Wayne, Holmes county athletes qualify for OHSAA state track meet
Holmes and Wayne County athletes reached Columbus for the first five-division OHSAA state track meet, with Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium hosting June 4-7.
Wayne and Holmes County athletes have earned their place on Ohio’s biggest high school track stage, and their schools now have a clear reason to watch Columbus closely this week. The state meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium runs June 4-7, giving local runners, jumpers, throwers and relay teams a shot at medals, finals appearances and the kind of state-level recognition that can lift an entire program.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association says the 2026 Jesse Owens Track and Field State Championships are the first held under a five-division format. The meet is also the 119th annual boys state tournament and the 51st annual girls state tournament, a reminder of how long the championship has served as the finish line for Ohio’s spring season. For Holmes County and Wayne County programs, simply qualifying is a major accomplishment, and the county-area roundup put those names and schools in the spotlight at the moment they mattered most.
Competition is taking place at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University, 2450 Fred Taylor Drive in Columbus. Spectators are being directed to use State Route 315 and the Ackerman Road or Lane Avenue exits. OHSAA says parking is free in identified lots, and mobile tickets are available through Ticketmaster. State tournament tickets are listed at $10 for students and $16 for adults.
Fans following the meet can use OHSAA’s live results, heat sheets, venue map, parking maps, and spectator and coach information to track how the local qualifiers are doing from day to day. The event returned to Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium after last year’s tournament was moved to Welcome Stadium in Dayton because of renovation, putting Ohio’s premier track meet back in a venue that fits its history and draw.
That draw is substantial. OHSAA said the 2025 track and field state tournament brought in more than 35,000 people over two days, underscoring the scale of the championship and the attention that comes with reaching it. For Holmes County and Wayne County schools, each qualifier now carries the hopes of teammates, coaches, classmates and hometown fans as the state meet unfolds in Columbus.
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