By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

Mogadore’s Celeste Hayes had quite a weekend for herself in the seated division at the OHSAA State Championships.

The freshman Wildcat finished second in three events: The 100 (24.95), 400 (1:32.62) and 800 (3:25.33) — and fourth in the shot put (12-2.75).

“I believe in all of the wheeled events, the person who won was a senior,” head coach Kim Kreiner said. “In the shot put, there was one senior ahead of her, and I’m not sure about the other two. Celeste works really hard. I’m not really sure she knows how good she can be these next three years.”

Meanwhile, in Division V, junior Hayli Clester finished eighth in the long jump with a leap of 16-10.75.

“Going in,” said Kreiner of her competitor who qualified for state last year as part of a relay, “we all felt Hayli had an outside chance of making the finals just going off of marks that had already been entered at state. We knew she had to get a pretty good jump in order to make the finals, and she did that in prelims. Her finals jump was outstanding.”

STREETSBORO

Streetsboro head coach Robb Kidd is beyond excited about what could be in store for C’Niyah Ivory in 2027 and 2028.

After all, the sophomore Rocket finished sixth in the Division III 200 with a time of 25.53.

“C’Niyah is just a beast. To get down there and get sixth was a huge accomplishment,” said Kidd. “She’s a 400 runner who possessed great speed. We knew she had 200 speed, great turnover and second-half speed. Our plan for the state finals was to be more aggressive from the blocks and focus more on the turn of her 200. She was able to have a better start, and she elevated herself from an eighth-place seed to sixth overall. There is no limit to her future. She definitely can be back in Columbus the next two years and should climb even higher on the podium.”

FIELD

Field senior Makayla Norman finished sixth in the discus in Division III with a throw of 126-3, right within the target area where assistant Levi Miller, the discus coach, hoped she would be.

“Makayla’s distance was her second longest of the season,” head coach Ed Conroy said of his competitor who qualified for state last season as well. “Coach Miller, her discus coach, was very proud of her the way she showed up for that state performance. We’re excited for Makayla that she was able to make that podium as a senior. She’ll never forget that experience either.”

Norman was not the only one to qualify for the event in Columbus.

Senior Morgan Stoicoiu also represented Field and placed 10th with a throw of 114-10.

CRESTWOOD

After qualifying for the Division III state meet a year ago in the 100, 200 and 400, Crestwood’s Liv Martini had a goal of making the podium in at least one of those three events this season.

The junior Red Devil, though, battled a leg injury the second half of the year.

Because she thought her best chance at making the podium was the 200, she asked to be pulled out of the 400 since it is before the 200 in the lineup of events in Columbus.

“I think Liv knew what her body could handle,” head coach Megan Mertz said.

Martini attained her goal with an eighth-place finish in the 200 with a time of 25.63.

“Liv had a great season,” said Mertz. “I’m hoping she can get healthy and advance to states in all three events next year and possibly the long jump as well. I still believe we haven’t seen the best of Liv.”

KENT ROOSEVELT

Kent Roosevelt senior Kaidyn Harris placed seventh in the Division II long jump with a leap of 17-4.25.

GARFIELD

Garfield freshman Lina Kaufman finished eighth in the Division IV 3,200 with a time of 11:22.22.