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Creek’s Martin trades in sneakers for spikes and excels in Columbus

COLUMBUS – Her sport was volleyball.

People kept asking Whitney Martin to run track, but she said no each year.

Until her senior year.

“I thought, ‘OK, let’s run,'” she said. “I didn’t run track because of volleyball and now I don’t know if I’m going to play volleyball (in college).

“All throughout high school it’s been volleyball, volleyball, volleyball.

“If you would have asked me at the beginning of the season if I would run track in college I would have said no.

“Things change.”

The Indian Creek graduate finished her one high school track season with two trips to the podium Saturday at the Ohio State Track and Field Championships at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at Ohio State University.

“It’s pretty amazing,” she said.

Martin finished fourth in the Division II 100 (12.45) and followed it up with a fifth-place time of 25.36 in the 200.

“This is pretty surreal,” she said. “I just ran my hardest.”

She ran her 200 prelim on Friday from Lane 8 and didn’t like it at all. She ran the 200 final from Lane 1, where one can see the entire field.

“I came into the 200 in eighth and I was having none of that,” she said. “I had to be higher than eighth. It (running from Lane 1) wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.”

Martin recognized the amount of people who have helped her along the way.

“I’ve had a lot of people help me along the way a lot of people,” she said.

“My mom. I have a bunch of coaches who have helped me. My volleyball coaches have helped me.

“It’s great to have a bunch of support,” she said. “It really affects me. It’s a great feeling to stand on the podium. I’m really proud of myself.

“I’m pretty blessed. I didn’t even have to be here today because there are so many things that can happen during a track meet.”

Steubenville Big Red’s Elise Watts finished ninth in the 100 hurdles and jumped 16-5.5 in the long jump to place 11th.

Edison’s Ashley Borsch hit the final hurdle and took ninth in the 300 hurdles.

Indian Creek’s Max Lewis finished ninth in the 800 in 1:57.06.

St. Clairsville’s Jaylon Brown placed second in the 100 (19.90) and 200 (21.88).

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