Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes The Salem 4x800m squad poses following their state runner up time of 9:18.36 in the Div. II meet this past weekend in Dayton. From left to right, Maggie Hopple, Rylee Hutton, Megan Stafford, Maggie Hall.

DAYTON — One year ago, the Salem girls 4×800-meter relay team arrived in Columbus for the OHSAA state track and field meet with high hopes, and left Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium without a spot on the podium at all.

Missing out on eighth place by 0.66 seconds last year, a slightly different Salem relay lineup returned to the Division II state meet this past weekend in Dayton. However, unlike in 2023, the Quakers entered this year’s event with a time seeded 10th among the 18 teams, solidly placing them in the middle of the pack.

But there would be no let-down in Dayton, as Salem raced past presumed title contenders and earned a second-place finish, catching competitors and even the girls themselves off guard.

“We just wanted to podium this year,” Megan Stafford said. “We fell short last year with ninth place, so our goal this year was podium. We weren’t expecting that at all. I think it was just a big surprise.”

While Stafford, Maggie Hall and Maggie Hopple remained from last year, Salem was forced to replace graduating senior Ella Double in its 4×800 team. Rylee Hutton filled the spot to great success, which she credits to her teammates.

“Coming in and never running an 800 before, these girls have been so supportive and been with me the whole journey,” Hutton said. “I was really nervous coming in, but the whole entire way through districts and regionals, they’ve been very supportive and helped calm my nerves and made me feel really comfortable in this race.”

The improving chemistry between the four was on full display in Dayton, where the team recorded a time of 9:18.36, a mark more than 18 seconds quicker than when the Quakers finished second at the regional meet a couple weeks ago and qualified for states.

“We’re just so grateful for the opportunity to be here and race such great competition,” Hall said. “All the girls here are just amazing and everybody worked hard to get here. We just really wanted to go out there and show kind of what we’ve been working for.”

Whether it was back in Austintown for regionals or at Welcome Stadium in Dayton for states, though, the girls knew what they could expect from each other: effort.

“It’s nice knowing that each leg of our 4×8 is gonna give it our all,” Stafford said. “No matter who you hand it off to, they’re gonna give it their all, even if it’s not the best for that day. It’s still all that they have.”

The team finished a little over three seconds behind Woodridge, which won the Austintown Fitch regional meet a weekend earlier as well. Salem edged out Waynesville — which held the third-fastest seed time — by 0.24 seconds for second place.

The silver medal is a fitting parting gift for seniors Stafford and Hutton and possibly, along with defending the girls team’s regional title, could become motivation for those staying with the program.

“I think it definitely gives them a goal to go to and it will show the younger ones especially, that the hard work you put in does pay off in the long run,” Hopple said. “You might not get the results right away, but it definitely will improve over time.”

Both Hutton and Stafford intend to continue their respective academic and athletic careers in college; Stafford signed a letter of intent in November with Youngstown State to join the Penguins’ cross country and track and field teams, while Hutton signed in May to attend Mount Union, where she will compete in soccer, basketball and track and field.

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