News Democrat

Injury prevents Eastern’s Hopkins from jumping at State

Outstanding high school track and field career reaches end for senior Lady Warrior – 

By Wade Linville – 

Eastern High School’s senior track & field star, Madison Hopkins, qualified for the OHSAA State Track and Field Championship Meet in Columbus for the second consecutive year, but it was an unfortunate injury that prevented her from competing in the 2018 OHSAA Division II State Track & Field Championship Meet this spring, according to the Eastern High School track & field coaching staff.
Hopkins qualified for the state championships in the long jump for the second consecutive year after placing in the top four at the regional meet, but the Eastern community was saddened to hear that it was an injury that ended her high school career before getting the opportunity to compete in the final meet of the high school season.
Hopkins competed in three individual events and one relay race during the Division II, Region 7 championships at Muskingum, and it was her top four finish in the long jump event that earned her a trip to state.
Hopkins placed fourth in the long jump at the regional championship meet with a longest leap of 17-01.
Hopkins competed for a fifth place finish in the regional finals of the 200 meter dash with a time of 26.82, just one spot shy of qualifying for state in that event.
She finished sixth in Region 7 in the 100 meter dash with a time of 13.00 and also competed in the regional meet as part of the Eastern 4×400 meter relay team.
She was the top performer for the Eastern Lady Warriors in this year’s Southern Hills Athletic Conference Track & Field Championship Meet at Manchester to earn the SHAC Track & Field Person of the Year Award.
Hopkins is still planning to continue her track career on the collegiate level at Brescia University.
“Madison Hopkins is one of the best athletes I have ever coached,” said Eastern High School track and field coach, Travis Bogart. “She is fast, strong, and can be successful in any event…an outstanding competitor. She has always been very coachable, a great role model of work ethic, and has an obvious desire to succeed. Madison is the type of athlete that if I said, ‘we need you to do this, I need you run this, we need you to finish near the top in this event,’ she did. As talented as she is, what is most impressive about Madison is how humble she has always been and, because of that, she is well-respected by her competitors from other teams.”
“As sad and disappointing as it is that she didn’t get to compete at the state meet this year in Columbus, she will come back from this injury faster, stronger and better than ever because of her determination to work hard and be the best,” Bogart added. “It has been such an honor to be able to coach her these past two years, and I look forward to watching her continue her success at Brescia University.”