COMPETITORS — The Indian Creek’s girls 4x400 relay team competed in the OHSAA’s State Track and Field Championship on Saturday. Team members are, from left, Madison Smith, Kelsey Lewis, Aimaya Dudley and Sloane Lewis. -- Seth Staskey

COLUMBUS — Indian Creek’s girls 4×400 relay team got a taste of the OHSAA’s State Track and Field Championship in 2016.

However, they left Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium with seventh-place medals around their necks. While thrilled to be all-Ohio and have placed, the two returnees from that squad — Madison Smith and Kelsey Lewis — used it as motivation, too.

With Smith and Lewis leading the way, two freshmen — Sloane Lewis and Aimayah Dudley — joined the squad. Time drops were steady, but not extreme throughout the season.

The latter part of that changed Saturday afternoon in the Division II state finals.

Just a day after finishing third in their heat, the Redskins’ foursome dropped three seconds from their prior best time and captured the school’s first state championship, regardless of gender or sport, winning the final event of the season in an all-time Ohio Valley record time of 3:55.84.

Dudley got things started with an impressive opening leg that clocked 57.64.

“I am just happy and blessed,” Dudley said. “I just tried to push myself as hard as I could to put us in a good position when I handed the baton. It’s just an amazing feeling.”

She handed to Sloane Lewis who put the Redskins in front when she handed to her older sister, Kelsey.

“It’s crazy to win,” Sloane Lewis said. “We all came in, did our best and we got what we wanted.”

Kelsey, who had ran the 800 just a short-time earlier, kept the lead with a 59.37 leg before handing to Smith, who had just placed third in the 800 meter run.

“We were here last year, but it’s nothing compared to this,” Kelsey Lewis said. “I got the baton and knew I just had to keep (the lead) and hand the baton to Madison in first. I kept telling myself (after the 800) that there’s only one more lap left in the season.”

Smith was passed by the anchor leg from Shelby with about 130 meters to go. Smith, however, simply wasn’t going to be denied. With some 50 meters ago, she moved back into the lead and then held off the Whippets’ runner by 15 hundredths of a second.

“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and our support group has been great all season,” Smith, who is headed to Air Force Academy, said. “When races come down the stretch like that, it’s not about your ability. It’s about your heart. Whatever’s in your heart is going to come through.

Smith earned the bronze in the 800 with an impressive 2:15.30.

“It’s a lot of heart and determination. I believe you can accomplish anything you put your mind to,” Smith said. “I believe that rubs off on the younger girls and that’s why we’re able to come together and do these types of great things.”

When you figure in the the same four girls finishing third in the 4×8, it resulted in 22 team points, which was good enough for a tie for seventh place in the meet.

St. Clairsville’s boys put up a strong showing as they wore the defending champion crown all weekend in the meet.

The Red Devils saw every competitor they brought to the meet earn a place and it resulted in 16 points, which was good enough for 15th place overall.

While senior Jordan Vincent got things started with a runner-up finish in the long jump on Friday, the rest of the Devils got into the scoring column on Saturday.

Junior high jumper Justin Heatherington placed fourth in his first state meet in his specialty. He cleared 6-4 and found himself down to his final try twice earlier in the competition before clearing the bar.

“I was ready to jump,” Heatherington said. “On those last attempts, I was thinking I just have to (clear) it. I came in just looking to jump and have some fun. This season really motivates me to get first next year.”

Junior Christian Oberdick — another state meet rookie — said he was “terrible” in 2016. He’s now calling himself an all-Ohioan.

Oberdick placed seventh in the 110 high hurdles, running a 15.03.

“In all honesty, I am kind of in shock,” Oberdick said. “A lot of hard work in the offseason and during the season paid off. I surprised myself. I am honestly, just speechless. Having Malachi (Mellema) helping me was huge for me. He’s a good friend and a good mentor. I attribute a lot of my success to him.”

The Red Devils’ 4×2 team of Vincent, Heatherington, Zach Bigelow and DeVon Harris entered the championsip race seeded eighth and finished in that spot with a 1:30.75.

The St. C. girls got on the board in the 4×1. The team of Sydney Freeman, Paige McGlothlin, Emily Baire and Mechenzie Wood ran a 49.90 to finish seventh.

Martins Ferry senior Jacob Bishop put the finishing touches on his brilliant prep career by placing fifth for the second straight season in the 1600 meter run.

Bishop posted a 4:21.61 for his medal, which makes him an all-Ohioan for the fourth time in his career, counting his cross country exploits.

“The bright side is being back on the podium and running a personal best, but the race didn’t play out like I had hoped,” Bishop said. “The second lap was slow and it kind of messed me up. I am blessed to be back here. It’s an amazing feeling. I can’t wait to see what the future holds in college.”

Steubenville’s girls 4×2 team, which was comprised of Knisha Saunders, Kira Newburn, T’Kayla Kelley and Jessica Savage placed eighth in the two-lap relay, posting a 1:45.49.

East Liverpool’s Lindsay Baker, who was third in the discus on Friday, won the state championship in the shot put with a mark of 45-ft-7.