GENEVA, OH – The Minerva Lions track and field program made its presence felt at the Spire Institute this past Saturday, March 8th, coming home with a State Champion, multiple All-Ohio honors, and a broken school record.
The highlight of the meet came from sophomore sensation Tateum Richard, who captured the Division 3/4 Indoor State Championship in the 800 meters. Richard delivered a masterclass in pacing, finishing with a personal best time of 2:20 to claim the top spot on the podium.
Richard also teamed up with Addison Keyser, Charlie Galley, and Chloe Carson in the girls' 4x800 relay. Entering the meet ranked 10th in the state, the quartet defied expectations, finishing 7th overall and earning All-Ohio honors.
On the boys' side, senior Owen Yoder closed out his final indoor season in spectacular fashion. Competing in the 3200 meters, Yoder battled to a 9th-place finish against a loaded field. In the process, he set the Minerva indoor school record with a blistering personal best of 9:48.
Head Coach Olivia Scott expressed pride in the team’s performance on the state stage.
"The way these athletes represented Minerva today was outstanding," said Coach Scott. "From Tateum’s individual title to the relay team jumping three spots in the rankings and Owen resetting the record books, it’s a great day to be a Lion."