High-school girls track: Gause’s 12 titles rewrite records
By Steve Blackledge
The Columbus Dispatch
Sunday June 3, 2012 8:02 AM
T-shirts worn by members of the Reynoldsburg girls track team said it all: Finish.
The Raiders and senior sprinter Destinee Gause capped a dominant four-year run in style yesterday in the Division I championships in Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Gause was the only athlete, male or female, to win four gold medals in the meet. She won the 100 meters (11.95 seconds) and a fourth straight 200 (23.91), in addition to anchoring the state record-setting 400 relay (45.99) and the 1,600 relay (3:50.33).
It ran her career victory total at the state meet to 12, more than anyone else in history. Even more important was the fact that her day helped the Raiders take home a fourth straight title.
“I sort of wanted to set records in the 100 and 200, but the fact that we blew the (400 relay) record out of the water was the big highlight of the day,” said Gause, who has committed to Florida. “When we went over to sign the papers for the record, the guy told us that it wasn’t just a meet record, but the fastest ever in Ohio history. And we beat it by more than a half-second. That was so cool, because it’s something I can share with my teammates.”
In the meet-ending 1,600 relay, Gause showed her competitive grit by fighting off three contenders on the final straightaway.
“We knew we had already won the team championship going into the relay, but we had to win anyway,” Gause said. “I kind of respond to the competition sometimes, and when the one girl tried to go around me, I said I’m not having any of that. Getting that 12th gold medal was really important to me. Doing something that no one has ever done, that’s why you compete in athletics.”& amp; amp; amp; amp; amp; amp; lt; /p>
Denny Hammond, who is stepping down as the Raiders’ boys and girls track and cross-country coach, said Gause’s performance capped an ideal weekend.
“This is like a dream,” he said. “This is why you get into coaching, to be around once-in-a-lifetime kids like Destinee and Faith Washington. They’re the reason we’ve won four championships. It’s not me. I just try to make sure they get here in time.”
Washington won the 300 hurdles (41.33), ran on both relays and added a third-place finish in the 100 hurdles. Joining them on the 400 relay were Monie Jenkins and Diamond Gause, Destinee’s sister.In Division II, Eastmoor Academy junior Aaliyah Barnes won the 100 (12.06) and 400 (55.4) and anchored the meet record-setting 800 relay (1:39.37) as the Warriors finished runner-up to Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. That gives her five gold medals.
“There’s no such thing as perfect in track because you always think you can do a little bit better the next time,” Barnes said. “The highlight of the day was setting that record in the relay. We’ve been gunning for that all year, and with everybody back next year, we’ll try to get it lower and lower.”
Freshman teammate Cheyanne Carter won the 200 (25.19) and ran on the relay.
The only other multiple winner was Olentangy Orange junior Katelyn Daniels, who captured the Division I discus (140 feet) and shot put (47-4½). She topped her career best in the shot by nearly 2 feet on her final toss to upset defending champ D’Monami Gardner of Cincinnati Withrow (46-7½).
“I credit her because, without the competition, I never would have thrown so well,” Daniels said. “We were going back and forth trying to outdo one another. I’ve never been pushed to the limit like that, and I’m proud of the way I responded with everything on the line.”
sblackledge@dispatch.com
