COLUMBUS – Ansonia track made history at the OHSAA Division IV boys state meet, bringing home the state runner-up trophy to cap a spectacular season. The Tigers won the WOAC for the third straight year, claimed back-to-back district titles, added a regional championship and finished just 3.5 points shy of a state crown.
That kind of sustained success hasn’t come easy. A closer look shows a program built on year-round work, shared leadership and a deep coaching staff all pulling in the same direction.
Head coach Clint Neal, the WOAC Coach of the Year for the third straight season, is quick to spread the credit to girls head coach Craig Riethman, special distance coach Allen Newbauer, and pole vault coach Steve Shellhaas.
Neal said this year’s state experience showcased the balance of veteran leadership and emerging talent.
“It was a great experience for our athletes,” Neal said. “We brought two freshmen, Zac Zerkle and Branson Landis, and then we have upper-class leadership with Bennett Lehman and Cade Shellhaas. You can’t ask for better mentors or role models for our younger athletes. We put a lot of pressure on those two to score a lot of points.”
Lehman answered that call, taking on a brutal workload.
“We asked a lot out of Bennett, competing in the 3200, 1600 and 800 in two days, which is hard to do,” Neal said.
Cade’s slate wasn’t much lighter.
“Same thing with Cade – doing pole vault, 110 and 300 hurdles, then coming back to run the 200. That’s hard on the body, but both of them are tremendous competitors,” Neal added. “I don’t think either of them take a day off. It was an incredible effort from both of them, and the results speak for themselves, making school history with a state runner-up title.”
The Tigers will return plenty of firepower next year, with both Lehman and Shellhaas back, plus freshmen who now have state experience and others who shined at districts and regionals.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board to see where we can score more points next year,” Neal said. “We bring everybody back, and we’re going to be a little hungrier. It’s going to spark some excitement and hopefully get more guys out here wanting to be a part of it.”
Pole Vault Power
One of those freshmen is Zac Zerkle, who cleared 13 feet to place 12th in the pole vault. Cade Shellhaas went 16 feet to finish state runner-up in the event.
“We had a good day at state,” pole vault coach Steve Shellhaas said of his son’s performance. “Not many will go 16 feet – any other time that jump would win state. But when another kid goes 17-5 and it’s the number one jump ever in the state of Ohio… well, second place is pretty good.”
Shellhaas was equally encouraged by Zerkle, especially considering the time frame.
“Zac jumped 13 feet, which is great for a freshman, and I really only had him for a month because he had knee surgery in April,” Shellhaas said. “I didn’t even think I’d have him at all this year. He was excited to get cleared, so we had a month to work things out and he got better each week, got stronger. This was a great experience. Give me a year with him and he’s going to score points.”
Freshman Branson Landis also got his first taste of state, placing 13th in the long jump with a mark of 20-02.50.
“Branson has had a good year in the long jump and has been consistent,” Neal said. “Being just a freshman, he’s only going to get much better.”
Building a Complete Program
While Neal coaches the boys and Riethman leads the girls, the pair work closely together to build one unified program.
Riethman said the foundation of Ansonia’s rise is simple: consistency and attention to detail.
“I am just so proud of these kids,” Riethman said. “They were amazing with the work they put in, how detail-oriented they are. They pay attention to detail from the warmup, through the event, through recovery, through the offseason, and make it kind of a year-round cycle. It’s very impressive how much they put into it. The success they are having just didn’t happen by accident.”
That commitment is embodied by Bennett Lehman, who came into track season already a state champion in cross country and left with a rare triple crown, adding state titles in both the 1600 and 3200.
Special distance coach Allen Newbauer said the journey started last year.
“It’s something we really talked about at the end of last track season, when he got third here at state in the 3200,” Newbauer said. “Bennett made a commitment to be essentially all in on running.”
From there, the plan was clear.
“We had a great summer build heading into cross country, where we had to defeat a two-time state champion, Luke Snyder. We geared our whole training around beating him,” Newbauer explained. “Then we came back in the winter knowing we wanted to go after a couple things in indoor, and he did that – he doubled indoor to get a couple wins. The goal was to try to do that again in outdoor state, but we added one other element this year of making it in the 800. We knew that was going to be a tall task, but he made it. These last two weeks have been a lot, but we couldn’t ask for more. He’s really intelligent, and he ran really, really well.”
Newbauer pointed to the 800 as a difference-maker.
“The 800 helped him finish strong in the 1600 where his last lap was 58.6,” he said. “What used to be his weakness has become a strength. We’ve really worked on that.”
The results left Lehman almost at a loss for words.
“Honestly, I’m speechless,” Lehman said. “I don’t know if it’s fully hit me yet. It’s something we’ve had on our mind and trained for, and we just tried to take it day by day. It’s been a blessing being able to stay healthy. We’ve had a good year, and it’s been fun.”
Lehman also made sure to spread the credit.
“State runner-up is pretty special, and some of the guys aren’t here that contributed and pushed us throughout the season,” he said. “I want to give credit to the friends and family who showed up today, and all our teammates back home cheering us on who couldn’t be here to taste it with us. Next year we want to be back here and bring more with us.”
Shellhaas Delivers – and Looks Ahead
Just like with Lehman, the staff worked to maximize points from Cade Shellhaas across multiple events.
“Our goal coming in was to get at least eight points from him in the vault, then go run the hurdles and get points in the 110 and 300 hurdles, and it would be a bonus if we got points in the 200,” Steve Shellhaas said.
“Lehman’s wins in the 1600 and 3200 were worth 20 points and was big,” Cade added.
Cade more than delivered as well adding 19 points taking second in the pole vault, fourth in the 110 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles.
For Cade, the near miss in the team race will only fuel what comes next.
“This is probably one of the best experiences I’ve had,” Cade said. “This is definitely good motivation for next year. I want to perform better in all my events. With Bennett coming back and getting more younger guys here next year, maybe we can win that state championship.”
With young talent already on the big stage, veteran stars returning, and a coaching staff that treats success as a year-round project, Ansonia’s state runner-up finish feels less like a destination and more like a launching pad.
The Tigers left Columbus with a trophy, a triple crown champion, and a clear vision of what one more step looks like. If the growth of their freshmen matches the hunger of their upperclassmen, and others step forward, Ansonia won’t just be chasing points in 2027 – they’ll be chasing a state title.
