The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced in a prepared statement Feb. 2 that it is renaming the state track and field meet. Going forward, the meet will be known as the “OHSAA Jesse Owens Track and Field State Championships,” after being unanimously approved by the OHSAA board of directors. The designation was done in part through an Owens initiative created by the Soul of Philanthropy Cleveland. With the support of the Jesse Owens Foundation and Ohio State, it also aligns with the work of the Ohio 250 Commission, “recognizing Ohio’s significant contributions in celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States.” Soul of Philanthropy Cleveland co-founder Kevin Johnson stated, “The idea to rename the championships grew from a belief that Jesse Owens’ legacy should be permanently honored in Ohio, that Jesse Owens’ legacy should be visible, permanent and rooted in Ohio. “We are very grateful to the OHSAA, along with our partners and supporters for embracing the idea, and we’re committed to honoring Jesse Owens not only as a global icon, but as a proud son of Cleveland whose story continues to inspire generations of Ohioans and beyond.” So ends another NH area TF season, except for all-stars of courseThank you all Walking past this statue reminds me of the gratitude I feel being able to serve our communities year after year for 23 in TF is fullTake good care of the place, JesseUntil next time pic.twitter.com/M3jfF4RK28 — Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) June 8, 2025 Added OHSAA executive director Doug Ute: “We are extremely excited to honor Jesse Owens in this way. His name and accomplishments speak for themselves, and having their picture taken in front of his statue during the state championships is the goal of every track and field athlete in Ohio. Renaming the state tournament after Jesse Owens is a natural and will continue to lift up his legacy for everything he meant to Ohio and our country — on and off the track.” In addition to the Owens announcement, the OHSAA also finalized the new four-day format for the state meet as track and field shifts to five divisions in 2026. The full time schedule can be found at OHSAA.org, but the broad outline for each day is as follows: Thursday, June 4: Day 1 field events in Divisions IV and V, D-IV and D-V 4×800 and 3,200 finals, D-IV and D-V running preliminaries Friday, June 5: Day 2 field events in D-IV and D-V, Day 1 field in D-III, D-III 4×8 and 3,200 finals, D-III running prelims, D-IV and D-V running finals Saturday, June 6: Day 2 field in D-III, Day 1 field in D-I and D-II, D-I and D-II 4×8 and 3,200 finals, D-I and D-II running prelims, D-III running finals Sunday, June 7: Day 2 field in D-I and D-II, D-I and D-II running finals Related Articles High school sports year in review: Top 10 games/performances of 2025 ...read more read less