Off The Beaten Record: Minster Fans Set to Invade Columbus
By ROSS BISHOFF
Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 15)Columbus will be seeing plenty of Minster baseball hats and T-shirts this weekend when the Wildcats’ sports community invades for both the state track meet and the baseball final four.
The Minster baseball team and girls track team each won regional championships this past weekend, building on the traditions of each program.
Minster’s baseball team will be making its fourth trip to state under coach Mike Wiss. The Wildcats won state titles in 2012 and 2011 and took runner-up in 2003.
Minster (23-7, No. 8 in the Division IV AP polls) will take on Toronto (27-3, ranked No. 1) at 10 a.m. Friday at Huntington Park. Taking on the top-rated team can be, for some teams, a bit intimidating but probably won’t be for the Wildcats.
After all, they finished in a three-way tie for second in the Midwest Athletic Conference this season, showing the strength of schedule the Wildcats once again endured. And in 2012 when they won a title, they entered the semifinals ranked 13th but beat third-ranked Tinora in the semifinals. In 2011, they knocked off perennial power Newark Catholic in the semis.
Should Minster get past Toronto, the Wildcats would play either Russia (24-6) or Dalton (16-11) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Huntington Park for the state crown.
The Minster girls won the Division III regional track and field meet at Troy this past weekend with 85 points, followed by Anna with 50 points. The state track and field meet is at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at The Ohio State University on Friday and Saturday.
Minster’s unbelievable legacy of girls runners competing at a high level will be on full display this weekend. The team had three relay teams qualify and six girls qualify for individual events.
Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 15)The 3,200 relay team of Cassie Francis, Kaitlynn Albers, Emma Watcke and Madeline Magoto won the regional in 9:32.20. The 800 relay of Jessica Falk, Jordyn Heitbrink, Courtney Prenger and Paige Thobe are also headed to state; as is the 1,600 relay of Francis, Lillian Hirschfield, Madeline Magoto and Prenger.
Albers also qualified in the 1,600. Grace Butler qualified in the pole vault. Francis qualified in the 800, Heitbrink qualified in the high jump, Savannah Luthman made it in the discus, Magoto also made it in the 800, Thobe qualified in the long jump and Watcke will also compete in the 1,600 and 3,200.
Going back to 1978, Minster’s girls have collected 41 state event titles, claiming their most in the 1,600 with seven.
Meanwhile, Minster’s boys team will be represented by junior Max Prenger in the shot put and senior Tony Winner in the discus.
Good luck to the Minster community and everyone from the 419 region headed to Columbus this weekend for the state tournaments.
Number of the Week: 4
– Temple Christian’s Madison Yingst qualified for four events in the Division III state track and field meet. She won the 100- and 300-hurdles, took second in the 200 and third in the 100.
Quote of the Week: “To see the glory in sport, where somebody comes from behind and does something, sinks a shot in the last second or throws a touchdown pass or hits a home run, there is a beauty in that, and at the end of the day, that’s why we love sports more than anything else.”
– Quote from Frank Deford, a legend in the world of sports journalism who passed away Sunday.
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