The girls indoor track team placed third overall in Division II/III at the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (OATCCC) championships at the University of Akron on March 7.

The 4×200 relay team, consisting of senior Emilykate Hopson-Boyd, junior Hannah Kahn, freshmen Mia Knight and senior Maya Gaines-Smith placed first with a time of 1:45.72.

The 4×400 relay placed third in the state with a time of 4:16.62.

Individual achievements included Knight placing fifth in the 60m dash and eighth in the 200m dash and Gaines-Smith placing seventh in the 200m dash.

The team’s success was hard-won, as they competed against larger schools from all over the state. At the end of the meet, they were just two points short of state-runner up.

“We practiced really hard, especially with the exchanges,” Hopson-Boyd said.

“We had a lot of pressure for the 4×2, because we were running against our rivals Beaumont and Dunbar,” Gaines-Smith said.

“Coming in as a freshman and racing against seniors — it was a mind thing for me,” Knight said.

Winning the 4×2 was one of the best moments of the season for the Beachwood girls.

“I had anticipated we were going to run fast, and I was more excited than I had ever been in a really long time when I found out they won,” coach Willie Smith said.

The 4×4 relay consisted of junior Jaelyn Pounds, Kahn, Hopson-Boyd, and Gaines-Smith.

“We could have done better on the 4×4 relay,” Hopson-Boyd said.

After such a successful season, some runners feel that the sport should get the same honors and privileges as OHSAA-validated sports such as cross country and outdoor track.

Nonetheless, both coach Smith and the girls left the OATCCC championships feeling refreshed and motivated.

“They’re experienced track girls. They know what it takes to win, and the future looks good,” Coach Smith said.

“Our goals are going to outdoor track states and just breaking more records,” Gaines-Smith said.