Shelby's Henkel nets regional long jump record on 'best birthday ever' (original) (raw)
Updated May 30, 2026, 6:53 p.m. ET
PIQUA — After stepping off the podium at Piqua High School in front of a sea of Shelby Whippet fans, Madison Henkel had just three words to say with the biggest of smiles.
“Best birthday ever,” Henkel said, grinning from ear to ear.
Henkel had just broken the Division III regional meet record in the long jump by posting a state-best 19-feet, 7-inches to win the regional championship by a foot and 7 inches over second place. Henkel had three jumps of longer than 19 feet. Her second jump of the day went 19-03.25, which would have broken the meet record, but it was ruled to be wind aided.
She needed no wind to go 19-07.
“This is the first time I have been consistently in the 19s,” Henkel said. “So that feels really great, especially this late in the season and jumping my best. My adrenaline was really pumping, and that helped me overcome the anxiety I have been going into meets with.”
It is strange to believe that Henkel, a veteran senior, goes into track meets with anxiety.
She already has a state championship to her credit in 2025 along with several regular-season meet victories and numerous district and regional titles.
But, she still gets nervous because she cares, and she has a desire to be her best every time she stares down the long jump runway. Some of the most recent anxiety comes from her performance at the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference meet, where she fouled twice before going into her final jump with the most messed up steps she has ever taken. She didn’t make the finals and missed out on a league championship in the final conference meet of her career.
Needless to say, she put all that behind her in a big way.
“I am proud that I came in and proved to myself that I can jump at a high level,” Henkel said. “It means a lot for my confidence.”
Shelby 4x100 relay overcomes 2025 disappointment with 2026 regional title
Last season, the Shelby girls 4x100-meter relay team entered the postseason expecting to win a district and regional championship and put themselves on the podium at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
And then, the dreaded double-gun went off in the prelims of their race and they were disqualified due to a false start.
So, when the quartet of Henkel, Princess Timko, Ashley Montgomery and Karlie Walp began their postseason adventure this year, they vowed to prove what they were made of and what last year should have been. They went out and won the Division III regional championship in the event by posting a blistering time of 48 seconds to take home the title and go into the state meet as a potential state champion candidate.
“We were all devastated after last year’s DQ,” Henkel said. “But coming into this year, we knew what we were capable of, and when you add that hunger and underdog mentality, we can do special things. We are really proving ourselves.”
Timko, the first leg of the team, remembered the devastation Henkel mentioned and has been on a mission to get the Whippets back to state. She also advanced to state in the 100-meter dash after taking second with a 12.25.
“It was so hard not getting that chance last year,” Timko said, “but getting out of districts and winning regionals just makes up for all of that heartbreak. It feels so special.”
For second leg, Ashley Montgomery, it will be the only event she competes in at state, but knows that things could be different as they were last season when she was a spectator for the event.
“It is so amazing because we worked so hard last year to put ourselves in a position to make it to state,” Montgomery said. “And in the blink of an eye, it was taken away. That was horrible. But we came back strong this year, and I am excited to go to state with these girls.”
Karlie Walp is the lone newcomer to the team after Ava Bowman graduated last season. After the completion of softball season, where she was a key contributor as a No. 2 batter and a starting left fielder, Walp can now put all of her chips into track, and she has taken off.
“It is so much fun running with them,” Walp said. “I didn’t get to run with them much during the year because of softball, but we are all so close, and it has been easy to get our handoffs down over the last two weeks. We have an insane bond.”
Freshman Yamiah Williams was normally the third leg of the team and performed beautifully throughout the season. She will remain an alternate at state.
“We were doing so well this year, and Yamiah Williams had a phenomenal freshman year,” Henkel said. “She is going to be special over the next three years. But when Karlie joined, we have lowered our PR by more than half a second, and that is huge in a race like this.”
And now, they will look to continue lowering their best times on the biggest stage when they make the trip to Columbus for the state championships on June 5.
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