GALION, Ohio — If they are feeling any pressure to defend the state title they won last spring, Galion sprinters Clair Erlsten and Sydney Hunt have done an admirable job masking it.
The duo, who make up half of Galion’s defending state championship 4×100 relay team, were all smiles as they headed off to practice Wednesday afternoon. They will certainly be more business-like this weekend at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, site of the state meet.
Erlsten ran the anchor leg last year as the Tigers won the Division II crown. The diminutive senior held off Youngstown Ursuline’s Alexandra Carnathan as Galion crossed the finishing line in 48.71 seconds, just ahead of Ursuline (48.79).
Three of the four members of that team returned this spring. Erlsten and Hunt are joined by holdover Michaela Slone and newcomer Alasha Williams, who replaced the graduated Laura McElligott.
The foursome won the Lexington regional title in 49.20 seconds last weekend. Their winning time was ahead of last year’s regional championship time of 49.24.
“In all honesty, we felt more pressure in just getting back to state,” Galion co-coach Colby Bright said. “There’s a sense of relief that we’re back there and it’s a matter of going down there and taking care of business.”
And with good reason. The Tigers have the fastest qualifying time going into Friday’s preliminaries.
“Last year we had no idea what to expect. It was our first time at state,” Erlsten said. “This year I think we are a little more confident. We know what (the atmosphere) will be like.”
Everyone except for Williams, that is. The junior will run the lead-off leg.
“She has really stepped up,” said Hunt, also a junior and an individual state qualifier in the long jump. “She’s been really good.”
So do the state veterans have any advice for the newbie?
“Just run fast,” Erlsten joked.
Erlsten, Slone and Williams also are members of Galion’s regional-championship 4×200 relay team. They are joined by junior M’Lynn Gwinner. That quartet will take the third fastest qualifying time into Friday’s preliminaries.
“We thought about it and it was almost a blessing in disguise that only the 4×100 team qualified last year,” Bright said. “They were more fresh to run the 4×100 where a lot of those teams had to run the 4×200 first.”
The semifinals heats of the 4×200 are slated for 2:30 p.m. Friday. The 4×100 semifinals begins 20 minutes later.
“There’s no break, so it’s going to be a challenge,” Erlsten said. “It’s a good thing and a bad thing because we’ll already be warmed up and loose but we might be a little tired from the other race. I don’t think it will be an issue.”
Both relay teams were going through final preparations Wednesday afternoon.
“Really the only thing we can work on is our handoffs,” Hunt said. “There’s not a lot you can do at this point.”
The only thing left to do is bring back some new hardware Saturday afternoon.
“My main goal is to beat our time (in the 4×100) from last year,” Erlsten said. “If we do that, the state championship will take care of itself.”
“Last year we had no idea what to expect. It was our first time at state,” Claire Erlsten said. “This year I think we are a little more confident. We know what (the atmosphere) will be like.”
