By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Monday that its annual track and field state championships will now be named in honor of track and field legend and pioneer Jesse Owens.

Jesse Owens
(Associated Press photo)

The state’s event that showcases the most elite student-athletes in the sport will now officially be known as the Jesse Owens Track and Field State Championships.

“We are extremely excited to honor Jesse Owens in this way,” said OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute. “His name and accomplishments speak for themselves, and having their picture taken in front of his statue during the state championships is the goal of every track and field athlete in Ohio. Renaming the state tournament after Jesse Owens is a natural and will continue to lift up his legacy for everything he meant to Ohio and our country – on and off the track.”

Owens is recognized as one of the world’s most decorated and talented athletes of all time.

In 1936, Owens qualified for the Olympic Games that were held in Nazi Germany and became the first American track and field athlete to capture four gold medals in a single Olympiad, winning the 100, 200, long jump and 4×100 relay.

For his efforts, Owens was nicknamed “Superman” for his unprecedented accomplishments under intense scrutiny and at a time of significant global uncertainty.

While showcasing his excellence on a global stage, his victories provided a powerful rebuke to Adolf Hitler’s racist ideology, cementing his status as a legendary figure, who symbolized perseverance and breaking barriers, with his achievements setting a standard for future generations of athletes. Owens died on March 31, 1980.

In addition to the announcement, the OHSAA also unveiled this year’s event schedule and format, including the expansion to five divisions, which was announced on Jan. 16, 2025.

This year’s state meet coincides with the 90th anniversary of the history 1936 Olympic Games.

Competing for Cleveland East Tech High School, Owens won nine OHSAA state track and field tournament events, including four as both a junior and senior in 1932 and 1933, and set seven state records. At the national interscholastic meet in Chicago during his senior year, he set a world record, tied a world record and set a national high school mark. Owens then enrolled at Ohio State, where he performed one of the greatest feats in athletic history at the Big Ten Championships held in Ann Arbor, Mich., on May 25, 1935. Uncertain that he would even participate after recently falling down a flight of steps, Owens set world records in the 220, 220 low hurdles and the long jump and tied the world mark in the 100, all in a span of about 45 minutes.

Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium was opened in 2001 and is the home of OSU track and field and soccer, as well as other events. The 2025 OHSAA track and field state tournament drew more than 35,000 total people over two days, including fans (29,642), competitors, officials, tournament staff, administrators and media.