How many central Ohio high school student-athletes have 12 or more varsity letters?
Riley Colestock decided long ago that her love of sports was such that “I wanted this to be my life and I want this to be my life for a very long time.”
But the London senior was so busy preparing for a college running career at The Citadel, commuting to the Dayton area several times a week for an internship and coming off helping the Red Raiders’ girls bowling team to its first district and state tournaments that she didn’t realize she was making history.
“I ended up with 14 letters without realizing it,” Colestock said. “My dad (Ed, London’s bowling coach) told me and I thought he had to be joking.”
No matter what the final weeks of Colestock’s high school career hold, she already is in rarified air.
Her 14 letters, which she earned in four sports, led all of central Ohio according to a Dispatch survey of area athletic directors and coaches. Only two athletes have more than 12, the other being Whitehall’s Andre Jackson with 13 (four in both football and outdoor track and field, three in basketball, two in indoor track).
Both had to double up in a season at some point to exceed 12 letters. Colestock split her freshman and sophomore autumns between cross country and soccer, and Jackson added indoor track to basketball in the winter as a junior and senior.
“I always knew I had to do something year-round,” Jackson said. “(Multiple sports) go hand in hand. I like to stay active throughout the year. A season off would be hard for me.”
Colestock called cross country “my pure favorite” and gave up soccer after her sophomore year because of time commitments. She took up bowling as a freshman, paying back friend and classmate Lauren Peters, who had taken up cross country at Colestock’s behest the previous fall, and increasing turnout to make sure the bowling team would continue.
After some turmoil in the coaching ranks this past season, Colestock’s father took over and guided London to state. The Red Raiders finished 15th.
Colestock will major in exercise science at The Citadel, with a track in pre-medicine.
“For me, I have such a love and passion for sports and sports medicine that I decided I wanted this to be my life and I want this to be my life for a very long time,” Colestock said. “I loved playing soccer, I loved running cross country. I found a love for bowling and I love track and field.”
Jackson, who started playing football at age 4, admitted it took time to acclimate to competing in three sports.
He saw time at running back as a freshman, has played quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back and was Division I district and regional champion in the 400 meters last spring before placing third at state.
Jackson was indoor runner-up in the 400 in March and has received interest from Iowa and Texas Christian. He is holding off on committing to a college until after track season.
He said high school wouldn’t have been the same without sports.
“It’s been extremely important,” Jackson said. “I’ve made so many connections through sports that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.”
Here are the other central Ohio student-athletes to earn 12 varsity letters:
Kara Bergeron, Granville
LETTERS: Cross country (4), indoor track and field (4), outdoor track and field (4)
A Tampa signee, Bergeron is a three-time track state qualifier with the 3,200 relay and was part of the 2022 Division II state champion cross country team. Bergeron was an individual district champion last fall and placed 12th at state, 69 spots better than her junior year, and the team finished sixth. Granville has finished in the top 10 at state each of the past 12 years.
Eva Dulle, Wellington
LETTERS: Soccer (4), track and field (4), cross country (3), swimming (1)
Soccer and track have been the constants for Dulle, who will compete in cross country and track at Ohio Dominican. She is a two-time Division III regional qualifier in cross country, finishing 76th as a sophomore and 64th as a junior, and is seeking her first state track berth. Dulle also swam distance events this past winter.
Zach Jones, London
LETTERS: Basketball (4), football (4), track and field (4)
A Colgate football signee, Jones was first-team all-district and all-state in Division III last fall as a safety. He is the boys basketball program’s all-time leader in points (1,584) and steals (247) and ranks second in rebounds. Jones throws the shot put and runs some relays in track, and he has advanced to the Division II regional in the high jump the past two years.
Logan Knerr, Northridge
LETTERS: Cross country (4), soccer (4), track and field (4)
Knerr split his falls between cross country, in which he placed 43rd at last fall’s Division III regional, and soccer, where he was a defender. Knerr participates in distance, middle distance and sprint events for the track team.
Gigi Manley, Wellington
LETTERS: Basketball (4), soccer (4), lacrosse (2), track and field (2)
The versatile senior played a key role in the girls basketball team’s resurgence last winter, when it went 19-5 after winning 11 games the previous three seasons. Manley was a guard and forward in basketball, defender and goalie in soccer and a sprinter and thrower in track.
Slade McClaskey, Liberty Union
LETTERS: Basketball (4), football (4), track and field (4)
The two-way lineman and Ashland signee was a first-team all-MSL-Cardinal, all-district and all-state honoree in Division V last fall on the defensive line and participated in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl and Ohio North/South All-Star Classic. McClaskey had 85 tackles, seven sacks and a fumble recovery as a senior.
Mairin O’Brien, Olentangy Orange
LETTERS: Basketball (4), cross country (4), track and field (4)
O’Brien shares four school track records, in the 1,600, 3,200, 6,400 and distance medley relays, and was a two-time Division I state cross country meet qualifier. She placed 52nd this past fall and 86th as a junior. O’Brien will run collegiately at Ohio University.
Sammy West, Delaware Hayes
LETTERS: Cross country (4), soccer (4), track and field (4)
Not only was West a stalwart for all three teams throughout high school, she was part of five OCC-Capital championships – three in soccer (2020, 2022 and 2023) and one each in cross country (2022) and track (2023). West has signed to play soccer, in which she plays defender and midfielder, at Earlham.
The common theme? Track and field
Of the nine central Ohio athletes to earn 12 or more varsity letters, all either participate in track or have done so. Here are some of their thoughts on why it is so beneficial:
Colestock: “Since there are so many event groups and there are so many people who go along and work together within those groups, it can be beneficial to have athletes to be successful in different events. You can’t win a meet by yourself.”
Dulle: “It’s something you can just add on. The majority of sports require endurance and speed. Using track as a means to get better for another sport, I see it often.”
Jones: “All the different events in track – you have jumps, throws, sprints, distances, all that – it all transcends into other sports. Track helps finds those spots where you need to improve, whether it’s strength or endurance.”
McClaskey: “I don’t think it’s very surprising. A lot of kids will use track for the running workouts and if they’re big and strong enough, they’ll throw.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OHSAA: These 9 Ohio student-athletes earned 12 or more varsity letters
