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Area athletes qualify to the D-III state meet

MASSILLON — Barnesville, Bellaire, Steubenville Catholic Central and Buckeye Trail saw their track seasons continue Friday night.

At least one representative from all of those schools qualified for the Division III State Track and Field Championship, which opens next Friday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on Ohio State’s campus in Columbus.

Both Bellaire and Steubenville Central’s boys qualified in four events, while the Shamrocks advanced in three. The Buckeye Trail girls will represent in two events after action wrapped up at Jackson High School in the always-challenging regional championship.

Leading the Big Reds charge to the state capital will be senior standout Justyn Keyser. A returning all-Ohioan, he will take part in both the high and intermediate hurdles. He finished second in the highs in 14.90 and added a bronze in the intermediates with a 39.42.

Sophomore Cole LaRoche will embark on his first state meet. He enters as a regional champion after winning the shot put title on his final throw of the competition. He posted a personal-best mark of 55-1 1/2 for the gold. That’s a personal best of nearly three feet.

The Big Reds’ crack 4×2 team of Deondre Burney, Chase Yoho, Keyser and Tyson Camsky finished with a 1:30.10 en route to a bronze medal.

Steubenville Central’s delegation will be led by senior distance ace Joey Schlich. He won the 3200 meter run in a blazing time of 9:32.72.

Sophomore speedster Justin Hartzell finished third in the 100 with a 11.01. Sylis Fitzgerald advanced in the high hurdles thanks to a third-place finish in a time of 15.19.

The Crusaders’ 4×1 team also punched its ticket. The foursome of Hartzell, Amin Butler, Matt Kilonsky and Austin Fowkes posted a 43.82 to grab the final qualifying spot.

The Shamrocks, meanwhile, will send two individuals and a relay team. Senior standout Matthew Burkhart qualified in the 400 meter dash after grabbing the silver in a personal-best time of 50.43.

Kohl Campbell came back after a tough finish in the highs to grab fourth in the intermediate hurdles with a 39.43, which is a personal-best.

Barnesville’s 4×4 team, which has been one of the area’s best all spring, finished fourth in 3:24.53. The team was comprised of Kane Stephens, Caide Bunfill, Campbell and Burkhart.

The only two area girls to advance in Division III are junior Emily Paden in the pole vault. She finished second with a clearance of 10-4. The Trail 4×1 team also advanced with a solid 51.61, which was good enough for fourth place.

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