Photo by Seth Staskey River’s Cooper Brown placed third in the Division III state 400 meter dash.

COLUMBUS — Like everyone competing at the annual OHSAA State Track and Field Championships this weekend, Cooper Brown wanted to win a gold medal.

But, the River junior also understands the accomplishment of not only qualifying for the state meet, but just being a part of Ohio’s final day of the season.

“I was just happy to get here,” Brown said. “It’s been an experience.”

Thus heading back to Monroe County with a bronze medal and All-Ohio acclaim thanks to an impressive third-place showing in his specialty, the 400 meter dash, was nothing to be disappointed about.

“I am glad that my hardwork paid off and I was able to get to stand (on the podium),” Brown said.

Brown crossed the finish line in a solid 49.48, which was 23 hundredths of a second behind New Middletown Springfield’s Garrett Walker, who won the state title and just 2 hundredths of a tick from the silver spot.

“(On Friday), I had a bad start and didn’t push too hard for the first 200, so I had extra energy I could use (down the stretch), but I knew I couldn’t do that (in the final),” Brown said. “I knew I had get out if I was going to give myself a chance.”

Brown has been preparing for the moment he experienced Saturday morning since he started running track in the eighth grade and broke the 60-second barrier.

“That was a really good time, for that age, and from that point on, the 400 was the event I wanted to run,” Brown explained.

Brown, who won the regional title last Friday in Massillon, came to Ohio State University’s campus as the top seed.

He needed a furious kick down the homestretch to even advance to the final as the fourth seed overall.

Though pleased with his performance, Brown has already started thinking about his senior season in 2020.

“I wanted to run under 50 this year and I’d like to get into the 47s next year,” Brown said. “I need to work on my 200 paces and learn to run those more consistently.”

Steubenville Catholic Central’s 4×400 relay team really stepped it up a notch since the postseason began.

The Crusaders showed their grit again Saturday when they placed sixth in a season-best time of 4:03.46.

The team, which was comprised of Karlie Vandeborne, Rebecca Bolster, Clara Symington and Rebcca Bodo entered the state final in Lane 1, meaning it was seeded eighth of nine.

Shadyside’s Chase Stewart saw his impressive prep running career come to an end. He narrowly missed his first state track and field medal by virtue of a ninth-place finish in a time of 4:27.59.

Buckeye Trail’s Kathryn Williams posted a solid 5:21.51, but finished 14th in the 1600 meter run.