Athletes from NDCL, Chardon and Kenston participated in the Indoor Track State Championships on March 1 and 2 at the Spire Institute in Geneva.
Athletes from NDCL, Chardon and Kenston participated in the Indoor Track State Championships on March 1 and 2 at the Spire Institute in Geneva.
Multiple Geauga athletes made the podium, including the NDCL boys 4x400m relay team, which won the Division 2 and 3 state championship on day two. The relay team of Rob Bonchak, Brennen Burke, Sean Butler and Colm Matheney ran a 3:25.90.
In addition, the NDCL boys 4x200m relay team of Bonchak, Burke, Christian Garcia and Matheney finished fourth in the state with a time of 1:31.98.
Also making the podium for the Lions was Daniel Noronha, who finished eighth in the triple jump, and the boys 4x800m relay team of Butler, Anthony Ciecierski, Drew Downing and Peter Bates, who finished fourth.
The Chardon Hilltoppers also had a very successful state meet, as five of their athletes made the podium and were All-Ohio.
Chardon also set four new school records and finished seventh in the state as a team.
In the 60m, Caleb Hewitt finished fourth. Hewitt ran an extremely fast time of 6.91, which set a new Chardon school record.
After making the podium, Hewitt talked about his performance in the 60m at the state championships.
“I felt great out of the blocks — felt better than I did in the prelims out of the blocks,” he said. “I could feel the guy next to me getting on me a little bit, but contained it. It was good, it was a great race.”
Next up, Hewitt said he’s excited for outdoor track and field, aspiring to continue breaking school records as he goes.
“(I’m) looking to run sub-11 (in the 100m) and break the school record in that, and then the school record in the 200m as well,” he said. “And then make it down to Columbus for sure.”
Also making the podium for the Hilltoppers in the 400m was Karl Dietz.
Dietz, who was the OHSAA Outdoor State Champion in the Division I 400m in 2023, finished fourth in the Indoor State Championship with a time of 48.33, which set a Chardon new school record.
Chardon senior Matthew Sopchak was also All-Ohio as he made the podium with an eighth place finish in the 800m, setting another Chardon school record with a time of 1:55.94.
“(The runners) came out a little slow, so I tried to bring it back a little harder,” Sopchak said. “No one else was taking it out, so I just decided to go for it. Paid for it a little bit at the end, but it was all right. Still came away with an indoor PR, so no complaints.”
Thomas Nelson made the podium and All-Ohio in the 3200m, finishing eighth with a time of 9:20.84.
Nelson said that his strategy was to go out, stay with the top pack, and not drop back into the group that was chasing the leaders — a strategy that worked very well, according to Nelson.
“It was awesome,” he said. “I was racing just to compete, and I didn’t even know where I was in the race, and then it was a nice surprise at the end, making the podium at state. There was a lot of really good competition. It means a lot.”
Chardon’s 4x400m relay team (Dietz, Hewitt, Jacob Nieset, Sopchak) also finished All-Ohio with a third-place finish, setting a new Chardon school record with a time of 3:23.91.
With the indoor track season now complete, Geauga County track and field athletes begin their outdoor track season March 23.
