COLUMBUS — Olmsted Falls junior Katie Nageotte has a lot to be proud of. She pushed defending state champ Kelsie Ahbe of Greensburg Green to the wire on Saturday before taking second in the Division I girls state pole vault at Jesse Owens Stadium.
Both vaulters cleared 12 feet, 4 inches on their first attempts, then missed 12-8 in three tries.
Ahbe only won the title outright because of fewer misses at earlier heights — two to Nageotte’s four. Ahbe had single misses at 11-4 and 12-0, while Nageotte missed at 10-6 and 11-0 and a pair at 11-8 before clearing.
Despite having to settle for second on a tiebreaker, Nageotte, who finished sixth last year as a sophomore at 11-0, was far from disappointed.
“I wasn’t totally on (at the beginning), but once I got going, I relaxed and mentally got into it,” said an upbeat Nageotte. “I’m very happy and very excited. I improved height-wise, so that’s very exciting.”
Nageotte’s state tournament performance of 12-4 equals her career-best which she established at the Amherst Regional.
“I just kept really focusing on running faster and fast plant high,” said Nageotte. “I really felt I did a good job getting inverted. I really think I can get 13-foot or 13-6 some day. Our state is getting very, very strong in girls pole vaulting. There are a lot of good vaulters. It’s a lot of fun to be able to do that (pole vaulting).”
Nageotte kept well-focused this season despite the sudden death of her dad, Mark, last September of a heart attack at age 45.
“My dad was my biggest fan, so vaulting without having him around has been very tough,” said Nageotte. “I know that he’s here in spirit. I wrote his name on my shoes, so before every vault I touch my shoe, and I always think about him. He was always next to the pole vault pit when I vaulted.”

McNeill, Beach 5th

Junior Bridget McNeill and freshman Kalpana Beach of Westlake each finished fifth in their respective Division I field events to earn all-state recognition.
McNeill placed fifth in the discus with a throw of 131-9, which came on her first throw of the prelims. Beach took fifth in high jump at 5-6.
“I was third going into finals,” said McNeill, a two-time state qualifier. “I couldn’t better my first throw of the day and two other girls passed me up in the final. I’m still very happy with how I performed. Last year I finished only 10th, so I improved five places. I’m happy with that.”
Reynoldsburg junior Melissa Dodaro won the discus (147-6), beating Brunswick junior Hillard Perrea (142-6). Huber Heights Wayne junior Alexis Thomas (133-2) and Mason senior Lindsay Ossim (132-5) passed McNeill up in the finals.
Beach appeared satisfied despite being hampered with a sore knee that bothered her over the second half of the season.
“My knee felt fine today, but my steps were off,” said Beach. “It was just one of those things. I’ve never really focused hard at meets getting my steps down. I just wasn’t really feeling it today.”
Beach cleared a school-record 5-8 earlier in the season at the Lakewood Relays. She has a goal of eclipsing 5-10 or 6-0 by the end of the her high school career.
McNeill and Beach are the first all-state athletes for the Westlake girls teams in their respective events. Corinne Haacke was seventh in the 1997 high jump, but at the time only the top six were recognized for all-state.
North Royalton senior Tina Dimitrejevs won her school’s first-ever girls state track and field title with a high jump of 5-9. Powell Olentangy junior Kelsey Couts was second
(5-8).

Bay trio All-Ohio

Bay freshman Bridget Doughty had a great state meet debut.
Doughty finished second in the Division II 100-meter high hurdles in a school-record time of 14.88 seconds. She also took fourth in the 300 hurdles in 44.82.
“It was awesome day,” said Doughty. “The 100 hurdles was definitely the highlight, but my 300s were certainly an improvement over Friday’s prelims (47.09).”
Doughty broke her sister Rachel’s 2007 school-record 14.89, set with a second-place finish at last year’s state meet. Akron Buchtel senior Tiffany Tucker won Saturday in 14.80.
Doughty was one of three girls from the Bay to earn all-state recognition. Sophomore Kelsey Barnes placed fifth in the 400 (57.62) while senior Stephanie Black was sixth in the 800 meters (2:18.27).
Barnes managed to take fifth despite being seeded No. 8 out of the semis and in lane No. 1. Warrensville junior Angelique Lykes won the 400 (55.52).
“I never thought I’d take it this far this season,” said Barnes. “I was just hoping to make it to regionals. Today went just great. I was way more nervous yesterday (semifinals) than I was for today.”
Beloit West Branch junior Emilee Zets won the 800 in 2:16.23, holding off Kettering Alter junior Catherine Crisler (2:16.61). Although it was a second off the school record, it was a personal record by nearly two seconds for Black.
“Our coach did a great job of tapering us,” said Black, who finished only fourth at regionals. “I figured that I was ready to peak. It was a very tough finish. I had run in the second lane for the last 300 meters because there was such a big pack next to me. It wasn’t an ideal race, but I’m happy.”
Barnes and Black are the Bay girls’ first-ever all-state athletes in their respective events.
Magnificat sophomore Maddie Chambers of Westlake was fifth in the Division I 1,600 meters (4:59.55). She was sixth as a freshman (5:01.43). Chamber also placed 12th in the 800 (2:18.31).
Contact Paul Heyse at ctsports@chroniclet.com or 329-7135. 

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