LEXINGTON — Jamier Brown etched his name in the state record books Friday afternoon.
Big Walnut’s junior sprint specialist and an Ohio State football recruit, Brown set new Division II state records in the 100 meter dash and the 200 meter dash at the sun-soaked Lexington regional meet.
His time of 10.35 seconds in the 100 eclipsed the previous mark of 10.38 set last year by Brookville’s Coy Hyre. His time of 20.94 in the 200 bested Hyre’s 20.96.
“I just wanted to come in here and run well because this is my last year of track,” said Brown, who will enroll early at Ohio State to get a jump-start on his collegiate football career. “I’ve been dealing with a groin injury, so my goal was to come here and be the best version of myself and that’s what I did.”
In between his record-setting performances, Brown anchored Big Walnut’s regional runner-up relay team. The quartet of Braydan Giesler, Jaxen Elliott, Dexter Chhuom and Brown finished in 41.65, .01 behind regional champ Canal Winchester.
Brown was the Division I state champ in the 100 and runner-up in the 200 for Wayne last spring before transferring to Big Walnut.
So what are expectations for next week?
“To go there and win state with my teammates,” Brown said.
Brown will have plenty of company in Columbus.
Chase Bergsten finished fourth in the 110 hurdles in 14.59, while Ethan Shultz was fifth in the 1,600 in 4:19.21.
Austyn Fox was fourth in the 800 in 1:55.71 and Remy Stanford was third in the 300 hurdles in 38.66.
“My struggle all season was the first hurdle and I overcame it today,” Stanford said. “I knew it was going to be a tight race, but I finished it out and did exactly what I wanted to do.”
The 4×400 team of Stanford, Jamison Brandt, Eli Borland and Fox finished fifth in 3:25.45.
The boys finished second as a team with 60 points. Canal Winchester won the regional crown with 68 points.
It was a banner day for the girls team, too. Big Walnut won the regional title with 76 points.
Freshman Lindsey Cochran was a triple gold medalist for the Golden Eagles. She teamed with Leighton Coey, Kylie Cochran and Grace Buskirk to win the 4×800 relay in 9:14.12 on Wednesday and came back Friday to win the 1,600 in 4:56.63 and the 800 in 2:14.61.
“I was just hoping to finish in the top five so I would qualify for state,” Cochran said. “I was nervous before my races, but I feel like my nerves help me.”
Buskirk will join Cochran in the 1,600 after placing third in 4:58.31.
“I was a little disappointed,” Buskirk said. “It was a PR, so I’m happy about that, but I wanted to get to the top of the podium.”
Karly Gneiting and Leah Reiter both punched their tickets to Columbus in the 100 hurdles. Gneiting was second in 14.99 while Reiter was fifth in 15.49.
Other individual state qualifiers included Erin Hoover in the high jump (second, 5-4) and Karsyn Klaus in the long jump (third, 17-2.25). The 4×100 relay team of Gneiting, Reiter, Brynlee Buirley and Klaus was second in 48.35.
