Ohio School Breaks 5 Records, All 7 Athletes Medal at State

When seven teenage athletes from Fenwick High School headed to Ohio's indoor track state championship last Saturday, they made school history by every single one of them earning a medal.

The Catholic school's girls relay team didn't just win their first state championship since the 1990s. They shattered five school records along the way at the Spire Institute, with the girls team placing fourth overall against more than 100 competing schools.

The girls 4x400 meter relay team of Sam Long, Hailey Yontz, Sophia Tebbe, and Makenzie Fallon captured the state title with a time of 4 minutes and 6.84 seconds. Two of those runners, Long and Fallon, had placed sixth in the same event just last year.

The success didn't stop there. The girls 4x800 relay team grabbed second place, while Long individually placed fourth in the 400 meter dash and set a personal best in the 200 meter.

Ben Abbott, the team's only male qualifier and a senior who just started throwing in November, placed fifth in the weighted throw. He only joined track last season but has already become a state medalist.

The Ripple Effect

Coach Spencer Borger took over the Fenwick program in 2018 after graduating from the same school. Back then, just 16 students competed on both the boys and girls teams combined.

This spring, he expects close to 60 student athletes to fill the roster. Five of the seven state qualifiers are underclassmen, meaning the program's best years might still be ahead.

Borger credits the transformation to athlete dedication and strong parent support. But the numbers tell their own story about what happens when young people find the right program at the right time.

Tebbe, one of the freshman relay champions, placed 26th in cross country at the state meet last fall and is now wearing gold.

These seven athletes proved that in a sport measured in seconds and inches, every person on the team can reach the podium when they push each other forward.