JERRY CITY – Katie Reiser was an All-Ohio sprinter last season.
The Elmwood High School junior hopes to repeat her honors this weekend during the state track and field
meet at Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Stadium.
Reiser will compete in the semifinals of the 100 and the 200 on Friday after finishing fifth and sixth,
respectively, in those events at state last season. The top eight finishers in each event earn All-Ohio
honors. The finals are Saturday.
"My goal is to run good times, do my best," Reiser said. "I want to win, but it’s more
about running your best times and running well. If I do that, I’ll be happy and everything else will
take care of itself."
Reiser’s run consistently well and dropped her times all season.
She was the regional champion in the 200 at Tiffin last week, lowering her school record to 25.02.
Reiser was second in the 100 with a time of 12.34 and is the school record-holder in that event (12.21).
She also holds the Elmwood record in the 400.
"I’m definitely a lot stronger physically," said Reiser, who started lifting weights in
September. She then began running during the winter indoor season. "When I finish a race, I feel
good. I’m really excited because I can see that it’s worked for me and helped me improve."
The Tiffin regional – as Reiser called it – is a mini-state meet.
Bluffton senior Bonnie Stratton, the defending state champion in the 100 and the 200, was third in both
races at the regional.
Ottawa Hills junior Katherine Jamieson, who has become good friends with Reiser through track, won the
100 at the regional and finished second in the 200.
"We definitely have some of the better sprinters in our regional," Reiser said. "That
helps you get ready for state because you’re already facing good competition and it gives you confidence
that you can compete against the best."
Based on regional times, Reiser has the second-fastest time in her heat and the fourth-fastest time
overall in the 100.
In the 200, Reiser is second in her heat and third overall.
Gates Mills Gilmour Academy sophomore Candace Logino-Thomas ran the fastest regional time in both races,
11.88 in the 100 and 24.15 in the 200.
The top four finishers in each semifinal quality for the finals.
"The 200 is my favorite race," Reiser said. "You have more time to think, not to
strategize, but to think about and see what you can do. The 100, you don’t have much time."
Reiser believes running at state last year will help her.
"I was a little overwhelmed last year," Reiser said of her state debut. "I had been to the
stadium before, but it was very overwhelming, all of the people, the heat, the track seems 25 times
bigger.
"I’ll be more ready this time and I’ll know what to expect. I’m really excited to be going
back."
Ironically, the 100 and 200 records Reiser broke were held by her head coach, Monica Arnold, who also is
her cousin.
Arnold, the former Monica Stone, was the state 200 champion in 1988 and was third in the 100 that year.
She also qualified for state in three events in 1987, finishing seventh in the 200, sixth in the 400
relay and ninth in the 800 relay.
"It’s nice to beat my coach’s record," Reiser said with a laugh. "It’s a family thing,
pretty exciting. I watch her old track tapes. It’s nice to keep it in the family."
Elmwood’s boys 3,200 relay team of seniors Cody Alexander, Alex Betts and Thor Bottesch, and junior
Travis Wagner qualified for state. The team finished third in the regional with a time of 8:08.76.