COLUMBUS – The No. 4 is wild for Ava Travis at the state track championships.
Travis wrapped up her stellar career for the Northridge girls track team June 5, earning two more fourth-place finishes in her signature events, the 200- and 400-meter dashes. She added an eighth-place finish in the 100 during the Division IV meet at Ohio State, standing on the podium three times.
“It feels great,” Travis said. “My goal from the beginning of the year was to get here in these three. I did what I wanted do. I got my goal.”
Travis first crossed in 13.13 seconds in the 100 on a warm, windy afternoon. She powered through the weather conditions and fatigue to place fourth in the 400 (57.26) and 200 (25.63), matching her finishes from the 2025 Division III meet.
Beechwood star Meena Abdul-Basser won the both the 200 and 400 titles. Travis finished just four-tenths of a second out of a runner-up finish in the 200 after 33 hundredths of a second separated her from the runner-up and third-place finishers in the 400.
“It was tough, coming into these last postseason meets,” Travis said. “It was hard because (the competition) is really fast. I was prepared for it. I was preparing all season for it, and it was fun.”
Travis, who has signed to run track at Bowling Green, was a three-sport star at Northridge. Her performances in the state track meet gave her a third All-Ohio designation during her senior year, adding to honors she received in soccer and basketball.
“It’s what I love to do,” Travis said.
McKinney stands on podium
As a three-sport star at Utica, senior Hunter McKinney had one thing left to accomplish, and he did it June 5.
McKinney ran a time of 49.74 to place seventh in the boys 400 during the Division IV state championships. McKinney is the program’s school-record holder in the 400, and he broke the 50-second barrier for the first time during the regional meet.
“It feels really nice,” McKinney said. “I was really trying to get to sub-50. I was struggling at the beginning of the year, but I kind of peaked at the right time. This is awesome. I have dreamed of running here.”
McKinney earned his first All-Ohio honor in track, adding to his honors in football and basketball.
“I love sports too much, and if I didn’t do one I would have been so bored,” he said. “It’s so much fun to learn all of those skills and be with all of the people.”
McKinney previously joined classmate Hayden Quinif, junior Andrew Bebout and sophomore Sam Krueger in the 1,600 relay, which took 13th (3:29.53) in state preliminaries on June 4. Bebout added a 14th-place finish in the 800 (2:01.99) during the finals.
“It was nice having people to share this experience with,” McKinney said. “The 4×4 is one of the most fun races here, and it was just a great atmosphere.”
Morris earns first medal
Marley Morris is continuing to ascend in the girls shot put, and it appears she is just getting started. The Heath sophomore threw a distance of 37 feet, 8¾ inches in the event to place eighth during the Division III state meet.
“Honestly, I feel like it’s so crazy, especially considering last year I was eighth at regionals,” Morris said. “To push all the way to eighth at state, that is a huge jump for me. I feel like I could have done better today, but I am so proud of all of the work I have put in to get here.”
Morris reached a breakthrough heading into the postseason, including winning the Licking County League-Cardinal Division championship May 15. Five of the state placers ahead of her were seniors.
“All of these girls are crazy good, and it’s so fun to be here and compete against them,” Morris added.”
In the Division IV girls meet, Utica senior Katie Reed finished 12th in the shot put (37-5¼) after previously taking 14th in the discus (117-6). Newark Catholic junior Avery Yehle finished 17th in the 800 (2:25.32).
In the Division IV boys meet, Northridge senior Jamie Odrumsky missed out on the finals in the 200 by the slimmest of margins, finishing 10th (22.53) in the preliminaries by one one-hundredth of a second, and he also was 16th in the 100 (11.36).
Northridge senior Xave Fiamingo finished 11th in the shot put (52-1¼), bettering his school record on his final attempt for the Vikings. Junior teammate Colton Isler qualified to participate in both the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, but he suffered an injury during his preparation.
In the Division III boys meet, Lakewood sophomore Braylon Brooks finished 13th in the 400 (50.68) after setting a school record at the regional.
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking County three-sport stars add to All-Ohio haul
Reporting by Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate | USA TODAY Network
