Medina and Albion have had multiple state track and field champions

Contributed Photos – Medina’s Marcell King captured the state Triple Jump title in 1995.

Over the past 25 years Medina had Albion have both had good success at the state track and field championships as the Mustangs have had no less than four individual champions crowned and the Purple Eagles three.

Marcell King started Medina’s run when he captured the state Triple Jump championship in 1995 with what was then a Section VI record leap of 50-41/2.

King advanced to his third trip to the state championships by not only winning the Section VI Triple Jump title but also the Long Jump and 400 titles.

Five years later, in 2000, the Mustangs had Natalie Knight claim the state Class B 200 title with a time of :25.83.

Medina then had back-to-back Division 2 (small schools) Pole Vault champions in Dan Tierney in 2004 and Janice Keppler in 2005.

Albion’s Joe Riley won the state 200 title in 1997.

Tierney, who also held the state in door record of 15-10, claimed his state outdoor Pole Vault title with a then section VI record vault of 16-1.

Keppler, who finished second in 2004, captured her championship in 2005 with a vault of 12-0.

Joe Riley ignited Albion’s state title run when he captured the Class B 200 sprint championship in 1997 with a time of :21.83.

He also finished second in the 100 with a time of :10.9.

Riley also qualified for the state’s in 1998 but unfortunately a hamstring injury prevented him from defending his 200 title. He had qualified for the state meet by not only winning the 200 at the Section VI championships but also the 100 and the Triple Jump.

The Purple Eagles then had Tyrone Newsome capture the Division 1 High Jump championship in 2005 with a leap of 6-8.

Then in 2008 Albion’s Morris Taylor claimed the Division 1 400 title with a time of :48.45.

Lyndonville also had a state champion during that stretch as Alan Rutherford won the 1997 Class C-D High Jump title with a jump of 6-5.

He advanced to the state’s by registering a school record jump of 6-6 in the Section V meet.

Editor’s Note: Spring high school sports previews will resume on Monday.