DAYTON — Perrysburg senior distance runner Hannah Kersten placed sixth in the 3200-meter run at the Division I state meet at Welcome Stadium in Dayton Saturday.

Kersten finished in 10:55.7, closing out a career at Perrysburg that includes leading the Yellow Jackets to two Division I state championships in cross country.

“(Perrysburg cross country and distance coach) Coach (Jon) Monheim and I would like you to know that Hannah ran an incredible race,” Perrysburg girls track coach Darryl Edge said.

“She stuck to the race plan and ran a really smart race. At the state meet, many athletes get out too fast due to the speed of the race.

“Hannah ran well and was able to finish her high school career on the podium at the state meet earning All-Ohio honors. Hannah had an incredible season and has left a record setting legacy at Perrysburg.”

One of Kersten’s longtime teammates in both cross country and track, junior Ava Beeks, finished in 15th place in the 800-meter run (2:19.31).

In the 300 hurdles, Perrysburg sophomore Camille Francis finished in 15th during the preliminaries with a time of 45.29 and did not qualify for finals.

Perrysburg also qualified three relay teams, but none reached the finals. The 4×800 team, Kersten, Beeks and juniors Natalie Sanders and Laura Valette, finished ninth in the preliminaries (9:21.13), one spot out of qualifying for the finals.

The 4×100 relay, senior Ava Kincaid, Francis and sophomores Kinsley Jones and Emma Ogdahl, placed 17th at the prelims (49.91).

The 4×400, consisting of Beeks, Valette, Francis and sophomore McKenna Conley, placed 13th in the prelims (4:01.11).

Edge, a first-year coach, believes the Yellow Jackets can build on what his athletes accomplished.

“Our core group of contributors are mostly underclassmen including individual competitors Ava Beeks and Camille Francis,” Edge said.

“Hopefully we are able to build on the success of this season and use it as a springboard for the 2025 track season.”