06/01/2026
Congratulations to Coach Allen and her athletes. Lakota Raider Track & Field is sending 5 athletes to the State competition, including their 4x400m relay team who left the event as the Regional champions and are presently the third fastest team in the state. Team Whetro has enjoyed watching and supporting these young people as they strive towards excellence.
Lakota Relay Team Captures Regional Title, Sends Multiple Athletes to State
The Lakota Raiders are sending a strong group of athletes to the OHSAA Division IV State Track and Field Championships after an impressive showing Friday at the regional finals in Marion.
Leading the way was Lakota’s boys 4x400 relay team of Avery Shilling, Brady Tyson, King Beard and Donovan Statham, who captured the regional championship with a season-best and school-record time of 3:21.40. The Raiders enter the state meet as the third-fastest team in Ohio, separated from the top time by just over half a second.
Lakota coach Ashley Allen said the relay team’s chemistry has been years in the making.
“They’ve been together since eighth grade,” Allen said. “Every single week since the postseason, they have PR’d. They have broken their own school record every single time they’ve run.”
Allen praised the group’s connection and consistency throughout the postseason.
“They just click,” Allen said. “It doesn’t matter what they do. They’re the fastest.”
Several Raiders also qualified individually for the state meet.
King Beard advanced in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash after placing fifth in the 100 and fourth in the 200. Donovan Statham qualified in the 400-meter dash after taking third with a personal-record time of 49.43. Lucas McEwan earned a state berth in the 300-meter hurdles with a fifth-place finish.
Allen said the Marion regional featured some of the best competition in the state.
“They’ve been calling this the state prelims all week because that’s really what this is,” Allen said. “They’re going to see the same teams at state next week.”
Lakota also recognized senior Rylee Markel for qualifying to regionals in the long jump. According to the program, Markel first tried the event on Senior Night before eventually advancing to the regional meet.
The OHSAA State Track and Field Championships will take place June 4-5 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.