Beaver Local’s Landon Wheatley clears 6-feet on Saturday in the Div. II high jump at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus. (Photo by Ron Firth)

COLUMBUS — Sophomore Landon Wheatley became the second Beaver Local high jumper to score at the state track and field meet.

He’s going to have to reach high to surpass the school record set by state champion Pat Woods.

“Hopefully I get 7 foot by my senior year and I get to meet him,” Wheatley said.

Wheatley placed sixth in the Division II boys high jump with a leap of 6-foot-4 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

“I felt great,” he said. “It was a little different starting at 6-foot because I usually start at 5-10.”

He got over 6-2 and 6-4 on his first attempts to claim a podium spot.

“I’d like to say coming into this I was pretty confident,” Wheatley said. “When they said there was nine jumpers left, I knew by the grace of God I would be on the podium.”

Philo junior Aidan Mahon became his school’s first state champion with a winning jump 6-foot-6 on his first attempt. He is recovering from a hamstring injury on his jumping leg.

Minerva freshman Wyatt Gonzalez tied for 18th place by clearing 6-0 on his second attempt.

Beaver Local’s school record is 6-foot-11 set by Woods. He was the 2003 state champion (6-10) and the 2002 state runner-up (6-7).

Wheatley also plays on the basketball and soccer teams, but track and field is his favorite sport. There aren’t many who put track on the top of their list.

“Not that I know of,” he said. “I just fell in love with it.”