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For the spectators attending the event, it was probably just another track meet. But, for those who have been involved with track and field in the area for many years, it was more than that.
The Ottawa County Track & Field Invitational reached an important milestone when it celebrated its 100th anniversary last month as area schools Genoa and Oak Harbor faced off against Port Clinton and Danbury at Oak Harbor High School in the quad-meet competition.
Considered to be one of the longest “continuously held” track meets in Ohio, the Ottawa County Invitational has showcased a number of stellar area athletes through the years that have gone on to compete collegiately in track and field, including Genoa’s Derrick Vicars (Findlay) and Oak Harbor’s Kelly Gephart (Kent State), among others. The event has also featured some state champions, among them Port Clinton’s Scott Postma (high jump) and Genoa’s Brad Szypka (shot put).
Since 1912, the meet has featured competition amongst the following schools: Oak Harbor, Genoa, Port Clinton, Danbury (formerly Lakeside High School) and Woodmore (formerly Elmore High School) competing against one another. As of now, Woodmore does not currently compete in the invitational.
Every year, the event showcases 17 events, 12 of them in track and the five others being field events: the discus, shot put, high jump, pole vault and long jump.
An indication of just how much better the competition has gotten in recent times, nearly all of the meet’s records have been broken in the past 10 years, and several new records were set at this year’s competition.
But what makes this meet such a special event is how it is different from other invitationals.
It is an enjoyable experience because the four teams, all in close proximity to one another, are competing in a friendly, yet challenging atmosphere that serves as a tune-up heading into the stretch-run of the season. Also, it serves as a source of pride for the athletes, who know they are competing against their neighboring schools.
Oak Harbor, which has hosted the invitational for many years, has dominated in both the boys and girls competition in recent years, and has won a sizeable majority of both the boys and girls meets in the last 100 years.
This year’s meet featured several athletes who not only qualified for the state meet in Columbus, but placed.
Szypka, who set the new meet record last month with his throw of 60 feet, 1.5 inches in the shot put, accomplished his goal of winning the state championship in the same event with a throw of 61-1.25 a few weeks ago. Fellow Comet Tiffany Wright finished fifth in the 800 meter run in 2:15.38. In the discus, Port Clinton’s Allie Reynolds finished in second place (129-09) and Oak Harbor’s Megan Turnow came in sixth (126-0).
Oak Harbor athletic director Drew Grahl reflected on the event and its lasting impact on the area.
“It’s a fun event – good for the county, good for these local schools. We had some previous coaches here – Coach (Tom) Osborne, Coach (Gary) Quisno, from Oak Harbor who have done a lot for the program, as well as some old coaches from other schools.”
This year’s meet ended with the girls’ 4x400 meter relay competition that featured an exciting finish between Genoa and Oak Harbor, a race that was narrowly won by the Comets. One could say that it was a fitting end to an event has stirred up its share of excitement and enthusiasm over the years.
In the end, a former coach who was long associated with the meet summed it up quite eloquently.
"In my 34 years of coaching track, the Ottawa County Track Meet was one of those meets I looked forward to," said former longtime Oak Harbor track coach Tom Osborne. "It marked a time in the season when the weather was starting to warm up and the competition was doing likewise.
"It (was) a fun meet for athletes and, at the same time, breeds a friendly competition between the member schools. All the schools and coaches worked together not so much for who won the meet, but for the success of the meet itself."
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