Which Columbus area athletes and teams won high school state championships in 2020-21?
For Columbus area high school athletes, the chance to compete this season was far from guaranteed. There were questions throughout the summer about if the high school season would be able to happen, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and once the season was given the go-ahead, there was still uncertainty about how everything would work. To be able to compete, athletes and coaches had to accept strict protocols, quarantines, competing without fans in the stands, wearing masks in practice and countless other changes from the norm. But all of them said it was all worth it to be able to have a season. We were really grateful that we got the chance to compete regardless of COVID because we knew a bunch of other sports didnt get seasons this year or the year before, said Carly Meeting, a member of New Albanys state champion swim team. We were grateful that we got to compete, and we just took every day like it was our last and gave our all at every practice.  Now that the 2020-21 high school athletics season has come to an end, heres a look back at all the Columbus area athletes and teams that won state championships this school year. Fall  New Albany, Division I Girls Golf  New Albany won the girls team golf title in Division I for the third straight year by a striking 41 shots. The Eagles finished at 26-over par as a team, while second-place Mason was 67-over par. Madison Spiess won the individual title at 1-over par as part of New Albanys push for the team title. It means so much, Spiess said. I love my team. We all work hard. Its exciting to be together and able to do this.  Columbus Academy, Division II Boys Golf  Columbus Academy captured the boys team golf title in Division II for the fourth straight year with a total score of 47-over par, 14 strokes better than the second-place team. Stephen Ma won the individual state championship with a two-round total of 144, 2-over par, to help send his team to the overall state championship. Stephen had a super season, coach Craig Yakscoe said. Hes a strong leader by example and helped the team define itself.  Megan Basil and Ella Hazelbaker, Division I Girls Tennis  Megan Basil and Ella Hazelbaker from Upper Arlington won the Division I doubles title with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Centervilles Clara Owen and Caroline Hinshaw. Megan and I have been friends outside of tennis for a while, so weve always worked really well together, Hazelbaker said. We tried to out-rally people, and then within the rally we like to poach and give each other a good setup.  Thomas Caputo, Division III Boys Cross Country  Fredericktowns Thomas Caputo won the individual cross country title in Division III, finishing with a time of 15:31.5, 4.9 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. Fredericktown placed ninth in the team standings. Watterson, Field Hockey  Watterson down Hudson 3-0 to win the field hockey state championship. It was Wattersons first state championship since 2009. Senior Alex Picolo scored the opening goal in the win. Alex has the heart of a lion, coach Janet Baird said. She just refused this year to say or think anything other than a championship. She suffered greatly in the last two years (when we lost in a) district (final) and learned that sometimes there is pain in the path. I truly admire the fight in her to come back as a senior and bring the team together.  Winter  Division I Girls Swimming  New Albany, team title  New Albany won its first team title in school history and also won the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. "It was fun," coach Dave Wharton said. "It was exciting for them. Very proud of, with the year we had, that they raced as hard as they could and were consistent throughout the meet as best they could." Emily Brown, 200 and 500 freestyle  Dublin Coffmans Emily Brown won the 200 freestyle by over a second, finishing with a time of 1:48.29. Brown also won the 500 freestyle, finishing over three seconds faster than the second-place swimmer. She loves to compete, coach Steven VonSchriltz said. Shes a super sweet girl that is just starting to realize her potential. Shes an all-around swimmer." Martina Peroni, 200 IM  In the 200 individual medley, Olentangys Martina Peroni won the title and set a new state record with a time of 1:57.77. The previous record was 1:57.98, set in 2013. Her talent is backed by an incredible work ethic and drive, coach Calvin Higdon said. To the team, she serves as an inspiration. Her teammates look up to her." Caroline Porterfield and Riley Huddleston, 50 freestyle  Caroline Porterfield and Riley Huddleston, both of Upper Arlington, tied for the win in the 50 freestyle with matching times of 23.15 seconds. Huddleston also won the 100 freestyle with a time of 50.23 seconds. "Riley Huddleston is the definition of a clutch athlete," coach John Sands said. "When the stakes are the highest, Riley is going to bring her absolute best." Upper Arlington, 200 freestyle relay  Porterfield also swam on Upper Arlingtons winning relay team in the 200 freestyle relay. Cameron Kuriger, 100 butterfly  Olentangys Cameron Kuriger narrowly edged teammate Peroni for the win in the 100 butterfly with a time of 54.14. Peroni was just five-hundredths of a second behind at 54.19. "Becoming the swimmer that she has become through the years is a testament to how she trains, Higdon said. She works hard, which will always make its way down to the team, giving them an insight of the work that must be put in to get to where (she is)." Ellie Andrews, 100 breaststroke  Ellie Andrews from Coffman won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:00.84. She has been a humble leader of this team from day one, VonSchriltz said. Shes been our teams biggest cheerleader along with its best swimmer over the four years." Columbus School for Girls, 200 medley relay  Columbus School for Girls won the 200 medley relay in Division II with a time of 1:42.96. Nyah Funderburke, who was on the winning relay team, also won the 100 backstroke. Nyah is kind of a unicorn of swimming, coach Brian Botzman said. She is extremely talented, but she is also something you dont often see on deck  a person of color. Shes really meticulous in her detail. Some kids just muscle through the water, but she has a finesse about her. Shes amazing.  Avery Voss, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay  Upper Arlingtons Avery Voss won the 100 freestyle in Division I with a time of 44.47. Voss also swam the anchor leg of the winning 200 freestyle relay team. "He has bought into everything we have done and thrown his way, and has had a quiet leadership and confidence about him," coach Mike de Bear said. "His growth into a state champion, school record-holder, all-American and Olympic trial qualifier has been amazing but understandable when you see him work.  Zac Stump, 500 freestyle  In the boys 500 freestyle, Coffmans Zac Stump won by close to three seconds as he finished in 4:28.06, ahead of the second-place 4:31.02. "Hes one of the best trainers I have coached, VonSchriltz said. Hes still maturing physically and as an athlete. He started training to try to win the 500 as soon as we were able to get back into the pool." Brady McInerney, 100 freestyle  Brady McInerney won the boys 100 freestyle for DeSales in Division II with a time of 45.96, nearly half a second quicker than his seed time. "He is always willing to do any event to not only push himself but also provide additional points for the team, coach Ryan Buechner said. He will continue to go on to do great things for two main reasons  he works hard in the pool, weight room and classroom and he loves the sport of swimming." Gahanna, Girls Division I Bowling  Gahanna won the team title by two points with a combined score of 3,263, just ahead of second-place Boardmans 3,261. Its great, Lilu Smith said. Our teamwork, our positivity and our attitude (are the best things about our team). Even if we had a bad game in Bakers, we were still able to bounce back.  Jayden Combs, Boys Division I Bowling  Marion Harding sophomore Jayden Combs won the individual boys bowling state title with a combined score of 745, 30 points better than the second-place finisher. Combs' win helped Harding finish in third place as a team. Division I Wrestling  Ty Wilson, 113 pounds  Ty Wilson from Dublin Scioto won the state championship at 113 pounds with a 3-0 decision over Coffmans Omar Ayoub. Ive known for awhile that if I work hard enough then anything and anybody is within reach, Wilson said. Connor Euton, 145 pounds  At 145 pounds, Westerville North junior Connor Euton earned a 9-2 decision to win the state title. "This is where legends are made, Euton said. I practice twice a day all year for this." Seth Shumate, 195 pounds  Coffman junior Seth Shumate won his second state title at 195 pounds. I just know that if I keep taking them into deep waters and drown them, things will go my way, Shumate said. Dylan Russo, 220 pounds  Olentangy Liberty sophomore Dylan Russo won the state championship at 220 pounds. Bradley Weaver, heavyweight  In the last match of the day at his home gym, Hilliard Darby senior Bradley Weaver won the state championship at heavyweight. "I cant express another way to end off my season better," Weaver said. "I think that was probably the best way I could end off my season. Ive wanted to be Darbys first state champ since I was little." Division II Wrestling  Dylan Dodson, 160 pounds  Licking Valleys Dylan Dodson won the state championship at 160 pounds with an 8-4 decision. He lost just twice all season. Girls Wrestling  Marysville and Cali Leng  Marysville won the team title in girls wrestling. Cali Leng won at 116 pounds to help the Monarchs to the championship. Taryn Martin, 170 pounds  Taryn Martin, a senior at Olentangy Orange, won the state championship at 170 pounds. She'll wrestle at Tiffin in the fall. Taryn understands wrestling, and she understands both the individual and team aspects of it, Orange assistant coach Vanessa Oswalt said. Shes wrestling at a world level, and that has helped her grow as an athlete herself and it gives her a better understanding of different concepts and competition." Spring  Upper Arlington, Girls Water Polo  Upper Arlington won its second straight state championship with an 11-4 win over Cincinnati Sycamore. Caroline Colombo had seven goals in the win. Usually when weve played them, its been in their favor in the beginning and then our endurance catches up and were able to outplay them, Colombo said. It was really tight, which is a lot more fun than a blowout. So it was a really fun game. They put up a really great fight.  St. Charles, Boys Water Polo  St. Charles beat Cincinnati Princeton 20-8 to capture its third straight state championship. Wil Elsrod scored seven goals in the state title game. It was definitely worth the wait," Elsrod said. "I think this is one of our best performances as a team because we were able to get outside shots, looks in center, counter attacks, we got a little bit of everything. This game was a lot of fun.  Division I Boys Tennis  Brandon Carpico, singles  Gahanna sophomore Brandon Carpico beat Vignesh Gogineni from Mason in straight sets (6-4, 6-3) to win the state championship in Division I singles. Carpico lost just one set in the state tournament. I figured (Gogineni) was going to come out really strong because hes obviously a really good player, Carpico said. I was told my first-serve percentage was over 80 percent, which is huge against somebody like him. It feels awesome.  Devin Boyer and Ryan Mudre, doubles  In Division I doubles, New Albany seniors Devin Boyer and Ryan Mudre won the championship with a three-set win over Sam King and Akshay Joshi from Mason. This feels great, Boyer said. Its fun being on the court with (Mudre). Ive known Ryan since I was really little. Weve grown up together and were also great friends.  Dublin Coffman, Division I Girls Lacrosse  Dublin Coffman defeated New Albany on a last-second goal from freshman Ava Westmeyer to win its first state championship since the OHSAA began sponsoring lacrosse. "We came out and we talked about coming out and playing strong," coach Michael Murphy said. "We knew New Albanys a great team. Well-coached and well-disciplined. We came out and we were able to play strong defense. Our defense came and our offense executed." Dublin Jerome, Division I Boys Lacrosse  Dublin Jerome fended off a comeback effort from Upper Arlington and won the state championship with a late game-winning goal from senior Carter Barco. "(They were) winning the whole game (tonight) then started to lose, and then found a way to come back and just continue to compete," coach Andy Asmo said. "Thats what Im most proud of. Their compete and the fact that they were able to achieve their goal." Division I Track  Pickerington North, boys team title, 4x200 relay, 4x400 relay  Pickerington North won the boys team title and also won the 4x200 relay with a time of 1:25.96 and the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:15.56. Watterson, girls 4x20 and 4x400 relays  Watterson won the girls 4x200 and 4x400 relays with times of 1:39.69 and 3:50.10. Justin Braun, boys 100, 200 and 400  Westerville Centrals Justin Braun had a banner day, winning the 100, 200 and 400. His time of 10.47 in the 100 tied a state record. I knew it was going to be hard, but I was saying, I can do this,  Braun said. I feel great. I knew if I got out on these guys that Im strong enough. Im happy.  Marissa Saunders, girls 100 hurdles  Marissa Saunders won the girls 100 hurdles for Westerville South with a time of 14.05  while dealing with a hip issue that required surgery just over a week after the state meet. My block start was probably my best part of the race, Saunders said. (Camden Bentley and I have) trained together. I wanted to (beat her) but Im proud of her.  Silas Kayuha, boys 110 hurdles  Silas Kayuha from Dublin Jerome won the boys 110 hurdles with a time of 14.36. This was probably the best start Ive ever had, Kayuha said. I tried to find a second gear and pull it out.  Erich Rhodeback, boys 300 hurdles  Erich Rhodeback from Mount Vernon won the boys 300 hurdles with a time of 37.95, topping second place by about three tenths of a second. Camden Bentley, girls 300 hurdles  Camden Bentley won the girls 300 hurdles for Gahanna with a time of 43.18. It feels like a dream, Bentley said. Alyssa Shope, girls 3200  Gahanna's Alyssa Shope won the 3200 with a time of 10:32.42 to help the Lions to a second-place finish as a team. Lindsay Stull, girls 800 meters  Hilliard Davidsons Lindsay Stull won the girls 800 with a time of 2:10.35, beating out the second place time of 2:11.00. Division II Track  Joey Walker, boys high jump  Jonathan Alders Joey Walker won the boys high jump with a jump of 6-8, beating the runner up by two inches. Juliette Laracuente, girls long jump  Juliette Laracuente from Highland won the girls long jump with a distance of 17-11 1/4 to win the state championship by three inches. Huntyr Butler, boys 110 hurdles  Heaths Huntyr Butler won the boys 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.63, more than two tenths of a second faster than the second-place finisher. Reagan Campbell, girls 400  Licking Valleys Reagan Campbell won a tight girls 400 with a time of 56.62, just three hundredths of a second ahead of second place. Mason Louis, boys 400  Mason Louis from Bexley won the boys 400 with a time of 47.54. Sydney Koker, girls high jump  Northridges Sydney Koker won the girls high jump with a jump of 5-7. "The environment was very welcoming again today," Koker said. "There were a lot of good jumpers, so I was definitely more nervous compared to past meets." Division III Track  Justin Fudge, boys long jump  Africentrics Justin Fudge won the boys long jump with a distance of 21-11, one-quarter inch farther than second place. At the time I entered the gates I was anxious, but when I felt the track I got excited about it, Fudge said. Instead of watching everyone jump, I went off by myself to stay focused and I got the job done.  Africentric, boys 4x200 relay  Fudge was a part of the winning team in the 4x200 relay. The team of Fudge, Kaylin Spence, Josiah Smith and Daniel Wagner took first place with a time of 1:29.57. Allison Johnson, girls 800, 1600  Mount Gileads Allison Johnson set a state meet record with a time of 2:08.81 to win the state championship in the girls 800  more than seven seconds faster than the second-place finisher. Johnson also won the girls 1600. Mount Gilead, girls 4x800 relay  Johnson ran the anchor leg on Mount Gileads winning 4x800 relay to cap her meet with three state titles in total. "It was definitely amazing to get out there," Johnson said. "Being able to grab three state titles at the least was amazing." New Albany, Division I Baseball  New Albany survived a late comeback attempt from Cincinnati Elder to win the baseball state championship, its first state title since 2004 and first at the Division I level. "I told these guys before the game that this is something theyll never, ever forget," coach Dave Starling said. "This is something theyll have with them for the rest of their lives. I am so happy for them. Theyve worked so hard to achieve this. I am so happy." Jarrod Ulrey, Scott Hennen, Dave Purpura, Frank DiRenna and Stephen Borgna of ThisWeek News, Rob McCurdy of the Marion Star, Kurt Snyder of the Newark Advocate and Rob Oller of the Columbus Dispatch contributed to this article. bjohnson@dispatch.com  @baileyajohnson_