TWICE AS NICE: Whiteoak's Landen Eyre wins 2 OHSAA state championships

COLUMBUS — Whiteoak senior Landen Eyre capped off his high school athletic career with not one, but two state championships Saturday morning at the 2025 OHSAA Division III State Track and Field Championships, winning both the 1600-meter and 3200m races at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at The Ohio State University.

Eyre won the 1600m run with a time of 4:11.13, beating the second-place finisher Carson Klase, a senior from McDonald, whose time was 4:11.54.

In the 1600m run Eyre after 400m had a time of 1:03.27, and when the race hit the 800m mark his time was 2:07.86, as the second lap was timed at 1:04.60. On lap three, Eyre had a race time of 3:11.08, for a lap of 1:03.23, and the fourth and final lap Eyre finished with a time of 4:11.13, for a lap of 1:00.05. 

A little over an hour later, Eyre defended his state title from a year ago in the 3200m run with a 9:12.46 finish, ahead of runner-up Andrew Rohde, a senior from Steubenville Catholic Central, at 9:12.94.

Eyre’s 3200m race started with a lap of 1:08.93, followed by a second lap of 1:06.93 for a race time of 2:15.85. From there, the first mile saw a lap three time of 1:08.50, and his fourth lap was timed at 1:11.14 for a race time of 4:35.49. 

The second half of the 3200m race saw Eyre have laps times of 1:14.00, 1:13.12, 1:10.37 and his final lap went for a time of 59.50, completing the 3200m race with his fastest lap of the day. 

"We've always preached to peak at the end, to run smart races, and it has accumulated at the exact perfect time," WHS head coach Doug Hughes said. "He was strategic and won when he had to. He was clutch, and his races were absolute perfection."

In his last three events at the OHSAA state championships, Eyre has gone 3-for-3 in first-place finishes, as he won the 3200m run in 2024 with a time of 9:10.07. Also last year at state, in the 1600m run Eyre was third place overall with a time of 4:14.86. 

Eyre also won a state indoor track and field championship this past winter, winning the OATCCC Div. IV state indoor 3200m run with a time of 9:29.94.

"Winning four state titles, it’s awesome to know that all my hard work I’ve put in for the past six years has paid off,” Eyre said. 

Once during the 3200m race in the final laps Eyre was tripped up, but he landed just right, readjusted while still running and battled back to win the state championship. 

"I got tripped up, but thank God it ended OK,” he said. “It’s just stumbling, so it’s not that big of a deal. I’ve actually trained for something like that. When I fell at regional cross-country last year, I implemented some push-offs.

"It was just pure focus. I don’t pay much attention to anything else,” Eyre continued about the final lap. “I didn’t like how slow the first lap got out, so I kind off took the lead for the next six laps, but then Andrew Rohde passed me with about 400 to go, but then we kind of just dug it out together that last 100 and I came out on top.”

Coach Hughes spoke about how Eyre continues to improve with his running. 

"He just keeps improving his race strategy," Hughes said. "The 1600m race is a fast race, and he was incredible. In the last part of the race, the kid from McDonald looked over at him, and I saw it, Landen saw it and took advantage and ran past him for the win. He couldn't have planned it better.

"The 3200m race, Landen also ran a strategic race, and he was just waiting to kick it in at the end, at the right moment," Hughes continued. "The last 300 I was a little nervous, but the kid in second started to kick it in and Landen went with him and nipped him at the finish line. He's learned so much over the last few years, and a big part of his success has been traveling to face tough competition and learning from from some of his losses. It all paid off, but he was clutch today.

"It's been a great ride. He was calm, cool and collected, and I know nobody has worked as hard, and it paid off."

Eyre said thanks to many of his supporters. 

"I have to thank all of my coaches in track and cross-country for their workouts and help throughout the years," he said. "When I was an eighth grader or freshman, I never thought this could happen. So anyone anywhere that’s starting in the sport this shows if you work hard, good things and success can happen. I also want to thank Coach Doug Hughes. He’s the one who got me into the sport of running. A huge thanks to all my teachers and everybody from the Whiteoak community. It really means a lot to be supported by everybody."

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