COLUMBUS — At last spring’s OHSAA Track & Field State Championships, Galion senior high jumper Marisa Gwinner finished fourth, and her coaching staff made a pact with that of the girl who placed third, Eastwood’s Katelyn Meyer.

“We said that we hope it’s down to our two girls next year,” Galion field coach Michael Moore said.

Sure enough, one year later, it happened.

The two spent the final three rounds of Friday’s Division II high jump final going back and forth, literally raising the bar with each leap. When Gwinner twisted her way over the 5-foot-6 bar, Meyer found a way to do the same after missing her first jump. Gwinner then topped the bar at 5-foot-7, and Meyer answered once more.

When Meyers struck first on the 5-foot-8 bar, however, Gwinner couldn’t respond. For the first time in nearly two hours of competition, she missed a jump. She missed three jumps. She would have to settle for second.

As she failed her final jump, though, clipping the pole as she desperately tried to arch her back around it, she sprung up off the mat with pride. She ran over and immediately hugged Moore, who said in return, “This is the most fun I’ve ever had.”

“This is probably the best meet I’ve ever had, just because I didn’t miss any jumps or anything. I felt great and even since I woke up I’ve just been jacked, I’ve been ready to go,” Gwinner said. “I just felt so calm today and after everything started clicking, the only thought that could go through my head was, you know, ‘Why not me?’”

Moore also believes that Gwinner defied expectations in her fourth and final trip to state.

“She came out here and performed. I mean if you’d asked me before today that she’s going to go 5’7’’ clean, I would have said, ‘There’s no way,’” Moore said. “She did awesome. This is probably the best jumping day she’s had.”

Galion brought two girls to the state high jump final this year, a feat that their fourth-year coach said was likely a first in school history. Sophomore Kerrigan Myers finished 12th.

Gwinner, who came up inches short of a state title, had no regrets as she stepped down from the podium and made her way back across the infield on Friday.

“You know, everything happens for a reason and just today, for me, it happened to be second place,” she said. “I’m not trying to fight it, that’s God’s plan.”

Wade wins all three preliminary heats

Mansfield St. Peter’s senior Alysse Wade, who won state titles in the 100-meter hurdles, 100 and 200-meter dashes last year, got off to a blazing start to her senior state run on Friday at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. She won the 100-meter hurdles prelim with a time of 14.17 seconds, then turned around and won the smoked the competition in the 100-meter dash 15 minutes later.

She finished her day by winning her heat in the 200-meter prelim, after which she stood by the finish line, hands on her knees, exhausted from a long day’s work.

“It’s tough. I mean, obviously there’s a lot of competition here at the state meet,” the Eastern Michigan commit said. “And my times aren’t exactly where I want them to be but they’re low enough to be like … for these times to be considered my ‘bad’ races, I mean, I can’t be angry. And I’m excited to go a lot faster (Saturday).”

Wade won state titles in her three events last year and she will look to defend those titles on Saturday. She will race in hurdles at 1 p.m., 100-meter at 1:10 p.m. and 200-meter at 2:40 p.m.

Qualifying

Wynford junior Alizah Watson finished with the third-fastest time in the Div. III boys 400-meter prelims (50.11 seconds). He will race in the finals on Saturday at 10:35 a.m.

Crestview finished third, Fredericktown fourth overall in the Div. III boys 4×400-meter relay prelims. They will race in the final on Saturday at 12 p.m.

Shelby placed third in the Div. II boys 4×800-meter relay finals with a time of 7:51.82.

Alaya Grose (Mansfield Senior) placed second in the Div. II girls 100-meter hurdles prelims while Kerrigan Myers (Galion) placed fifth. They will race in the finals on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Lexington finished fourth in the Div. I boys 4×800-meter relay final while Ashland placed eighth.

Ashland senior Hudson McDaniels placed fifth in the 300-meter hurdles prelims, advancing to finals on Saturday at 5:50 p.m.

Also competing on Saturday

Division I

Angela Grose (Mansfield Senior) in boys long jump finals – 12 p.m.

Kamrin Knowlton-Goings (Ashland) and Sam Bethea (Mount Vernon) in boys high jump finals – 3 p.m.

Joanna Halfhill (Lexington) in girls 1,600-meter finals – 5:15 p.m.

Ryan Johnston (Lexington) in boys 1,600-meter finals – 5:15 p.m.

Division II

Uriah Schwemley (Shelby) and Cameron Stine (Shelby) in boys high jump finals – 9:30 a.m.

Sam Logan (Shelby) in boys 1,600-meter finals – 1:35 p.m.

Makenna Heimlich (Shelby) in girls 800-meter finals – 2:30 p.m.

Blake Lucius (Shelby) in boys 800-meter finals – 2:30 p.m.

Becca Gregg (Ontario) in girls 3,200-meter finals – 2:45 p.m.

Caleb Brown (Shelby) in boys 3,200-meter finals – 2:45 p.m.

Division III

Drew Roberts (Mapleton), Gavin Shindeldecker (Lucas) and Chad Johnson (North Robinson Col. Crawford) in boys 1,600-meter finals – 10:05 a.m.

James Barber (Crestview), Braxton Jones (Col. Crawford) and Paden Spencer (Fredericktown) in boys 800-meter finals – 10:55 a.m.

Sarah Thatcher (Centerburg) in girls 3,200-meter finals – 11:30 a.m.

Drew Roberts (Mapleton) and Chad Johnson (Col. Crawford) in boys 3,200-meter finals – 11:30 a.m.