PICKERINGTON – The Watkins Memorial boys track team is beginning to take a regular spot in the sprint relays at the Division I state meet. The Warriors, however, will be taking mostly a new cast of characters to Ohio State this time.
Watkins crossed in a time of 42.30 seconds to take runner-up in the 800-meter relay May 30 during the super regional championships at Pickerington North. Senior Ray Hardiman, the only Warrior with previous experience at state, will be joined by classmate Carter Armitage, Junior Koehn Concha and sophomore Eduardo Martinez.
“I don’t think anyone would have said it was possible to be honest – any coach or anybody thought it was possible for us to go low 42,” said Armitage after the Warriors finished just one-hundredth of a second behind champion Pickerington North.
Watkins placed seventh in the 800 relay at state in 2024 and qualified in the 400 relay a year ago. From both of those teams, only Hardiman remains after John Apel and Joe McIntosh graduated in 2025 and Jaeden Ricketts graduated last December to begin his football career at Ohio State.
Yet, the Warriors are going back to state and doing it among their rivals from the east suburbs of Columbus.
“The competitive edge definitely set a chip on our shoulder. It’s a big setback losing three 10-point runners, but you just have to work with what you have,” Armitage said. “Watkins kind of gets looked down on compared to the Pickeringtons and Gahanna, so to be out here step for step with them, it’s a good feeling.”
Hardiman opened Watkins’ day on the track with a third-place finish in the 100 (10.80). Eduardo Martinez in the 300 hurdles (39.06) and twin brother Ethan Martinez in the 800 (1:56.00) later each placed fourth in back-to-back events.
Eduardo Martinez was running with his left hand heavily wrapped. He fractured his wrist when falling late in his 300 hurdles race during the Licking County League-Buckeye Division championships May 15.
“I believe for sure I am going 38 next meet,” he said.
Ethan Martinez previously helped Watkins qualify in the 3,200 relay with a school-record time on May 28.
The twins were not done. They helped senior Connor Black and freshman Cooper Oyster take fourth in the meet-ending 1,600 relay (3:22.06).
“I was a little stressed out about it because we were seeded fourth or fifth in every race, but it took a lot of training,” Ethan Martinez said. “I was injured like halfway through April, so I was stressed about that. The last couple weeks we just worked on being smooth and fast.”
Heights senior Samolu Cooper had a bittersweet finish to his career as he placed fifth in the 100 (10.85), finishing just one-hundredth of a second out of a trip to state. The foursome of Cooper, classmate Ayuub Abdullahi and juniors Cayden Cross and Abel McGowan placed sixth in the 800 relay (1:29.32), and Cross and McGowan and juniors Ayuub Adullam and Daniel Asong placed seventh in the 1,600 relay (3:26.89).
Watkins sophomore Dominic Nabors tied for seventh in the high jump (6 feet).
Watkins girls relay qualifies
The Watkins Memorial girls were left wondering if the 1,600 relay would race at least one more time, and the Warriors soon received the good news.
The foursome of senior Ellah Bigham, juniors Kadence Gorrell and Megan Keating and sophomore Kate Michael placed fifth in the 1,600 relay (3:59.52). That earned them an at-large berth to state.
“Last year, we finished in the 4×4 with a 4:18. We just broke the school record the other day, and we are still breaking (four minutes),” said Bigham before the Warriors received the official information. “We pick each other up, and we reset. Hopefully we get to go again.”
Bigham, Gorrell, Keating and junior Kamryn Caldwell earlier placed eighth in the 800 relay (1:48.37).
“My best times in track are when I run with my friends. They are everything. They are the reason I run,” Bigham added.
Michael, who was a regional qualifier as a freshman, took runner-up in the 800 (2:15.24). She made an aggressive move at the beginning of the second and final lap and held her position, crossing in a personal-best time.
“It gives me more confidence knowing that I’ve done this before and that I can do it again,” Michael said. “It’s just fun having the competition. All of the girls are close, and we push each other.”
Heights freshman Kennedy Rutledge also is headed to state after leaping to a fourth-place finish in the long jump (17-2¾). She bettered her previous personal best by nine inches.
“I really didn’t expect it. I thought because the girls were so much older and already knew how to jump far, they would have me, but I came through,” Rutledge said. “I actually didn’t think (17) was possible. I thought I was going to stay in the 16s, so it was definitely a surprise.”
Heights junior Sabrina Bauer placed eighth in the 100 hurdles (15.27) and seventh in the 300 hurdles (47.07).
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Watkins Memorial sends three more relays, three individuals to state
Reporting by Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
