Shawnee freshman Glass joins McDavid as state champ

Springfield’s tandem of Dyier Smith and Quincy Scott along with Jamari McDavid of Kenton Ridge have been dominant in their events all season. But there’s another area headliner who emerged from the high school state track and field meet Saturday.

Robie Glass leaped into the Shawnee record book with a jump of 6 feet, 8 inches and won the Division II state high jump at Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. State was his grand breakout performance.

»RELATED: State championship results for June 3

Unlike those other three state-tested performers, there’s a good reason we haven’t seen Glass join that crowd until now: He’s a freshman.

“I was hoping to get top eight,” he said, “but when one of the guys who beat me at regional went out it gave me confidence and I stepped up my game.”

Joining Glass as a state champion was McDavid in the girls D-II long jump. Scott was runner-up in the D-I long jump as was Cedarville senior Devin Gruet in the D-III boys 400 meters to highlight Springfield-area efforts.

»RELATED: KR’s Phillips third in state long jump

Thomas Worthington (D-I), Dayton Dunbar (D-II) and East Canton won boys team championships. Girls team winners were Cincinnati Withrow (D-I), Cleveland Beachwood (D-II) and Anna (D-III).

Glass missed three times at 6-9, but by then he had clinched the title. Afterward he hugged it out with admiring Shawnee coaches, who said the Braves hadn’t had a state track champ since two-time winner Erin Connolly in the 100 hurdles last did it in 2000.

Glass flew over 6-8 on his first attempt and punched the air in celebration while standing upright on the landing mat. That turned up the heat on Roger Bacon junior Austin Fulton and he couldn’t answer, settling for second (6-7). That put Glass in a rarefied category of potentially being a four-time state champ.

“We’ll see what this comes to all four years,” he said, laughing.

»SOFTBALL: Northwestern future bright despite tough ending

• McDavid also was in position to be a four-time long jump state champ after winning the D-II event as a freshman. But she placed second by fractions each of the last two years. That appeared to be her fate again after she was overtaken “by a monster jump,” she said.

Instead, she answered with a winning leap of 18-9.50, which was just .25 of an inch better than runner-up Kassidy Betzing of Meigs. “I thought, I have to beat that,” McDavid said. “Something was in me to drive and beat her.”

McDavid ended her celebrated Cougars career by adding a third in the 200 meters (24.82) and fourth in the 100 (12.14). In four seasons she medaled in 10 state events, topped by those bookend long jump titles.

• Scott soared a career-best 23-11.50 to place second in the D-I long jump. Coming that close to 24 feet and placing runner-up already has fueled the junior for next season.

“I didn’t come here just to be here, I came here to win,” he said. “That gives me a little kick in the butt for next year.”

Smith didn’t fare as well, although he was lumped in the day’s best race. He clocked a 14.49 in the D-I 110 high hurdles and was last. It took a 13.94 to beat that loaded field. The top five placers ran 14.19 or better.

• Druet celebrated his upcoming marriage by dedicating this season to his late great grandfather and placing second in the D-III boys 400 (49.43). Another top area placer was Catholic Central freshman Addie Engel in the D-III 1,600 and 3,200, placing fifth in both races.


MORE ONLINE

View photos and video at SpringfieldNewsSun.com

About the Author