McClain’s Mylie Lovett ends high school career; places 11th in state high jump event

COLUMBUS — In the final event involving a Highland County athlete on Friday at the 2026 OHSAA State Track and Field Championships, McClain senior Mylie Lovett competed in the Division III high jump event at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. 

Competing on the campus of The Ohio State University, Lovett cleared a height of 5.00.00 on her first jump of the high jump event, eventually finishing tied for 11th place overall. She then attempted her PR (personal record) of 5-02.00 but did not repeat the feat on three attempts.

In the end, though, Lovett finished her high school career competing at the highest level of competition in Division III, being one of the Top 19 in the state entering the event. 

“I was trying not to let my nerves get to me too much, because I feel like making it here was just a big accomplishment for me, because I've never made it here in high school,” Lovett said. “I've competed at state in seventh and eighth grade, so being here my senior year is kind of like a full-circle moment for me, and it's really exciting. I ran the 4x1 at state as an alternate my sophomore year.

“Clearing the first height at every meet has always been my main priority. If I just clear the first one of my first try, then I know I'm in a good place, so at practice this week, I was focusing on clearing five, like my first try, consistently. Doing that today was a big deal for me. I was really excited about that. The atmosphere is just insane here. I've never jumped at a meet this big, obviously, and it's just so fun. It's just fun.”

Lovett’s height was better than seven other athletes in the Division III event who failed to record a height. 

McClain girls track and field head coach Drew Hamilton spoke proudly of Lovett and all that she’s accomplished at McClain track and field. 

“This is her first time in high jump. That's kind of her special thing, her baby, since she was in seventh grade, and she went to the state meet in middle school,” Hamilton said. “She's a great athlete, a great competitor. This is just icing on the cake. She worked hard to get here, and we're just proud of her, all the work she's put in, the dedication to the program she's done for us. 

“It's great for these kids to get this opportunity to compete at something they've worked so hard for since they were in seventh grade. That's been a dream for her to get here, and she's really worked hard to get here, and we're proud of her.”

The senior Lovett earned her Division III state-qualifying spot in the high jump event as she finished regionals with a sixth-place jump, gaining a wild card spot to qualify for state with a height of 5-00.00.

At the Frontier Athletic Conference Championships, Lovett was first place to be crowned FAC champion with her PR height of 5-2.00. At districts, Lovett was fourth place with the same PR  5-2.00 height. 

“I feel like I had the best season I possibly could have for my senior year. I was league champ, and then I got fourth at districts, and somehow I ended up at state, got the wildcard at regionals,” Lovett said. “Districts was kind of a struggle for me, because opening height was 4-6, and I missed my first two attempts, so I was kind of freaking out, but then I got it on my third try, and then I went up to 5-2 and got that, so I made it out of there.”

When Lovett was a sophomore, she raced as an alternate in the Division II 4x100-meter relay event for the Lady Tigers in a state run in Dayton. 

“This season didn't start as smooth as maybe she would have liked, but she kept pushing through for this year,” Hamilton said. “She knows what it takes. When she can sit back, visualize what's going to happen, what needs to happen, she can feel her approach. We film it, we review video, but she can feel it, and she knows what she needs to do. She really wanted league, and she was kind of on the fence, because Miami Trace is really competitive, and [Kamika Bennett] from there was really going to give her a run for money. 

“They went back and forth at some meets, and she wanted that bad, and she really worked for it. I mean, each step of her approach was down to a T when she needed it, and she really went after it there to go get that. Then just to go the next step at districts, she missed her first two attempts at opening height, calm, cool, ready to go. She knew what she needed to do. She had goals to get here, and she said, ‘Let's go get it,’ and then she fixed her approach, and just kept moving up from districts in the region and out here at state.”

Hamilton continued to speak about Lovett. 

“We're going to miss Mylie. She's been a joy. If you had anyone to kind of look up to at these younger athletes, it's Mylie. She comes every day with a smile. She's going to put in whatever we ask her to do. We will definitely miss her going forward. Her presence makes everyone around her better.”

The MHS senior thanked many for her support and talked about her next step after high school. 

“I want to thank my whole family for coming and supporting me everywhere, and my coaches are amazing, and I've been with them for years now, and I've just had the best experience,” she said. “I also want to thank everyone else who supported me, and God for getting me here, letting me do what I love.

“I'm actually going to Ohio State, so it's really fun to jump here, because I'm going to be up here in a few months, and I don't know what I'm studying yet.”