Andy Arnio places third in 3200 run

Warren JFK and South Range each earned All-Ohio honors in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays.
By ZACH STIPE
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
COLUMBUS -- Arriving at the state meet as the defending state champion and leaving with a third-place finish would devastate most athletes. But not Maplewood's Andy Arnio.
"I am happy with how I did," Arnio said after finishing third in Division III in the 3200-meter run at the Saturday's state meet. "I'm happy to [be on the] podium at state."
Arnio was the Division III state champion in the 3200 last year and won a state title in cross country in the fall. Heading into the track season he was clearly the top distance runner in Division III.
Some consolation
The junior wasn't too disappointed with his performance, though.
Arnio recently came back from a stress fracture early in the season that caused him to miss six weeks.
When the race began, Arnio tried to go out with Chris Olinger of West Lafayette Ridgewood, but quickly realized he wouldn't be able to keep up with his rival and fell back into a sea of competitors.
While Olinger and Holgate's Jason Ordway broke away from the field, Arnio sat back and focused on finishing third.
"[I] sat in the pack and had them push me," the junior said. "Then I just took off the last two laps."
It was hard for Arnio to watch two runners he had beaten handily during cross country defeat him on the track, but he took it in stride.
There were other things in mind.
Others
Warren JFK and South Range each earned All-Ohio honors in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays.
JFK edged South Range to finish fourth in the 4x200 in 1:31.05. South Range finished fifth in 1:31.19.
The Raiders got revenge by placing third in the 4x400. JFK finished fifth.
"All through high school [the state meet] is what any athlete dreams of," South Range's Dan Holloway said
Last year South Range finished eighth in the event.
Holloway, the anchor of the relay, battled for third place with a Cleveland Villa-Angela St. Joe's runner throughout the last lap. He used a burst at the end to secure third for the Raiders in 3:24.75.
Doug Miller, David Rach and David Maxwell joined Holloway on the 4x400 team.
Miller also competed in the 800. The senior zoomed to the front at the sound of the gun and remained there for most of the race. With 200 meters to go, Miller looked drained.
"I was getting tired over there, but I had enough left on the last 100 to give it a go," he said. He recovered to finish fifth in 1:58.97.
Short of expectations
JFK had high hopes coming into Saturday, but didn't quite meet its expectations.
The team was surprised after their fifth-place finish in the 4x200.
Later, the Eagles were disqualified from the 4x100 after a Province false start.
Hull earned all-Ohio in three events. He was a member of both relays and finished fifth in the 400.
Tony Elzy earned all-Ohio in two events for the Eagles. The JFK senior placed sixth in the 100 in 11.15 and was a member of the 4x200 relay.
Southington's Ryan Gilanyi took sixth in the 1600 and McDonald's Joseph Copploe was eighth.