HUBER HEIGHTS — Miami Trace’s Jana Griffith faced a very challenging field of competitors in the Division I Regional track meet at Wayne High School in Huber Heights Wednesday, May 24, 2023.

Griffith was hoping to qualify to the finals in the better of her two events, the 300-meter hurdles.

First was the 100-meters.

Griffith placed 14th out of 15 runners in a time of 16.44. The times of the top eight who advanced to the finals Friday ranged from 14.22 to 15.53.

After the heats of the hurdles, then the 100-meter dashes, 4 x 200-meter relays, the 4 x 100-meter relays and the 400-meter dash heats, it was time for the prelims in the 300-meter hurdles.

Griffith and head coach Brent Noes felt an eighth-place time, or better, was attainable.

It turned out to be a closer result this time, but unfortunately not enough to bring her back Friday for the finals, where a top four finish qualifies the athlete to State.

Griffith placed 10th out of 15 total entrants in the event with a time of 48.47.

The last qualifying time was ever so close. Junior Kate Hartley of Mason got the last spot in the finals with a time of 48.01.

In between was freshman Rylin Elder of Butler in 48.17.

“We were excited to get Jana up here today,” Noes said. “This is a whole different world. There are a different calibre of athletes up here than what we are used to competing against.

“Up here we have two Dayton districts and two Cincinnati districts,” Noes said. “This is the best of the best around here.

“Jana came out in the 100’s and ran her second-best time of the year,” Noes said. “She ran a great race.

“We wanted to use that as a good warm-up for the 300’s,” Noes said. “We were proud of her after the ones.

“In the 300’s, it kind of drug on a little bit,” Noes said. “The wind’s blowing pretty good, but, everybody is running in the same conditions. It affected everybody’s times a little bit.

“Our goal was to get to finals and once you get to finals, you never know what could happen,” Noes said.

“Jana ran well,” Noes said. “She had a strong race. She was really strong at the end. She had one hurdle she stuttered over, but she was really strong at the end. It wasn’t the (result) she wanted, but, she’s had a fantastic career at Miami Trace as a track and field athlete, one of the most-decorated ones we’ve had in a while.

“She’s the school record-holder in the 100-meter hurdles,” Noes said. “She was on the 4 x 100 relay that won the FAC and she was the 300-meter hurdle champ (in the conference). And she’s a three-time District champion in the 300-meter hurdles, all in Division I. We’ve never had a three-time District champion before.

“We’re super proud of her and we can’t wait to see what she can do at Ohio Dominican next year,” Noes said.

“Well, it wasn’t my best time (in the 300’s) and I didn’t qualify (to the finals),” Griffith said. “I got 10th and I had to get eighth.

“I don’t want to sell myself short on how far I got,” Griffith said. “It was an accomplishment to get here. It’s just sad to see this part of my life go. I love my coaches and my teammates.

“The 100 was a lot more challenging,” Griffith said. “There are a lot of fast girls in there. The fifth-place girl (in the first heat of the 100-meter hurdles, the same one Griffith was in) ran a 15.8 and she probably still didn’t even qualify (to the finals) and that’s just crazy. They have girls running 14s in there. It’s unreal.”

The competitor to whom Griffith referred was freshman Angela Williams of Chaminade-Julienne, whose time of 15.83 placed her 10th overall out of 15 total entrants.

Griffith said she should have a bit of a break upcoming before beginning summer training for her freshman year at Ohio Dominican.