Locals eying top finishes at state indoor track meet

Ohio's winter season has brought extreme cold temperatures and lots of snow to the area, but that hasn't stopped winter sports from heating up including track and field athletes.Indoor track and field have experienced continued growth. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), there were 89,019 boys and 71,358 girls across the nation in indoor track and field just last year.Calvert has grown from four athletes in the last four years to now 13. Seneca East has gone from six to 14 in two years. Locally the sport is growing and gaining traction, and most times, they are athletes that are already in one sport during the winter taking up another.On Friday and today athletes from all over Ohio will converge onto SPIRE Institute's campus in Geneva, Ohio to compete at the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches annual state indoor track and field event.Five area schools are sending a combined total of 28 athletes to the event including Bellevue, Calvert, Hopewell-Loudon, Old Fort and Seneca East."It's not an official OHSAA sport," Calvert coach Howard Stultz said. "Indoor track is run through the OATCCC. I would love to see it become one though."The athletes have to be in the top 16 in the state of Ohio in their event and qualify through events that use electronic timing. Unlike most sports, there aren't sectionals, districts, or regionals.Calvert's program started four years ago when 2023 graduate Leah Smith made school history by winning the 200-meter indoor title with a time of 25.01. From there, the program started to take off. "Anytime you can take kids and compete against the best of the best you are going to do it," coach Stultz said. "I expect them to go out and do their best. I don't care if you win, I want you to compete at the level that you can."Representing the Senecas will be Emily Miller alongside veteran returner and title defender Lukas Stultz.Miller got 10th at the state outdoor track and field meet last season, with a time of 59.02 in the 400 dash. She decided to utilize the indoor track season to help her improve. "I'm almost there to get on the podium," Miller said. "So I decided to get a head start this season."Miller backed off club volleyball this winter to focus on track and field. Miller was on Calvert's volleyball team this past fall that won the state championship.She is competing in the 60m, 200m, and 400m."For the 60m, I want to get out of the block fast and be 10 steps from the finish line," Miller said. "For the distance events, it's about tracking and chasing. When to hammer down and when to really go until they stop."As for Miller, she is looking forward to the opportunity."I have never ran at SPIRE before," Miller said. "I'm excited because I get to have this opportunity and not many people get to run three events. I'm taking it step by step and if I come out on top, so be it."For Lukas Stultz, he has been doing track and field since fourth grade but started the indoor track career his freshman year. He tried the triple jump and fell in love with it. This will be his third trip to the state meet in the triple jump, long jump,and the 400m."I won last year, and I am ready to defend my title," Lukas Stultz said. "I'm excited to get back there and had a great experience at SPIRE last year."He is coming back to defend his title in the triple jump, which was 41-11.25 last season. He is competing in long jump as well.Not too far from Tiffin and Calvert's rival, H-L, is sending a veteran returner for the field portion of the competitionThe Chieftains are sending Aiden Ewald for shot put and weighted throw. This will be his second year competing in the state indoor meet. Last year, Ewald finished 13th in shot put and 14th in weighted throw."Going last year definitely gave him that level of experience competing at that level." H-L boys coach Helen Coleman said. "He has a lot of goals for the season and is looking to improve his finish from last season."Ewald has been in track and field for six years, starting when he was in junior high. He has competed in six indoor meets this season and set some personal bests. His PR currently in discus is 164-4, 55-8 in shot put, and in weight throw, 53-1.Ewald holds the school record for both shot put and discus for outdoor track.He is planning on attending Division II Ashland University and hopes to continue his throwing career on the collegiate level.Returning the most successful track athletes this season is SE, especially Ayden Perkins. Perkins and the relay team last season made not only school history with state championships in the 4x800 relay, but they also went to New Balance and competed, putting Tiger Nation on the national map.This season, Perkins is back and beside him are fellow basketball players Jaron Depinet and Colten Young and freshman Levi Dawson."We have a lot of younger runners this season," SE distance coach Mike Farrel said. "Ayden helped with recruiting and rebuilding the 4x800 relay team. We had success last year and a lot of surprises this season."OATCCC expansion has allowed for more competition and for SE that meant not having to compete against bigger schools like last season. It went from three divisions last year to four."It's exciting to see the kids do well in distance mainly." Farrel said. "We are looking for a top five finish, but it's state and anything can happen." BellevueKami Koch: 4x400 relayNatalie Littlejohn: Long jump, triple jump, 4x200 relay, 4x400relayHallie McCarthy: 4x200 relayEmma Raymond: 4x400 relayBella Slater: 4x400 relayLily Sosa: Pole Vault, 4x200 relayAmerie Wagner: High jump, 60m, 200m, 4x200 relayCalvertEmily Miller: 60m, 200m, 400mLukas Stultz: triple jump, Long jump, 400m H-LAiden Ewald-Shot put, weighted throwOld FortJake Beisner: 4x400 relayAidan Chapman: 200m, 400m, 4x400 relayAidan Dick: 4x400 relayIssac Waldsmith: 4x400 relaySeneca EastLevi Dawson: 60m, 4x200 relay, 4x400 relayJaron Depinet: 4x200 relay, 4x400 relayJulia Enders: 4x800 relayMolly Hillis: 4x800 relayNevin Holmes: 1600m, 3200m, 4x800 relayCami Lantz: 4x800 relayFrancisco Lantz: 4x800 relayKeegan McDonald: High jumpRemington Newell: 4x800 relayAyden Perkins: 800m, 4x200 relay, 4x400 relay, 4x800 relayAubrey Ritzler: 800m, 1600m, 3200m, 4x800 relayAvery Schwab: 4x800 relayEthan Shultz: Long jump, triple jump, 4x200 relayColten Young: 4x200 relay, 4x400 relay