Dispatch honors top athletes from central Ohio

The winners of a combined 15 state track and field championships were honored by The Dispatch as Central District athletes of the year.

In Division I, Lonzell Feagin and Max Frye shared the boys track award. Feagin, a Pitt signee, was the high scorer in the state meet with wins in the 100 (10.68 seconds) and 400 (47.31) and a second in the 200 (21.56). Frye, a Dartmouth signee, was state champion in the 110 high hurdles (13.94) and 300 intermediate hurdles (37.37) and also was regional runner-up in the high jump.

Kyle Brookshire of Olentangy, who was a regional champion and state runner-up in the pole vault (15 feet, 4 inches), won the boys field honor.

Abby Steiner of Dublin Coffman (track) and Hope Purcell of Lancaster (field) won the girls honors. Steiner won the 100 (11.61) and 200 (23.56) and anchored the winning 800 relay (1:38.34). She set a state record in winning her third 200 title and tied the 100 mark. Purcell was the state champ in the long jump (19-1 ¼) and runner-up in the high jump (5-8).

Taylor Hopkins of Heath was chosen the Division II boys track athlete of the year and Blake Morman of Liberty Union the field winner. Hopkins, an Akron signee, was the state champion in the 800 (1:54.46) and runner-up in the 1,600 (4:14.65). Morman took fourth in the pole vault (14-2) after taking the regional title.

Makiya Montgomery of Beechcroft and Aziza Ayoub of Jonathan Alder shared the girls track honor, and Christie Longo of River Valley was tops in the field. Montgomery, a freshman, won a state title in 100 (11.98) and finished second in the 200 (24.8). Ayoub, an Ohio State signee, won her second state title in the 800 (2:09.11) and flirted with a state record. Longo placed fourth in the state in the shot put (41-3 ¾).

In Division III, Isaac Naayers of Fairfield Christian, Austin Hallabrin of Mount Gilead and Jordan Beight of Grandview Heights shared the boys track honor, and Demetrius Johnson of Northmor was tops in the field.

Naayers won a state title in the 400 (49.19), Hallabrin in the 800 (1:52.54) and Johnson in the long jump (22-10 ¼). Beight finished second in the long jump (22-2 ½) and 300 hurdles (38.36) and fourth in the 110 hurdles (15.12).

On the girls side, Kyleigh Edwards of Fairfield Christian, who was state champion in the 3,200 (10:40) and set a regional record in the event as well, was the track honoree. Bridgette Rettstatt of Worthington Christian was tops in the field after placing second in the state in the high jump (5-8). She took fourth as a sophomore and third as a junior.