East Knox relay teams continue record-setting season

Five East Knox girl runners have been breaking records all season. Now they are looking for gold at the Ohio High School Athletic Association state track and field championships.

Senior Macie Fawcett, juniors Ava Faucett, Cloe Tucker and Isabelle Bostic, and freshman Ellie Clark have set the school record book on fire, breaking records in the 4x100-meter, 4x200 and 4x400 this season.

At the Division V regional track meet this weekend at Cuyahoga Heights, they did it again.

Faucett, Tucker, Fawcett and Bostic broke the school record in the 4x400 relay in the semifinals, then broke it again Saturday in the finals to win the regional title and advance to this week’s state competition. The foursome ran a 4:02.83 in the semis, then ran 4:00.07 in the finals.

The team swapped in Clark for Tucker in the 4x200 and set a record of 1:44.17 in qualifying. They then placed second in the finals at 1:45.69.

In the 4x100 relay, Tucker came back in, this time for Bostic and the results were the same – a school record of 50.46 in the semis, and a third-place finish in the finals (50.75).

Those three relay teams will take their shots at state glory, beginning Thursday at Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The 4x200 will kick off the day Thursday in the semifinals at 5:17 p.m. with the 4x100 running at 5:40 and the 4x400 at 7:10 p.m.

Bostic will also run by herself in the 400, after finishing fourth at regionals in 58.73. She will run in the semis at 5:50 p.m.

The Bulldog boys weren’t to be outdone, as two individuals qualified for state competition.

Weston Bostic tied his own school record of 14-foot in the pole vault to finish third in the Div. IV regionals at Marion Harding on Friday. Bostic had set the school record in district competition. He will vault at state on Friday at 9:30 a.m.

Cason Faucett will run in the Div. IV state in the 400 meters after finishing fourth in a time of 49.63. Faucett’s semifinal race will be Thursday at 2:15 p.m.

Danville and Fredericktown weren’t to be outdone when it came to state qualifiers.

Danville will have three individuals participate in seven events at OSU. Kelsey Hackman leads the way with four opportunities at state. The senior finished second at regionals in the long jump (16-5.5) and 100 hurdles (16.44), fifth in the 100 (12.85) and sixth in the 300 hurdles (47.25) to qualify for state in all four events. Hackman will run Thursday in the 100, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, then Friday will participate in the long jump.

Brookelynn Carter took home a gold medal in the shot put, tossing the pill a school-record 41-foot-1.5 to win the regional. She also qualified in the discus, finishing fourth at 121-3. She will throw the shot put Thursday and the discus on Friday.

Owen Gronberg also made it to state in the shot put, finishing third at regionals with a throw of 48-9.5. He will throw Friday afternoon.

Fredericktown will have individuals in five events at OSU. Ella Bouton led the way with a regional championship in the shot put, tossing the ball 42-9 at Marion Harding. She also finished second in the discus (122-10) and will throw the discus Thursday and shot put Friday.

Jenny Alexander also finished second at regionals, leaping 11-4 to qualify in the pole vault. She will vault at state on Thursday.

Cooper Rine will participate in the 110 hurdles after finishing seventh and qualifying in 15.57 at Harding. Rine will also be part of the 4x200 team that qualified for state. He teamed up with Tanner Estep, Staut Marilo and Blake Sipes to finish seventh in 1:31.63. Both of those state events will be Thursday afternoon.