Towns, Wiechman finish 2nd, 3rd in 3200

COLUMBUS — Huron junior Rylie Towns and Port Clinton senior Morgan Wiechman are what you would call friendly rivals. There's no doubt both want to win, but at the end of the day both want the other to succeed and they will hug it out when it's all said and done. In the Division IV girls 3200-meter race Thursday, Towns finished second and Wiechman took third at the state track and field championships at Jesse Owens Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University. "To be honest at first, in middle school or freshman year, I was kind of intimidated by her," said Towns of Wiechman. "As I got to know her, she's such an amazing person. She's so nice. No matter who wins, when we're up against each other, we say hi and we're friendly." Wiechman is finishing up her high school career on the biggest of stages this week. She'll join Towns in the 1600 final Friday afternoon. "I think it's one of the best things to have," said Wiechman of the friendly rivalry with Towns. "A lot of people think we're such great competitors, but I think behind that competitiveness, we're such great friends. You want to win when you get on that line, but as soon as you finish and see one of your best friends did well, you're just thrilled." Towns entered the 3200 with the No. 1 seed, but finished runner-up to Southeast's Julia Wheeler, who won in 10:46.87. Towns crossed the line in 10:48.85. "I'm kind of upset I didn't get first, but second place at state is still a really big accomplishment," she said. "You really can't be upset about that. You have to be proud of yourself." Wiechman was third in 11:18.65. "I didn't think the heat was going to get to me as much as it did. It definitely got to me," Wiechman said. "I'm so happy getting third. I'm happy coming back to race the 1600 tomorrow. The 3200 I always felt like was more of my race. "I think being able to race the same people like Rylie week after week has made the nerves so much less." Danbury's Jordan Ritz made a big splash in the high jump. The freshman took third with a top jump of 5 feet, 3 inches. "It's a really great opportunity," Ritz said. "I really try to practice. I went to state as a middle schooler, but this was a big comeback. I had a PR a lot this year. It's a great feeling." Russia's Hazel Francis won with a leap of 5-6. Ritz hopes an appearance at the state meet will propel her to a long, successful career for the Lakers. "I'm really happy coming in third," Ritz said. "My PR was 5-4 and I got 5-3 today. I wish I would have gotten what I know I can. Coming down to state as a freshman is crazy. Not everybody gets that opportunity." Also for the Lakers, junior Taytum Benyak took 11th in the shot put with a personal-best throw of 37-5.5. Huron's Hadley Barkema took seventh in the pole vault. The freshman cleared 11-4, a personal-best by eight inches. "It's so exciting. I went in not necessarily expecting much, but I was going to see what happened," Barkema said. "I was hoping for a PR and podium. I was ranked 11th, so I was going to try and get top-10. I got seventh, so I'm extremely happy." Huron has big sights set on a state championship and any points the Tigers can score are big. "We do a promise circle before we all start," Barkema said. "My promise was to get my team points and I absolutely got that. I'm so excited." In other prelims where the top two finishers in each heat and five best times after that advanced, Huron's Makenna Conley was fifth in her heat in the 100 hurdles. She finished in 15.6 seconds, advancing as the eighth-best time overall. The Tigers' team of Olivia Kohlmann, Laney Schlessman, Sasha Fry and Kate Ryan was second in its 4x400 heat in a season-best 4:03.45. They moved on as the fourth-best qualifying mark. Huron's 4x200 group of Ava Manner, Kohlmann, Fry and Ryan was seventh in its heat in 1:45.91. The Tigers just missed out on advancing, taking 10th. The Tigers' 4x100 quartet of Avery Bork, Khloe Wagoner, Fry and Ryan was seventh in its heat in 50.81, finishing 14th overall. Margaretta senior Lillian Belak saw her career came to an end in the 100 and 300 hurdles. She finished in a time of 48.51 seconds in the 300, which was fifth in her heat and 12th overall. In the 100, she finished in 17.49, ninth in her heat. St. Paul's 4x200 of Amelia Stoll, Brooklyn Cassidy, Aubrie Bogard and Deanna Vazquez finished seventh in their heat in a season-best 1:47.78. That was 15th overall. Vazquez was ninth in her heat of the 400, crossing the line in 1:02.37.