By Tom Nader
Publisher and Editor
Brooklynn McIntyre had a special day on Thursday.
The Rootstown senior earned All-Ohio status in a pair of Division III events at the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s state championship track and field event in Dayton.
McIntyre qualified for a berth at the state finals in both the discus and shot put.
She placed fifth overall in the discus with a throw of 128 feet, 9 inches and was third overall in the shot put with a throw of 40 feet, 10.25 inches.
McIntyre was the Portage Trail Conference’s league champion in both events and was the regional champion at Norwayne in the shot put.
Windham’s Briah Daniel, also a senior, placed sixth in the shot put in Division III. Her throw landed at 39 feet, 8.5 inches, which was a new personal record.
In other action on Thursday at the state championships:
• Rootstown’s Aiden Rodstrom placed 14th in the prelims for the 110 hurdles. Rodstrom ran a time of 15.55. The winning prelim time was from Nathan Booth (Shadyside) at 14.48. The final will be run on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
• The Mogadore girls 4×800 team earned All-Ohio status with their fourth-place finish. The group finished the race in 9:31.79, which was about 11 seconds behind the top-three finishes. The race had a thrilling finish, with Smithville winning the state championship in 9:20.23, besting Rittman by three-tenths of a second and Minster in seven-tenths of a second.
• The Mogadore girls 4×200 relay team finished 10th in the prelims. The quarter ran a time of 1:45.92. The top prelim time of 1:42.93 was run by Dawson-Bryant. The final will be run at 6:45 p.m. on Friday.
• Mogadore junior twin sisters Ari Tompkins and Julie Tompkins both ran in the prelims of the 400 meters. Ari Tompkins placed 11th in 1:00.07 and Julie Tompkins placed 15th in 1:00.23. The top time belonged to Addison Swearingen from Fairlawn in 57.79. The final will e run at 7:20 p.m. on Friday.
• The Mogadore girls 4×400 relay team finished second in the prelims with a time of 4:02.60. Only Coldwater’s 4:00.61 was better. The final will be run on Friday at 8:20 p.m.