MINERVA, OH — The Minerva Lions Track and Field team capped off a historic season with a series of spectacular performances at the OHSAA State Championships, highlighted by multiple All-Ohio honors and podium finishes.
Girls 4x800 Relay & Tateum Richard Secure Podium Spots
The girls 4x800 relay team, comprised of Addison Keyser, Makenzie Beavers, Charlie Galley, and Tateum Richard, entered the state meet ranked 7th. Giving it everything they had from start to finish, the relay team climbed the ranks to secure a 6th-place finish in the state, earning coveted All-Ohio honors.
Sophomore standout Tateum Richard wasn't done yet. In her second All-Ohio finish of the weekend, Richard delivered an amazing performance in the Division III girls 800-meter run. She clocked a phenomenal time of 2:12.88 to secure 4th place in the state. Achieving a top-four state finish and a second First Team All-Ohio honor of the meet!
Junior Makenzie Beavers also represented the girls' team exceptionally well on the state stage, battling tough competition to place 17th in Ohio in the 3200-meter run.
Boys 4x800 Relay Defies Rankings in Thrilling Photo Finish
Entering the state meet ranked 10th, the relay squad of Rowen Hoffee, Anderson Scott, Tyson Fetty, and Owen Yoder refused to be counted out. They battled through every lap and, in a thrilling finale, secured an 8th-place finish in the state of Ohio—claiming first team All-Ohio honors by just a single step at the finish line. In the process, they broke the school record with a time of 8:01!
Seniors Shick and Hoffee Cap Off an Amazing Career
That relay success added another medal to the historic career of senior Rowen Hoffee, who officially closed the curtain on a deeply decorated tenure. Along with his All-Ohio honors in the relay, Hoffee finished 13th in the state in the individual 1600-meter run.
Hoffee's final season will go down as one of the best in program history. Named the Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) Runner of the Year, Hoffee captured EBC Championships in the 800m, 1600m, and 4x800 relay. He maintained his postseason dominance by winning District Championships in all three events, cementing his legacy as a leader who helped propel the Lions to historic heights in the program.
Senior Owen Shick closed out a high school career by competing against the fastest athletes in the state. Shick placed 13th in Ohio in the 100-meter dash and 12th in the 200-meter dash.
The state appearance put the final exclamation point on a career that cements Shick as the fastest sprinter in Minerva history. During a dominant senior season, he completely rewrote the school record books in both the 100m and 200m, while also capturing Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) titles and setting new conference records in both events.