COLUMBUS — Considering all she has been through, Tess Shultz deserved a day like Saturday.
Loudonville’s senior distance ace, Shultz placed fourth in the 1,600 and sixth in the 3,200 during the final day of the Division III state meet at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
“This has been one of my better meets this season. I’ve had a really rough go at it this season,” Shultz said. “At the beginning of the season before the state indoor meet I tore my left hamstring. Then the day before our first (outdoor) meet of the season, I tore my right hamstring.
“Then the week of our conference meet I got bronchitis. I’ve been battling it.”
Shultz more than held her own in a loaded 1,600 field. She finished 5:03.80. About one hour later, she finished the 3,200 in 11:14.95.
“I’m so grateful the Lord let me do this today,” Shultz said. “It was tough, but I got through it.”
Crestview athletes reach podium
Crestview’s Liam Kuhn placed fourth in the Division III pole vault on Friday. The junior cleared 15-6.
“I’m a little bummed because I wanted 16 or 15-10 to tie the school record,” Kuhn said. “But I’m happy with what I got.
“Fourth place is still fourth place.”
Crestview’s boys 4×800 relay team took fourth Friday. The quartet of Cooper Brockway, Bransen Hider, Everett Smith and Loga Friges finished in 8:03.32.
“It was definitely a close race. We got out super-hard,” Brockway said. “At state you never know what’s going to happen.”
Brockway, Smith and Friges are seniors.
“I was talking to a kid who was a freshman and I told the kid, ‘Don’t take it for granted,’ ” Friges said. “I told him to enjoy it while he can.”
