Boys Track & Field: Jack De Francesco vaults to state title for Hilliard Davidson Wildcats

After finishing second in the pole vault in the Division I boys track and field state meet last season, Hilliard Davidson’s Jack De Francesco faced some adversity in his quest for a return trip to state.

The senior still ended up winning the state title June 4 at Ohio State with a top effort of 15 feet, 6 inches.

“This is huge,” De Francesco said. “It means literally the world to me. I had a really hard year with personal issues. A lot of stuff wasn’t going my way and I didn’t have a good season, but I’m glad that I finally just pulled through and I knew I could do it and I finally did it.”

Last season, he cleared a program-record 16-6 for his runner-up finish.

De Francesco battled an early season shoulder injury and also dealt with the death of his grandmother, Fran Evans, in February.

“I really think I could have jumped higher,” he said. “I was really overcome with emotions at the end. I’m just glad to be here and I’m glad for the opportunity. My grandmother was my biggest supporter. Dealing with that was really hard. She was our rock.”

After taking a brief break from the sport, De Francesco used the loss of his grandmother as motivation.

“After she died, it was a little different around the house,” De Francesco said. “I had to take some time away and deal with that. It did affect my training and it affected how I felt. I got to pull through and I know she’d be proud of me. I’m just glad I got to do it for her.”

Matt Beatty, who is the girls coach and also guides the program’s pole-vaulters, was impressed with De Francesco’s resiliency.

“He persevered,” Beatty said. “It was miserable weather-wise (this season). He couldn't get jumps up and overcame some things. He really focused on himself and got better each meet and put himself in a great spot to win. There’s so many distractions and I thought he did a good job keeping his mind right and focusing on the now. I’m really happy for him.”

De Francesco, who began competing in the event as a freshman, will continue his track career at North Carolina.

“This title will be perfect for him and it will take him right into North Carolina where he’s going to jump,” Beatty said. “They’re going to be getting a pretty good athlete.”

In addition to De Francesco’s first-place finish, junior Connor Ackley was second in the 1,600 meters in 4 minutes, 10.67 seconds, behind Loveland’s Ryan Chevalier (4:07.7). Ackley qualified for state in the 3,200, but withdrew from that race to focus on the 1,600.

Davidson tied for seventh (18) behind champion Pickerington Central (31).

•Alex Smith ended a standout career at Darby with three trips to the state podium.

The senior was second in the long jump (24-7 3/4), third in the 200 (21.32) and fifth in the 100 (10.63) in his second trip to state.

Last year, he finished second in the long jump (23-7 1/4) and seventh in the high jump (6-4).

He leaves Darby holding program records in the 100 (10.63), 200 (21.2) and long jump (24-11 1/2).

“It’s bittersweet,” Smith said, sitting on a bench after the 200, his final event. “I’m definitely going to miss high school and high school track with all my friends and coaches. But I think college will be really good. I’ll definitely improve in track overall and I’m excited for it.”

Smith, an Indiana commit, also plans to compete in the long jump and the 200 at the New Balance Nationals, which will be held June 16-19 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

“In the beginning of the season, I had no idea I’d make it this far in the 100 meters or even the 200 meters,” Smith said. “So making state was a huge accomplishment for me.”

State capped a season in which Smith won a regional title in the long jump (24-1 1/2) and district titles in the long jump (23-7) and 200 (21.44).

“I think he was a little disappointed in the long jump (at state),” coach Matt Fox said. “I think it’s the second straight year someone PR’d to beat him at the state meet. Last year, he’d progressed so much, I think he was grateful to be there. But this year, he had the highest of expectations. He still jumped (almost) 24-8, which is phenomenal. So to go second, third and fifth at the state meet in three different events is pretty special.”

Smith broke the OCC-Cardinal Division meet record in the long jump (24-11 1/2) on May 14 at Bradley. He also won league titles in the 200 (21.2), setting a personal record, and as a member of the 400 relay (43.06) with freshman Kaiden Molnar, senior Jackson Carey and sophomore Corey White-Stewart.

“I think we did a lot of really good things (as a team),” Fox said. “We developed a lot of depth. This is the most we’ve relied on the underclassmen since I’ve been here, so I think that’s a positive thing going into the future.”

—Michael Rich

•Bradley coach Ben Gadfield resigned following the regional after nine seasons.

Gadfield also will not return after eight seasons leading the boys cross country team, saying he wanted to have more time with his family.

“It’s bittersweet, but I have a son Zach, who is 12, and another son Adam, who is 9,” said Gadfield, whose team won an OCC-Cardinal championship in 2018. “I’m running around to their sports all of the time and I wanted to be able to watch them without worrying about letting my athletes down.”

Gadfield was also Bradley girls cross country coach from 2010-14, and the boys program won a district title in 2015.

“I wasn’t able to give it up cold turkey,” said Gadfield, who teaches social studies at Hilliard Memorial Middle School. “I’m going to be coaching Memorial’s cross country teams this fall. That way I can still feel like I’m involved.”

The Jaguars did not have a regional qualifier this season.

Key performers expected back include juniors Leo Aguirre (hurdles, sprints), Trevor Schuler (sprints) and Robert Snyder (throws), sophomores Bradyn Fleharty (sprints, jumps), Denis Shishlo (sprints, jumps), Ethen Tebbetts (hurdles, sprints) and Sam Vitale (throws) and freshman A.J. Barkhimer (sprints).

—Scott Hennen

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BRADLEY

•OCC-Central standings: Olentangy Orange (176), Olentangy Liberty (124.5), Dublin Coffman (100), Davidson (68), Bradley (29), Upper Arlington (25.5)

•Seniors lost: Evan Corea, Victor Dandridge, Brennan Daykin, Daniel George, Connor Gleason, Gadiel Guerra Sabillon and Qaisi Zakareya

•Key returnees: Leo Aguirre, A.J. Barkhimer, Bradyn Fleharty, Trevor Schuler, Denis Shishlo, Robert Snyder, Ethen Tebbetts and Sam Vitale

•Postseason: 11th (10) at district behind champion Pickerington North (130.5)

DARBY

•OCC-Cardinal standings: Thomas Worthington (111), Dublin Jerome (93), Marysville (85.5), Olentangy Berlin (83), Olentangy (75.5), Darby (75)

•Seniors lost: Jonathan Alecusan, Ryan Bugg, Jackson Carey, Tyler Cook, Benjamin Fleck, Justin Fleischman, Nicholas Gookin, Samuel Imwalle, Jacob Long, Cooper Magulick, John Murphy, Sai Vidyud Senthil Nathan, Alex Smith and Ethan Williams

•Key returnees: Collins Applegate, Gabe Burnside, Kasey Garrett, Kaiden Molnar and Corey White-Stewart

•Postseason: Fifth (63) at district behind champion Pickerington North (130.5), tied for 11th (25) at regional behind champion Westerville Central (55), tied for seventh (18) at state behind champion Pickerington Central (31)

DAVIDSON 

•Seniors lost: Jack Aldridge, Christian Caltenco, Jack De Francesco, Seth Gardner, Nik Monroe, Hayden Morrison, Adrick Phillips, Brady Whiteside and Zach Whitney 

•Key returnees: Connor Ackley, Nathan Brubeck, Mikey Clark, Jordan Lilly, Jackson Mazzulo and Owen Scott 

•Postseason: Eighth (39) at district behind champion Gahanna (122), sixth (30) at regional behind champion Westerville Central (55), tied for seventh (18) at state behind champion Pickerington Central (31)

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Boys Track & Field: De Francesco vaults to state title for Davidson