State track: Brunswick girls 4 x 400 relay finishes sixth

COLUMBUS — Olivia Komperda lobbied her coaches for months, stating her case to be part of the Brunswick girls 4x400-meter relay in the postseason. They heard her message loud and clear three weeks ago, setting in motion an adventure that concluded with the Blue Devils receiving a standing ovation from their fans at Jesse Owens Stadium. Komperda and fellow senior Maggie Romano, junior Zaria Roberts and freshman Kaila Peterson finished sixth in the 4x400 at the Division I girls state track and field meet with a time of 3:53.48 on Saturday. Leadoff runner Roberts, Komperda, Romano and anchor Peterson were admirably consistent, staying between fourth and sixth for the duration. Their combined efforts led to Brunswick's highest finish in the event. "Picture perfect," Komperda exclaimed. "The 4x4 is my favorite race, and I was hungry to be a part of it, especially with these great girls. We are so close, it just feels incredible." Kent State signee Komperda competed in three events during her third trip to state — knowing that she would be undergoing right hip labrum surgery today — and captured her first two career medals. She placed eighth in the 800, which took place 45 minutes before she took the baton from Roberts, and was on the 13th-place 4x800 with Romano, Kylie Lockwood and Amber Kemmann on Friday. "To not give everything I had would be dumb," said Komperda, the 22nd girl in Medina County history to reach the podium in an individual and relay race in the same year. "I needed to make it worth it heading into surgery." Romano and Roberts both made huge strides since the end of last season after fully dedicating themselves to the sport. Their improvement allowed Brunswick to realize its potential in one of the marquee events in the sport. They equaled the best county showing in the 4x400 since Wadsworth was fifth in 2006. "I dreamed about this since I was a freshman, but I knew I had to put in a lot of hard work for it to be possible," Romano said, clutching her medal. "I am so grateful, so blessed. I wouldn't have wanted to be here with any other girls." Roberts fell one spot short of a podium finish in the 2024 long jump competition, making this accomplishment even more meaningful. "It was everything and more than I could have asked for," the triple-event participant said. "Making it to state is never guaranteed. You appreciate every moment of it." The quartet caught fire once it was put together at the Greater Cleveland Conference Meet, finishing with a flourish by recording the county's three fastest times of the season at the Port Clinton Regional, state semifinals and state final. "Once we realized we had the chance to be great, it really pushed us," Peterson said. "I am so, so proud of our team." The most impressive local rookies in 2025 were Peterson and Wadsworth sophomore Maggie Gerschutz, who played softball last spring and runs cross country in the fall. She said the camaraderie among distance runners prompted her to switch to track. Gerschutz performed with poise in her state debut, finishing ninth in the 3,200. She held eighth place throughout the fourth-through-seventh laps before Cincinnati Seton's Heidi Harmeyer made a surprising burst in the last 400. "I heard her behind me the whole time, so give her credit," Gerschutz said. "She knew her game plan and executed it well. I can learn from it."Everything turned out really well because our Wadsworth team had a great year. I will definitely be back." Contact Brian Dulik at sports@medina-gazette.com. Follow @BrianDulik on X.