Margaretta's Stimmel wins Div. III pole vault

COLUMBUS — Margaretta's Kenna Stimmel put the feather in the cap of a record-breaking freshman season in the most fitting way possible.The freshman won the Division III state title and broke the Div. III state record in the pole vault, clearing 13-feet-0.25 on her first attempt Friday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium."Breaking the Division III record, I was really proud of myself. This was my fourth time trying for it and I finally got it," Stimmel said. "I flew over the bar and I had a lot of hip heighth, and I got it on my first attempt, so that made me even happier. It was just a great day."Stimmel went onto attempt the national freshman record, 13-4.25, but after two close attempts, the meet was shut down and the stadium evacuated for over three hours for a weather delay.Stimmel warmed back up and went for her final attempt, but the rain delay had taken its toll and she wasn't able to clear the height."Oh the rain delay," Stimmel said with a laugh. "It was over three hours long and after, I was kind of out of my groove, so I had to re-warm up and everything and I just, I wasn't as warmed up as I was before because I was in my groove, ready to go and then the delay. It kind of threw me off."Stimmel finished 2 for 3 on record attempts on the day, however, clearing 12-10 on the first try to break the Div. III state meet record also.The previous Div. III state meet record was 12-8, set by Hamler Patrick Henry's Tori Meyer in 2011, while the previous Div. III state record of 13-0 was set by Troy Christian's MacKenzie Willis in 2008.Stimmel's dream freshman season continues today with a finals appearance in the 4x100 with Brittany Kingseed, Cassidy Cheek and Kylie Cheek. The quartet teamed up to set a school record, finishing second in prelims (49.72)."We're super happy that we made it, because last year's 4x100 didn't make it to finals," Stimmel said. "We're so happy and we just want to run our best time, hit all of our handoffs and just have a good day."Also for the Polar Bears, senior Grace Bias finished her senior year and athletic career with Margaretta on the podium at Jesse O.Bias finished seventh in the shot put with a toss of 37-7.5."The shot put was definitely a little more intense than I expected," Bias said. "Throwing a 32 and then a foul, so a lot depended on my last throw. But my coaches reassured me and I was calmed down, and I knew I was prepared, just from all the training I had done to get to this point — everything for this year was right into that throw. So it was all or nothing with that."The senior said the end of her high school athletic career hasn't truly hit her yet, and said she's so happy to be a part of the Margaretta girls track team's successful state appearance."It's awesome, I couldn't ask for it to end a better way," she said. "This was the goal all along. Getting here, just being here competing was icing on the cake. It couldn't have ended better."Margaretta has been killing it, honestly," she added of the team. "Just as a team, we've been doing awesome to get points in — Kenna's state championship is unbelievable, so cool. And then our 4x100 team is doing awesome, too. They're seeded very well for tomorrow. We're very excited and hopeful for the possibility of placing higher in the state as a team. That could be really cool for a small school."Also in Division III, Western Reserve's McKenna Woodruff finished eighth in the 400 (59.40) to advance to the finals. Stewart, Streaks make three Div. I finalsIn the Division I finals, pushed back to start well after they were scheduled to conclude with the rain delay, Sandusky's Tevin Stewart made it back to today's finals in three events.Stewart teamed up with Tarrence Reed, Terion Stewart and Eian Sherman to finish ninth in the 4x200 (1:28.23), finished ninth in the 400 (49.46), and with Jon'Teris Johnson, Christian Jones and Sherman, finished seventh in the 4x400 (3:20.11).[gallery] Margaretta's Kenna Stimmel clears 13'0.25" in the Division III pole vault at the state championships at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus on Friday. Stimmel's state championship earned the Polar Bears their third straight in the event after Stimmel's older sister Kassidie Stimmel, won the previous two.Sandusky's Tevin Stewart and Clyde's Adam Koviak cross the finish line during the Division I 400-meter dash at the state championships Friday in Columbus. Stewart finished ninth to advance to the Saturday's finals, while Koviak was 13th.Margaretta's Grace Bias readies to throw the shot put during the Division III shot put at the state championships in Columbus on Friday. Bias placed seventh, recording a top toss of 37-07.5Margaretta's Kenna Stimmel hugs her dad, Brian Stimmel, after clearing 13'0.35" in the Division III pole vault Friday at the state championships in Columbus. Stimmel's state championship earned the Polar Bears their third straight in the event after Stimmel's older sister Kassidie Stimmel, won the previous two.Margaretta's Kenna Stimmel smiles after clearing 13'0.25" in the Division III pole vault at the state championships at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus on Friday. Stimmel, a freshman, became the second-straight Stimmel to win a state title, joining older sister Kassidie Stimmel.