Green High School sophomore Tate Ratliff (2nd) made all-Ohio last Saturday in the boys seated 100m dash as part of the state track and field meet at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium.

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

Green High School sophomore Tate Ratliff (2nd) made all-Ohio last Saturday in the boys seated 800m dash as part of the state track and field meet at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium.

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

Green High School sophomore Tate Ratliff (2nd) made all-Ohio last Saturday in the boys seated 400m dash as part of the state track and field meet at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium.

Courtesy of Kaylynn Whitworth

DAYTON — Green’s Tate Ratliff returned to the recent and annual state track and field championship meet —enjoying his competition and inspiring so many others all along the way.

Ratliff, wrapping up his sophomore season at Saturday’s state finals, raced in three events of the boys seated division — the 100m dash, the 800m dash and the 400m dash.

He was the race runner-up in all three to fellow sophomore and Garfield star Conner Hunt —sprinting 23.11 seconds in the 100m dash, three minutes and 10 seconds in the 800m dash, and a minute-and-a-half in the 400m dash.

Ratliff, among all others in the seated division, received warm standing ovations from the capacity crowd inside Dayton’s Welcome Stadium—as the Ohio High School Athletic Association offers events of shot put, plus the 800m run and the 400m and 100m dashes.

There were no Friday semifinals for Saturday’s finals this season in those track events —only the Saturday finals in which Ratliff thrice took second.

Last season, he competed in two events —the 400m (1:50) and the 100m (22.25).

This June, there were only three participants in the 800m and 400m dashes, and five for the 100m dash.

Ratliff has been competing in track for four years —with his two junior high seasons being the others.

He compared his performance from freshman to sophomore state meets, in an interview with The Portsmouth Daily Times.

Ratliff competed in multiple meets throughout the regular season, including in the Southern Ohio Conference championship meet —held at Minford High School this past May.

“My technique has gotten better. I felt I did good today. The 100m is definitely easier than the 800m or 400m,” said Ratliff. “I compete in the high school meets and the SOC meet. It’s just a great honor to do this every year. I love it, it’s awesome.”

 

 

Green’s Tate Ratliff was an all-Ohioan last Saturday in the boys seated 100m dash, 800m dash and 400m dash.

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

Green sophomore Tate Ratliff competes in the boys seated 800m dash as part of the state track and field meet at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium.

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

He is looking forward to training for two more opportunities at competing at the state —which has included a seated division for a decade now.

The OHSAA adopted a seated division, for both boys and girls, at its state track and field championships —beginning in 2013.

There was no state meet in 2020, as the entire spring sports season that year was canceled because of the coronavirus threat.

Reach Paul Boggs at (740) 353-3101 ext. 1926, by email at [email protected], or on X @paulboggssports © 2024 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved