Minford High School sophomore Peyton Caudill (6th) made all-Ohio last Saturday in the Division II boys 100m dash as part of the state track and field meet at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium.

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

Minford High School sophomore Peyton Caudill (8th) made all-Ohio last Saturday in the Division II boys 200m dash as part of the state track and field meet at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium.

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

DAYTON — Last season, it was simply about making it to the statewide stage for Minford’s Peyton Caudill.

This season, it was about dashing his way to the awards podium.

And indeed, Caudill did just that in the Division II boys 100m and 200m dashes, earning all-Ohio honors in both races — as part of the annual state track and field championship meet.

This season’s state meet took place at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium, as Caudill competed on Friday (May 31) for the three-heat semifinals —and qualified from those for Saturday’s (June 1) state finals.

Minford’s Peyton Caudill was an all-Ohioan last Saturday in the Division II boys 100m and 200m dashes.

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

Caudill, in the 100m dash, placed sixth with a time of 11.11 seconds —before finishing eighth in the 200m dash, in 22.97 tics.

Last year, at Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Caudill qualified for the Division II 200m dash —and finished 14th in the semifinals in 22.33.

This time, Caudill extended his season by another day —running 600 combined meters under sunsplashed skies, and in front of a two-day capacity crowd in Dayton.

Caudill compared his experience from last year to this year —and on qualifying and landing all-Ohio in two events.

The top eight placers in each event earn points for their respective schools, and a spot on the awards podium at midfield.

“It’s been substantial with a lot of work. Being there that first time last year, I was a kid that didn’t even have my driver’s license yet. I was shaking and nervous and freaking out. But coming here this year, I felt a lot more relaxed because I had been on this stage before,” said Caudill. “I felt more ready to go.”

It was a hotter Dayton on Saturday than it was for Friday, and Caudill qualified in both sprints — taking advantage of the final at-large spots from the semifinals.

There were three heats of seven runners for both races, with the top two in each heat automatically advancing to the finals —then the next two fastest times.

Caudill grabbed the final at-large spots —sprinting 11.05 seconds in the 100m and 22.14 seconds in the 200m.

Minford’s Peyton Caudill (right) competes in Saturday’s state finals for the Division II boys 100m dash.

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

Minford’s Peyton Caudill (right) competes in Saturday’s state finals for the Division II boys 200m dash.

Paul Boggs | Daily Times 

He was in Lane 1 for finals races, but managed a sixth-place first and an eighth-place second.

“It was a lot of wind both days, and it was a hot one today,” said Caudill, on Saturday. “The first day, I was super-excited to qualify for the finals in two events. It’s super-special and God really blessed me with that. I was the second kid in Minford history to ever do that. That was really special to me. Then going into today, I had nothing to lose. I wasn’t even supposed to qualify. So I just went out there and did my thing and had a blast.”

The at-large qualifying spot did play to Caudill’s advantage.

“God really blessed me,” he said. “With that rule coming in, that really saved me. Running third in my heat in each event, but I ran good races both yesterday and today. I ran my hardest. I thank God for putting me where he wants me to be.”

In 2018, Breydan Tilley was the first double-placer for the Falcons at the state meet —fifth in the Division III 110m high hurdles and sixth in the high jump.

The competition of course is extremely strong — as Brookville junior Coy Hyre swept the state championships in the sprints (10.65 in 100m and 21.61 in 200m).

Caudill commented on what he learns from running stride-by-stride with the best in the state.

“Just talking to a lot of these guys and seeing what their training styles are. It’s really good to learn,” he said. “Talking to state champion Coy Hyre over the last two days has been a good experience. I’ve learned a lot.”

Caudill now has two track and field seasons left —so the goal becomes in search of gold.

His personal records are 10.93 in the 100m and 21.92 in the 200m.

“The next step for me is to put my head down and work. I want more and I want to be back and I want that gold medal and improve on those PRs,” he said. “That’s my goal.”

But to stand on the platform edges, and to stare out into the Welcome Stadium crowd, Caudill called it “super special”.

“Just having a chance and then standing there twice, I had a big smile on my face. I was happy,” he said. “God has just really blessed me.”

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