COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Rocky River Girls earned their best finish at the Buckeye State championships since 2017, as senior Sam Coleman paced the Pirates in a 34th-place finish at the OHSAA DI Tournament concluded Saturday. [
results]
Coleman, closing out her career as one of the most decorated runners in Rocky River history, earned bronze in the 1,600-meter run, nabbing 6 points for the Pirates. That effort -- logged with a school-record time of 4:56.75 -- put a bow on a prep career that also included an eighth-place finish in that same state race a year ago. Coleman finished just a shade behind fellow Great Lakes Conference competitor Sarah Peer of Westlake, who took runner-up in a Northeast Ohio-dominated race at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. Hathaway Brown senior Morgan Monesmith took first, crossing the wire in 4:53.90.
The six-pointer placed the Maroon & White in a nine-way tie for 34th place, alongside North Ridgeville, Columbus St. Francis, Nordonia, Newark, Mercy McAuley, Shaker Heights, Trotwood-Madison, and Mentor. Gahanna Lincoln (47 points) won the DI girls title; Pickerington Central (31) edged Olentangy Orange (30) and Loveland (26) on the boys' side.
River's team finish marked its best since 2017 when the Pirates placed 19th.
Rocky River also acquitted itself well in the 4x800-meter relay. A youthful quartet anchored by the veteran Coleman took 12th place, missing out on a point by less-than-10 seconds. That foursome -- which took first in the Bell Invitational and second in the GLC meet last month -- was comprised of freshman Katie Stirm, freshman Grace Lavelle, sophomore Keira Arnold, and Coleman. The Pirates finished with a final time of 9:35.53.
The events Friday and Saturday marked the final steps up the podium in the sensational prep career of Sam Coleman and perhaps the first steps toward big things for her baton mates in the 4x8. The footprints those young runners -- and other talented young athletes in a solid Rocky River program -- will follow are big ones metaphorically. And Coleman's footprints were set down, one after another -- in 800-meter, 1-mile, and 2-mile, and 5K increments, in as quick a fashion as any Pirate ever.
CANNON FIRE ...
SWASHBUCKLING BUCKEYE: Sam Coleman clocked her bronze-medal state performance on track she'll see many times again in a career to be continued at the collegiate level. Jesse Owens Stadium is on the campus of Ohio State University, where Coleman will continue her career. Coleman retires her Pirate threads as an eight-time OHSAA state qualifier in Track and Cross Country. She's been an All-Ohio First Team performer in both Track and Cross Country, a GLC Track & Field MVP (2021), and a three-time GLC Cross Country MVP (2018, 2019, 2020). A Cross Country captain in the fall and a Track captain this spring, Coleman has dominated on Detroit Road (2021 Track MVP, two-time Bell Invitational MVP) and elsewhere (four-time All-Northeast Ohio First Team). If she goes on big things for the Buckeyes, color followers from the 116 as impressed. But not surprised.
HIGH FIVES: Coleman's new 1,600 school record of 4:56.75 unseats a 10-year-old mark held by Elyse Bierut. In 2012, Bierut clocked a 4:59.08 in the event. She would go on to have a decorated career at Elon University. Beirut and Coleman are the only two runners for the Pirates to have beaten the 5-minute mark.