Heartland Christian's Rebecca Geiss competes in the Div. V 3200-meter run on Thursday at the state track meet in Columbus. (Photo by Ron Firth)

COLUMBUS — Heartland Christian senior Rebecca Geiss says the new divisions at the state track meet are nothing new.

“I feel it is still the same girls,” Geiss said. “It seems like I’ve been seeing everybody for a long time.”

Geiss finished third in the Division V 3200-meter run Friday night at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.It is her fourth straight top-five finish in the event.

Her time of 10 minutes, 59.47 seconds was her second-best in the state finals.

Geiss also was second as freshman, fourth as a sophomore and fifth as a junior while dealing with a stress fracture.

“This past season is a lot better and it’s showing in the races,” she said.

She was edged at the finish by Ottawa Hills sophomore Natalie Nixon, who was the state runner-up in 10:59.47.

Smithville senior Kaitlyn Carr repeated as state champion in 10:52.85.

McDonald sophomore Naomi Sheesley was seventh in 11:14.37.

All of them were exchanging stories while waiting to get their medals.

“Just chit-chat,” Geiss said. “We’re all good friends.

“We’re competitive before the race. We’re competitive during the race. After the race, there are no hard feeling. You’re only racing the clock.”

The scheduled changed this season with the 3200 run being held as a final on the first day.

“I like it better,” Geiss said. “Last year I didn’t run the 1600 so I had an opportunity in the 3200.”

The long distance friends will see each other again Friday.

“Most of the girls who are in the two-mile are in the mile,” Geiss said. “So some of us will be sore.”

Geiss doesn’t run in the 1600 final until 5:20 p.m. Friday, but she’ll be at the track to watch sophomore teammate Claire Liposky in the discus at 1 p.m..

“She is really good,” Geiss said.

Liposky comes in with the second-best throw (141-6).

“I don’t know much about the discus,” Geiss said. “I think I did it once in junior high just to do it.”

COUNTY PRELIMS

None of the Columbiana County Division V state qualifiers advanced out of the preliminaries Thursday.

In the boys 110 hurdles, East Palestine senior Landyn Cope and Leetonia sophomore Graydon Henderson finished ninth in their heats.

Cope was 17th overall (16.98) and Henderson was 18th overall (17.02).

In the boys 400 dash, East Palestine junior school-record holder Braydon Plum was sixth in his heat and 11th overall (50.75). Four runners ran in the 49s.

Lowellville senior Drew Modelski did not start.He was one of the preseason favorites in the 400 dash and was slowed by another hamstring injury.

East Palestine junior RJ May false started in the 300 hurdles.

MEET NOTES

• Henderson is the first Leetonia boy to qualify for state in 21 years.

Aaron Merrill was the last in 2005 as he was second in the Division III shot put (58-3 1/4) and eighth in the discus (160-0).

The last Leetonia state qualifier was Clarissa Perkins in 2011. She finished third in the Division III discus (141-1) and sixth in the shot put (39-9 1/2).

• The last East Palestine boys state qualifier was Jacob Pancake in the 400 dash in 2017.

• South Range senior Taylor Dado advanced in the Division IV girls 400 dash (58.97 seconds).

She was third in her heat and eighth overall in Thursday’s preilminaries.

The Country Day top two in each heat plus the next five fastest times advance to the state finals.

Beachwood sophomore Meena Abdul-Basser posted the top time of 54.83, more than two secnds ahead of the field. The state final will be at 3:05 p.m. Friday.

• Cincinnati Country Day junior Luke Schnieber stole the show Thursday, winning the Division V pole vault by clearing 17-foot-5, the best ever in Ohio high school history.

He passed until 15-0 and won by 17 inches.

• With the state meet expanding from three to five divisions, it’s hard to keep up with the old records.

The Division 1 records will remain Division I, while the old Division 2 records will now go under Division 3 and the old Division 3 records will go under Divisions 4-5. The Division 2 records will be all new.