Meyer Wins 3200, Becomes Louisville’s First Track State Champion Since 1929

Louisville 10 (24th Out of 63)

The Louisville Leopards Girls Track and Field Team concluded its season this past weekend at the Division II State Meet held at Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. After a long Saturday of battling stormy weather and competing against the best athletes in Ohio, senior Kylah Meyer delivered a historic performance by winning the 3200 meter run and becoming the first state champion in Louisville Girls Track and Field history.

“It means the whole world to me. This has been my dream since my sixth-grade year. I’ve been watching races like this before, thinking, ‘I want to be one of those top girls.’ I was crying before the race because this is my chance — I can finally do it. It’s my senior year, and I did it.” – Kylah Meyer

Meyer earned all 10 of the Lady Leopards’ points in the event as Louisville finished tied for 24th out of 63 scoring teams at the state meet.

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Meyer Sets State Meet Record

Kylah Meyer capped her remarkable Louisville career in unforgettable fashion, winning the Division II girls 3200 meter run in a state meet record time of 10:28.89.

The victory completed a postseason sweep in the 3200 for Meyer, who also won district and regional titles in the event. She entered the state meet after setting a school record and North Royalton Serpentini Chevrolet Stadium record with a slightly faster 10:28.82 at regionals, then delivered again on the biggest stage in Ohio.

Meyer pulled away from a talented state field to claim the championship by nearly nine seconds. Mount Vernon senior Lucy Rush finished second in 10:37.40, while Talawanda senior Abra Mills placed third in 10:37.62. Aurora freshman Audrey Miller, who had finished runner-up to Meyer at regionals, took fifth in 10:42.55.

“I kept looking at the scoreboard because I was able to see my gap. Even with that, I was in a lot of pain on that second lap — more than I was at regionals, even though I ran the same time. Yes, it was painful, but it was also memorable because I was looking up at the crowd, and I was just thinking, ‘I’m doing it. I did it.’” – Kylah Meyer

Meyer is First Louisville Track & Field Champion in 97 Years

The win gave Meyer the first state championship in Louisville Girls Track and Field history and one of the most significant individual accomplishments in Louisville athletics history.

Meyer’s state title also ended a 97-year wait for Louisville High School Track and Field.

Before Meyer’s championship run, Louisville’s last track and field state champion was Warren G. Smith, who won the javelin at the 1929 state meet with a throw of 161-6. Smith’s victory helped the Louisville boys finish tied for third in the state with Rocky River in Class B.

Smith also placed third in the broad jump at that same state meet, while teammate Percy Dickerhoof finished as the state runner-up in the discus. Together, their performances made the 1929 state meet one of the most successful in Louisville track and field history.

Nearly a century later, Meyer added her name alongside Smith’s in the Louisville record books, becoming the first Leopard since 1929 to stand atop the state podium in track and field.

Meyer Concludes Career Taking 11th in the 1600

Meyer returned to the track on Sunday to compete in the 1600 meter run, closing out her high school career with an 11th-place finish in 5:04.04.

The race marked Meyer’s fifth career state run. She had qualified for the state meet in every season of her high school career, previously advancing in the 3200 as a freshman and junior, and in the 1600 as a sophomore and junior before qualifying in both events as a senior.

Big Walnut freshman Lindsey Cochran won the 1600 state title in 4:54.45, edging Bay freshman Maya Gonzalez, who finished second in 4:54.90. Big Walnut’s Grace Buskirk placed third in 4:56.27, just ahead of Aurora’s Audrey Miller, who also ran 4:56.27.

Meyer’s 1600 finish came one day after her state championship performance in the 3200 and capped one of the greatest distance-running careers in Louisville history.

Louisville 4×800 Gains State Experience

Louisville was also represented at the state meet by its 4×800 meter relay team, which qualified after earning an at-large berth out of the Division II North Royalton Regional.

The Lady Leopards’ state lineup of Peyton Novosel, Amelie Anderson, Madelynn Bailey, and Stella Blommel finished 18th with a time of 10:20.69.

Louisville qualified for state after the regional team of Novosel, Nora Kiko, Anderson, and Meyer ran 9:38.56 at North Royalton. Although that group finished seventh at regionals and outside the automatic qualifying spots, its time was strong enough to earn one of the at-large berths to Columbus.

With Kiko unable to attend, Meyer also did not run the 4×800 at state as Louisville adjusted its lineup to allow her to focus on her individual races. The state appearance still gave the Lady Leopards valuable experience on the biggest stage and continued Louisville’s strong tradition in the event.

The 4×800 state berth was Louisville’s fifth in the event in the past 15 seasons, joining previous state-qualifying relay teams from 2011, 2012, 2017, and 2019.

Chaminade Julienne Wins Girls DII State Title

The Lady Leopards finished the state meet tied for 24th with 10 points, while Chaminade Julienne won the Division II girls team championship with 44 points. Big Walnut placed second with 40, followed by Massillon Perry with 33, Loveland with 31, and Aurora with 30.5.

For Louisville, the weekend will be remembered most for Meyer’s historic run — a state championship performance that ended a 97-year drought and secured her place as the greatest runner in Louisville Girls Track and Field history. 

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Division II Girls Results

Team Results

Individual Results