Colin Cernansky of Marlington wins Division II boys mile at OHSAA state track championship

COLUMBUS — Another day, another state championship for Coiln Cernansky.

Who knows how many more the Marlington distance runner has left in him.

Cernansky won his second title in as many days Saturday at the OHSAA State Track and Field Championships. He captured the Division II boys 1,600 meters in 4:14.18.

The resume Cernansky created for himself over the past year is as impressive as it gets. Last fall he helped the Dukes cross country team win a state championship. Over the past three weeks he won district, regional and state titles in the 1,600. On Friday Cernansky helped lead the Dukes' 3,200 relay team to a state title.

Keep this in mind: Cernansky just completed his sophomore year.

"I never thought I'd be a state champ my sophomore year," Cernansky said. "It has been a lifelong dream of mine to be a state champ. I never thought it would be this early.

"It still feels unreal that I'm a state champ. I really don't believe it. It's crazy. I'm like on cloud nine.

"I gotta follow through with it the next two years and win two more state championships."

Cernansky woke up Saturday still on cloud nine from the 3,200 relay's state championship win. There wasn't much time left to focus on the 1,600.

"It definitely was a difficult task," Cernansky said. "I really didn't get refocused until the morning on the way to the meet. I still had that state championship in the back of my head. It definitely took a little bit of work to get refocused."

Cernansky earned this win. Orange's Brian Gent and Bryan's Joshuah Taylor were on his heels down the stretch. Both finished within 51 one-hundredths of a second of Cernansky.

"I still felt really good with about 200 to go and was able to find another gear and move in front," Cernansky said. "I felt great doing it.

"I didn't expect that out of myself. I just told myself 'Let's get a nice place on the podium. Let's run a nice time, maybe a school record.

"I knew I had it in me, but it was a goal that was a little more far out there."

Reach Mike at mike.popovich@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @mpopovichREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Marlington's Colin Cernansky wins Division II boys 1,600 state title