy Christian senior Mackenzie Wills won the event with a Division III state tournament mark of 12-5. Wills set the state record earlier in the season with a 13-0 jump at West Milton.
Dalton senior Chelsey Detwiler, the Navarre regional winner, took second (11-8), while Cincinnati Mariemont senior Mackenzie Fields (11-4) and Kansas Lakota senior Cami Wasserman (11-4) rounded out the top four.
“I’m pretty happy with it. It’s better than last year,” Dorricott said. “It was a tough field. Twelve (out of 16) of us were seniors.”
Dorricott is only the third two-time all-state track and field athlete in the history of the Columbia girls program.
LaMar seeded third
Firelands junior Cory LaMar executed his plan to perfection in the Division II 400-meter semifinals, earning the third seed with a time of 49.74.
Defending state champ Isaiah Pead of Columbus Eastmoor (48.84) and Delta junior Korbin Smith (49.51) are the top two seeds. Both were in LaMar’s semi.
“I let Pead pull me into the finals, just like I said,” LaMar said. “The last 100 meters felt very strong. I’m glad I made finals. I came down here and did what I wanted to do. I just want to run in the 48s (today).”
North Olmsted junior Jordan Hoppel and Elyria sophomore Lyndon Anderson failed to advance in the Division I 100-meter semifinals. Hoppel finished sixth (11.21) in the first heat and missed the fourth spot by only 0.04. Anderson was eighth in the other semi (11.32).
Hoppel is the North Olmsted boys first state qualifier in the 100 since 1940. Anderson, who missed five weeks in the middle of the season due to a left hamstring injury, is the Pioneers’ first state qualifier in the 100 since Ken Webber in 2004.
“I was a little slow coming out of the blocks,” Anderson said. “I’ll get it down pat next year. The key to my season were my coaches. They encouraged me to believe in myself. I had a lot of doubt coming back after being injured for five weeks. I thank them.”
North Olmsted’s 400-meter relay of senior Cory Molnar, Keith Troyer, junior Pat Tomko and Hoppel was seventh in their semifinal (12th overall) with a time of 42.96 and didn’t advance to the finals.
It was the Eagles’ first relay to qualify to state since the 1979 mile relay of John Gonska, Terry Romp, Dino Mastantuono and Mark Ciccarello.
“We got the chance to watch Steve MacDonald long jump down here last year, so we knew it would be the coolest experience ever,” Hoppel said. “I only missed qualifying by a meter in the 100. It’s a disappointment, but I just have to bounce back stronger next year. Next year I won’t expect anything less than the state finals. For the relay, what else can you do when you give your best and everyone else is giving their best? A lot of guys can move.”
Olmsted Falls senior Matt Jurcak finished fifth in the first heat of the 110-meter high hurdle semis (14.92) and failed to advance. He will end up ninth overall in the final standings. He also ended up eighth in the second semi of the 300 hurdles (41.40).
“I was pretty happy with the 110s, but I stutter-stepped over a lot of hurdles in the 300s. That didn’t help,” said Jurcak, Falls’ first state hurdle qualifier since Chris Olin in 1993. “Seeing everyone in front of me in the 300s didn’t help. You do what you got to do. You’ve got to run your own race.”
Southview senior Blake Witherspoon was seeded No. 3 overall (21.67) in the 200 meters, but only finished sixth in the semifinals (22.51) and ended up 10th overall.
“I tried my hardest. That’s all you can do,” said Witherspoon, the Saints’ first 200-meter qualifier since Luther Washington in 1990. “If I could have got an edge on these guys, I would have.”
Bay freshman Bridget Doughty qualified tied for second overall in the Division II 100-meter hurdles (15.64) and seventh in the 300 hurdles (47.09).
Bay freshman Kelsey Barnes also qualified for the finals with the No. 8 seed in the 400 meters (59.12). She finished fourth in her semifinal.
Bay junior Dayna Rohlke finished 11th in the Division II girls high jump with a mark of 5-2. Struthers senior Ashley Galbraith won the event at 5-7.
“I cleared 5-4 several times during the season, so that height was my goal today,” said Rohlke, a two-time state qualifier. “I accidentally rolled my ankle on my first attempt of the day at 5 foot. I didn’t hurt it badly, but I think it impacted my performance for the rest of the day.”
Contact Paul Heyse at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

DIVISION I

BOYS
Team scores: 1, Cle. Heights 10. 2, Reynoldsburg 8. 3, Strongsville 6. 4, Medina 5. 5, Hudson 4. 6, Centerville 3. 7, North Canton Hoover 2. 8, Mason 1.
4×800 Relay: 1, Cle. Heights (Sylvester Watts, Adam Katt, Dontave Cowsette, Jared Hall) 7:41.38. 2, Reynoldsburg 7:44.17. 3, Strongsville 7:45.86. 4, Medina 7:46.21.
GIRLS
Team scores: 1, Cin. St. Ursula 10. 2, Reynoldsburg 8. 3, Cle. Hts. Beaumont 6. 4, Solon 5. 5, Medina 4. 6, Wadsworth 3. 7, Kettering Fairmont 2. 8, Canton GlenOak 1.
4×800 Relay: 1, Cin. St. Ursula (Kelly Johnston, Jenna Heaton, Austin Perry, Rachel Clark) 9:21.44. 2, Reynoldsburg 9:21.62. 3, Cle. Hts. Beaumont 9:22.58. 4, Solon 9:24.21.

DIVISION II

BOYS
TOP Team scores: 1, Sandusky Perkins 18. 2, Vincent Warren 15.5. 3, Genoa Area 11. 4 (tie), Zoarville Tuscarawas Val., Delta 10. 6 (tie), Mentor Lake Cath., Pemberville Eastwood, Chillicothe 8. 9 (tie), Alliance Marlington, Lewistown Indian Lake 6. 11, Rocky River 5.5.
4×800 Relay: 1, Vincent Warren (Sam Majoy, Justin Roush, Nick Wilson, Tyler Cantley) 7:54.86, 2, Sandusky Perkins 7:55.10 3, Alliance Marlington 8:01.37, 4, Cuy. Val. Christian Acad. 8:02.26.
Long Jump: 1, Korbin Smith, Delta, 22-2¾. 2, Randy Greenwood, Mentor Lake Cath., 22-1¼. 3, Stacy Jones, Lewistown Indian Lake, 21-9½. 4, Marquis Brookins, Cin. Finneytown, 21-7.
Shot Put: 1, Matthew Hoty, Sandusky Perkins, 62-¼. 2, Curt Smith, Chillicothe, 60-10¼. 3, Derrick Vicars, Genoa Area, 58-9¾. 4, Marcus Vicars, Genoa Area, 57-4½.
Pole Vault: 1, Adam Holdsworth, Zoarville Tuscarawas Val., 14-8, 2, Crosby Schemenauer, Pemberville Eastwood, 14-4, 3, David Kolakowski, Rocky River, 14-0. 3, Tyler Cox, Vincent Warren, 14-0.
GIRLS
TOP TEAM Scores: 1, Kettering Alter 11. 2 (tie), Cuy. Val. Christian Acad., Newton Falls, Struthers 10. 5 (tie), Ravenna Southeast, Bellefontaine 8. 7 (tie), Peninsula Woodridge, Salem, Paulding 6.
4×800 Relay: 1, Cuy. Val. Christian Acad. (Katie Gillespie, Irene Frangos, Brittany Fabris, Carolyn Case) 9:27.20. 2, Kettering Alter, 9:29.96. 3, Peninsula Woodridge, 9:33.69. 4, Ottawa-Glandorf, 9:35.07.
Discus: 1, KaiCee Kubicina, Newton Falls, 146-5. 2, Nikki Murphy, Ravenna Southeast, 146-2. 3, Sarah Brobeck, Salem, 143-11. 4, Amy Evans, Urbana,128-1.
High Jump: 1, Ashley Galbraith, Struthers,
5-7. 2, Tomika Brown, Bellefontaine, 5-7. 3, Tiffany Razo, Paulding, 5-6. 4, Kristen Anderson, Sparta Highland, 5-5.

DIVISION III

BOYS
Team scores: 1, Norwalk St. Paul 12. 2, Millersport 11. 3 (tie), Stewart Federal Hocking, Hannibal River, Columbus Grove, Cin. Hills Christian Acad., Waynesfield-Goshen, West Liberty-Salem 10.
4×800 Relay: 1 Cin. Hills Christian Acad. (Kyle Neyer, Nick Williams, Andrew Wallace, David Curtin) 7:57.99. 2, East Canton 8:02.65. 3, Day. Christian 8:04.77. 4, Yellow Springs 8:05.65.
Discus: 1, Nate Bratka, West Liberty-Salem, 172-10. 2, Wes Stein, Norwalk St. Paul, 170-9. 3, Chad McClory, Liberty Center, 168-4. 4, Bryce Indermuhle, Smithville, 168-4.
High Jump: 1, Cory Vales, Stewart Federal Hocking, 6-10. 2, Scott Schnelle, New Bremen, 6-7. 3, Clay Nelson, Jeromesville Hillsdale, 6-6. 4, Jacob Beatley, Columbus Academy, 6-6.
Long Jump: 1, Gray Horn, Waynesfield-Goshen, 21-11¾. 2, Patrick Reichert, St. Henry, 21-7½. 3, Joe Wheeler, Sarahsville Shenandoah, 21-7½. 4. Joe Bihari, W. Salem Northwestern, 20-11½.
Shot Put: 1. DJ Duke, Hannibal River, 60-0. 2, Kory Place, Bluffton, 56-2¾. 3, Jeff Long, Atwater Waterloo, 54-8. 4, John Stone, W. Alexandria Twin Valley S., 53-2½.
Pole Vault: 1. Heath Nickles, Columbus Grove, 16-1½. 2, Alex Slattery, Sandusky St. Mary, 14-4. 3, Kerry Green, Millersport, 14-0. 4, Alex Hopkins, Millersport, 14-0.
GIRLS
TOP Team scores: 1, Cols. School for Girls 20. 2 (tie), Bellaire St. John, Elmore Woodmore 15, 4, Maria Stein Marion Local 13. 5, Rockford Parkway 12. 6, Versailles 11.33. 7 (tie), Mineral Ridge, Troy Christian, Dalton, Anna, Gates Mills Gilmour Acad. 10. LOCAL TEAMS: 20 (tie), Warren Lordstown, Fremont St. Joseph, Columbia, Bellaire 4.
4×800 Relay: 1, Gates Mills Gilmour Acad. (Brittany Tyree, Grace Brennan, Melanie Frank, Bekka Simko) 9:24.21. 2, Versailles 9:35.06. 3, Attica Seneca East 9:40.76. 4, Minster 9:41.12.
Discus: 1, Erin Pendleton, Elmore Woodmore, 168-10. 2, Katie Gerhardt, Cedarville,153-5. 3, Alexandra Roberts, Cols. School for Girls, 143-2. 4, Kathy Dirksen, Maria Stein Marion Local, 130-8.
High Jump: 1, Laura Gehret, Anna, 5-8¼. 2, Emily Amburgey, Camden Preble Shawnee, 5-5. 3, Marian Bevington, Rockford Parkway, 5-4. 4, Jordan Moxley, Cortland Maplewood, 5-3.
Long Jump: 1, Nicole Honsaker, Mineral Ridge, 18-1. 2, Haley Nofziger, Pettisville, 17-3½. 3, Marian Bevington, Rockford Parkway, 16-11½. 4, Justene Delman, Bellaire St. John, 16-8.
Shot Put: 1, Alexandra Roberts, Cols. School for Girls, 43-1. 2, Kathy Dirksen, Maria Stein Marion Local, 40-9. 3, Lauren Jenkins, Bellaire St. John, 39-5¼. 4, Erin Pendleton, Elmore Woodmore, 39-4.
Pole Vault: 1, Mackenzie Wills, Troy Christian, 12-5. 2, Chelsey Detwiler, Dalton, 11-8. 3, Mackenzie Fields, Cin. Mariemont, 11-4. 4, Cami Wasserman, Kansas Lakota, 11-4. 5, Alexa Dorricott, Columbia Sta. Columbia, 11-0.

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