West Liberty-Salem’s boys and girls track and field teams swept a very competitive Miami East Invitational on Thursday.
The Lady Tigers compiled 118 points, while Bellefontaine finished second in the girls meet with 105.5 points. Ben Logan was third with 88 and Indian Lake was fourth in the 11-team meet with 80.5 points.
The WL-S boys won with 136 points. Miami East was second (118), Ben Logan took third (90.67) and Bellefontaine finished fourth (89). Indian Lake was ninth with 34 points.
Leading the WL-S boys with first-place finishes were Quentin Rudolph in the 800 (2:05.26), Owen Harrison in the 1,600 (4:39.96), Logan Phillips in the 110 hurdles (16.14) and 300 hurdles (42.19), Mark Bair in the discus (131-02) and the 3,200 relay team of Quentin Rudolph, Troy Bradley, Brevin Louden and Caleb Larson (8:53.27).
Taking second for WL-S were Asher Knox in the 1,600 (4:40.56), Harrison in the 3,200 (10:06.16), Jackson Steider in the 300 hurdles (16.32) and the 400 relay team of Gabe McGill, Jack Bahan, Steider and Troy Bradley (45.53).
Asher Knox was third in the 3,200 (10:06.32), while fourth-place finishes went to Slayde Merriman in the pole vault (12-0) and the 1,600 relay of Micah Smith, Jake Lauck, Joey LaRoche and Troy Bradley (3:50.04).
Finishing in fifth were Jack Bahan (11.87), Smith (54.91), Larson in the 800 (2:11.22) and Steider (44.83).
Steider was sixth in the 110 hurdles (18-02.5), McGill was seventh in the 100 (11.90), Craig Stanford was seventh in the pole vault (10-0) and the 800 relay team of Smith, Taryn Bradley, Lincoln Henderson and Bradley Petry (1:42.24) also finished seventh.
Adding eighth-place finishes were Bahan in the 200 (24.36), Troy Bradley (56.60) and Bair in the shot put (37-00.75).
Winning events for the WL-S girls were the 800 relay of Sophia Hardwick, Gwen McCullough, Claire Longshore and Mallory Bostick (1:54.17) and the 3,200 relay of Malia Miller, Ashley Yoder, Teagan Boyd and Breece Gullett (10:33.60).
Taking second for the Lady Tigers were Bostick in the 400 (1:03.42), Yoder in the 800 (5:47.55) and 1,600 (5:47.55), Douthwaite in the pole vault (8-0), Miller in the 3,200 (12:41.62), the 400 relay of Douthwaite, Elise Longshore, Chloe Griffith and Gwen McCullough (54.66) and the 1,600 relay of Claire Longshore, Boyd, Gullett and Bostick (4:28.55).
Taking third for WL-S were Gullett in the 1,600 (5:49.30) and Sophia Hardwick in the 300 hurdles (49.27), while fourth-place efforts went to Bostick in the 200 (28.12) and Sophia Hardwick in the 100 hurdles (17.33).
Finishing in fifth were Claire Longshore in the 300 hurdles (51.66) and Elise Longshore in the pole vault (7-6).
Chloe Griffith was sixth in the 100 (13.81) and Claire Longshore was seventh in the 100 hurdles (18.12).
Adding an eighth-place finish was Lily Smith in the 3,200.
Chiefs have strong day
Bellefontaine saw standout performances from both its girls and boys teams Thursday.
Leading the Lady Chiefs their runner-up finish with wins were Kylie Adams in the long jump (17-7), 110 hurdles (15.47) and 300 hurdles (46.72), Ava Reeves in the 100 (12.79) and 200 (26.23), Kelsey Snapp in the shot put (36-0) and the 400 relay of Riniyah Brown, Adams, Reeves and Callie Shumaker (52.38).
Finishing in second for BHS were Shumaker in the 300 hurdles (49.03) and Snapp in the discus (107-4).
Alexis Robison was third in the discus (106-7) and Reeves was fourth in the long jump (15-2).
Fifth-place efforts for the Lady Chiefs came from the 3,200 relay team of Kailyn Newman, Harper Penhorwood, Montanna Buck and Miabelle-Zayas Colon (11:27.37) and Shumaker in the 100 hurdles (17.70).
Harper Penhorwood added an eighth-place finish in the pole vault (7-0).
“Sophomores Kylie Adams and Ava Reeves were part of seven first places,” sad Bellefontaine coach Ben Davis. “Our freshmen contributed greatly with Callie Shumaker, Kelsey Snapp, Harper Penhorwood,and Kaileigh Flora leading the way. We left some points on the track and expect with the team good work ethic and focus that gap to be filled in a month.”
Bellefontaine’s boys team had two first-place finishes, with Harper Scott winning the 200 (23.31) and Sullivan Ashcraft winning the shot put (49-7).
Taking second for the Chieftain boys were Scott in the 100 (11.53), the 1,600 relay team of Max Varner, Carter Snapp, Vansh Patel and Scott (3:40), James Holt in the 300 hurdles (43.94) and the 800 relay team of Varner, Patel, Jack Hutchins and Scott (1:36.22).
Taking third were Haiden Manns in the shot put (42-8.5) and Tony Stewart in the 1,600 (4:46.47), while fourth-place efforts came from Stewart in the 3,200 (10:42.59) and the 3,200 relay team of Zavier May, Snapp, Wes Dunn and Marco Martinez (9:23.80).
Finishing in fifth for the Chiefs were Seth Taylor in the 3,200 (10:58.02), Manns in the discus (122-1) and Holt in the 110 hurdles (17.46).
Carter Kuhn added a sixth-place effort in the pole vault (10-0).
“We scored in all three facets of our team,” said Davis. “The improvement as the season progresses will be exciting. It was nice seeing Sully and Harper earning their individual championships.”
Raiders show their depth
Ben Logan’s boys and girls displayed their talent and depth with third-place finishes.
Leading the BL boys was Sam Whitten, who won the 100 (11.47).
Mason Jackson finished in second in the discus with a personal record of 127-2.
Taking third for the Raiders were Yale Scheiderer in the 110 hurdles (17.18), Eric Hughes in the 800 (2:10.34), Evan Carpenter in the pole vault (PR of 12-0), the 800 relay team of Hunter Lattimer, Ben Chamberlain, Scheiderer and Whitten (13:69) and the 1,600 relay team of Lattimer, Scheiderer, Hughes and Chamberlain (3:41.79).
Finishing in fourth for BL were Jackson in the shot put (42-7 3/4), Hughes in the 1,600 (PR of 4:47.43, the 400 relay team of Lattimer, Trevor Berry, Grahsyn Bailey and Whitten (46.69) and Chamberlain in the 400 (54.82).
Taking sixth were Berry in the shot put (41-8 1/2), Scheiderer in the 300 hurdles (45.15), Whitten in the 200 (PR of 23.73) and the 3,200 relay team of Robert Leezer, Aaron Rhodes, Micah Ackley and Tyler Shoopman (9:43.96).
Also for the Raider boys, Lucas Hemmelgarn was seventh in the discus (113-5) and Carter Buck was eighth in the 110 hurdles (18.25) and 300 hurdles (46.31).
The Lady Raiders had one first-place finish as Scarlett Elliott won the pole vault (8-0).
Placing second for the Raiders was Isabel Henderson in the 100 (12.92) and 200 (26.55), while third-place efforts went to Kate Gulick in the 100 hurdles (17.27), the 800 relay team of Lahna Cook, Mya Burrey, Macy Matthews and Ella Chamberlain (1:58.15) and Henderson in the long jump (15-05.5).
Finishing in fourth for the BL girls were the 400 relay of Gulick, Taytum Daniels, Matthews and Burrey (55.76), Gulick in the 300 hurdles (51.42), the 1,600 relay team of Gulick, Chamberlain, Lexi Archer and Burrey (4:32.61) and Henderson in the high jump (4-10).
Estella Wenger was fifth in the 3,200 (12:31.39) and Burrey was fifth in the long jump (14-01).
Finishing in sixth for the Lady Raiders were Alanna Gibson in the discus (94-03), Chamberlain in the 400 (1:07.30) and Hannah White in the 100 hurdles (17.83).
The 3,200 relay team of Peyton Smith, Allie Fay, Wenger and Archer finished seventh (11:46.99) and Archer was seventh in the 800 (2:44.34).
“Our coaches were pleased with the effort and focus of our athletes,” said BL girls head coach Mike Coder. “To place third, in this highly competitive meet was a credit to how hard the team competed. We had to do some juggling of our lineup due to athletes involved in spring break activities. Freshman, Scarlett Elliott had a big night in the pole vault to capture our only first place finish. We were excited to see how well Isabel Henderson competed in the sprints. Placing in all four relays was a goal we worked to achieve. We had a good night in the hurdles with Kate and Hannah both placing in a strong field of hurdlers. Everyone doing their jobs contributed to an outstanding meet.”
Richardson leads Lakers
Elayna Richardson powered Indian Lake’s girls team to its fourth-place finish by winning the 400 (1:02.45) and finishing third in both the 100 (13.07) and 200 (26.75).
Richardson teamed with Reagan Rash, Reece Martin and Cameron Finfrock to win the 1,600 relay (4:25.84).
Stephanie Altstaetter finished second in the shot put (34-6.5) and Reece Martin was second in the 100 hurdles (16.71), while third-place efforts for the Lady Lakers came from Ava Faler in the pole vault (7-6) and high jump (4-10).
Grace Pequignot was fourth in the shot put (33-6), Hannah Metzger placed sixth in the 3,200 (13:40.01), Rash was seventh in the 1,600 (6:10.96), Faler was seventh in the long jump (13-9), Altstaetter finished eighth in the discus (93-4), Meadow McCullough was eighth in the high jump (4-6), Martin was eighth in the 300 hurdles (54.59), KaiLea Miller was eighth in the 1,600 (6:16.56), Finfrock was eighth in the 400 (1:08.05), the 3,200 relay team of Cambria Tuttle, Rash, Metzger and KaiLeaMiller was sixth (11:27.77) and the 800 relay team of McCullough, Pequignot, Finfrock and Andi Miller was eighth (2:02.75).
Indian Lake’s boys team was led by fourth-place finishes from Brant Parsell in the 110 hurdles (17.34) and 300 hurdles (44.23) and Isaac Morrison in the long jump (18-11.5).
Morrison was fifth in the high jump (5-6), Caiden Gauntt was fifth in the long jump (18-11.5) and sixth in the high jump (5-6), the 800 relay team of Gauntt, Weston Campbell, Drake Cosby and Brant Parsell was was sixth (1:41.06), the 400 relay team of Quest Clay, Cosby, Kade Richardson and Draven Stevenson was seventh (49.05), the 1,600 relay team of Everett Wischmeyer, Clay, Parker and Brant Parsell was seventh (4:01.71) and the 3,200 relay team of Tony Cummins, Evin Parker, Vincent Wilson and Heath Wilson was eighth (10:15.57).
