COLUMBUS – Peer pressure isn’t always a bad thing.
For Kalida junior Grant Laudick, listening to his friends’ advice paid off.
Last spring, Laudick was competing on the baseball diamond.
This weekend, Laudick is competing at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Track-and-Field Championships at Ohio State.
Laudick is part of the 800-meter relay that qualified Friday for today’s Division III finals at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. He also competed in the 400-meter dash and 1,600 relay. Laudick did not advance out of Friday’s semifinals in the 400, missing by one spot. Kalida’s 1,600 relay also did not advance.
After last baseball season, Laudick was convinced to give track a try. And Laudick has not regretted his decision.
“It’s different. It’s exciting. It’s a whole lot of fun,” Laudick said. “I just kind of lost interest in baseball. After I decided not to play baseball, they were trying to get me to join track.
“My best friend is Josh (Verhoff). He’s down here in four events. He convinced me to do it. So, now I’m here.”
Verhoff came down to this year’s Division III state meet in four events. In Friday’s semifinals, Verhoff advanced in the 200-meter dash and 800 relay.
In Friday’s semifinals of the 200, Verhoff had the fourth-fastest qualifying time (22.26 seconds). However, Verhoff did not advance out of the semifinals of the 100 and the 1,600 relay did not move on.
At last year’s state meet, Verhoff placed third in the 200 and anchored the 400 relay that finished sixth.
Kalida’s 800 relay (Carter Moore, Trevor Vorst, Verhoff, Laudick) clocked a time of 1:30.78, in Friday’s semifinals, which was the second fastest time in the field. The top two times in each heat, along with the next five fastest times advance to today’s finals.
“Once he quit playing baseball, we kind of put a bug in his head, like ‘Hey, come out for track and use those long legs’,” Verhoff said with a smile. “I knew he had long legs and he had a big stride. He’s done really well throughout the entire year. Coming down to state in the 400, in his first year, is pretty impressive.”
Verhoff is looking forward to improving on Friday’s performance in the 200.
“It’s great to be out here, running against good competition,” Verhoff said. “I feel like tomorrow I can probably come out and do a little better than I did today. Today, it was like move on and just show everyone what you can do.”
Minster’s 3,200 relay wins title
The Minster girls’ 3,200-meter relay won the Division III state title Friday, clocking a time of 9 minutes, 18.41 seconds. The relay was comprised of Cassie Francis, Kaitlynn Albers, Emma Watcke and Madeline Magoto.
Minster’s nearest competitor was Gilmour Academy, which finished a distant second (9:30.20).
“It feels good to start off the tournament with a bang,” Magoto said. “We’re just hoping the rest of the weekend goes our way and that our hard work pays off.”
Minster’s same group of athletes in Friday’s 3,200, finished third at last year’s state meet.
“It’s nice we went through all these things together,” Albers said. “We all share the same goals and we have all sacrificed together. I think those bonds and relationships have carried us through and really helped us.”
At the end of the first day of the state meet, Minster was sitting in third place.
Kenton thrower gets third
Kenton senior Lauren Johnson placed third in the Division II shot put Friday, with a toss of 139 feet, 3 inches. Johnson won last week’s regional at Piqua.
“My goal was 140 and I got 139-03. So that’s as close as I’m going to get, I guess,” Johnson said.
Minster’s Thobe and New Bremen’s Puthoff on podium
Minster’s Paige Thobe placed fifth in Friday’s Division III girls’ long jump (17-3 ¾), while New Bremen’s Macy Puthoff finished sixth (17-1 ½ ).
Mattson on podium
Ada junior Noah Mattson placed ninth in Fridays’ Division III boys’ shot put (50-1 ¾).
Butler, Goecke end high school careers on podium
Minster senior Grace Butler placed fifth in Friday’s Division III girls’ pole vault (11-0). Spencerville senior Gabrielle Goecke rounded out her high school career with an eighth-place finish (10-6).
The following Division III athletes advanced out of Friday’s semifinals: Columbus Grove’s Carlee McCluer (300 hurdles), Columbus Grove’s Rylee Sybert (200), Fort Recovery’s Robby LeFevre (100, 200), Fort Recovery boys’ 800 relay (Riley Pearson, Jared Timmerman, Brayden Schoen, LeFevre), Fort Recovery’s 400 relay (Pearson, Jacob Acheson, Schoen, LeFevre), Marion Local’s John Tangeman (400), Minster girls’ 800 relay (Paige Thobe, Jessica Falk, Lilian Hirschfeld, Ivy Wolf), Minster girls’ 400 relay (Wolf, Falk, Hirschfeld, Thobe), Minster girls’ 1,600 relay (Francis, Magoto, Janae Hoying, Courtney Prenger), New Bremen’s Julia Goettemoeller (300 hurdles), New Bremen girls’ 1,600 relay (Goettemoeller, Rachel Kremer, Macy Puthoff, Paige Jones), Parkway’s Sydney Crouch (400), Spencerville’s Nelaya Burden (100 hurdles), Spencerville girls’ 400 relay (Gillian Goecke, Ariana McMichael, Gabrielle Goecke, Burden), Temple Christian’s Cameron Worsham (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Waynesfield-Goshen’s Tyler Eller (100, 200, 400), Waynesfield-Goshen’s Brandon James (300 hurdles).
The following Division II athletes advanced: Elida’s Xavier Gilkey (300 hurdles), Elida’s boys’ 400 relay (Dravyn Jones, Cole Harmon, Nazareus Wright, Noah Paris), Van Wert’s Megan Braun (400), Van Wert girls’ 1,600 relay (Braun, Cassidy Meyers, Julia Springer, Caylee Phillips)
The following Division I athletes advanced: Lima Senior’s Suerethia Henderson (100, 200), Shawnee’s Faith Baxter (400), and Shawnee’s Christian Ford (200).
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