It was a dominating performance to end the regular season by West Liberty-Salem’s girls track and field team Friday as it won its own Reliant Mechanical Invitational. The Tiger boys finished as runner-up at the meet.
The Lady Tigers won nine of 17 events to capture the team title with 169.5 points out of nine teams. They also set meet and stadium records in two events.Versailles was a distant second with 105.5 points, Botkins was fourth with 85 points and Benjamin Logan took fourth with 82.5 points. Bellefontaine came in eighth with 39.5 points.
It was a tight team race in the boys meet as six points separated the top three squads. Versailles edged WL-Salem 126-123 to take the championship, while Ben Logan was close behind in third with 120 points. Botkins came in fourth with 78 points and Bellefontaine rounded out the top five with 68 points.
“We knew this was going to be a competitive team meet where five teams were capable of winning,” said WL-Salem boys head coach Aaron Lauck. “Versailles, Botkins, Bellefontaine and Ben Logan are talented and well coached teams. It was exciting to be in the position to have the 1,600 relay decide the outcome of the evening.”
Girls results
Highlighting WL-Salem’s girls were two record-setting performances. Megan Adam’s won the 3,200 with a new meet and stadium record of 11:14.22. She was also part of the winning 3,200 relay along with Ashley Yoder, Madison Bahan and Katelyn Stapleton, who set a new meet and stadium record with a time of 9:36.9.
Other wins came from Emily Hollar in the 400 (59.3), Madison Bahan in the 400 (1:03.05), Stapleton in the 800 (2:22.6), Yoder in the 1,600 (5:30.9), Kaylee LeVan in the long jump (15-6.75), the 400 relay of Kaylee LeVan, Stapleton, Lilly Weaver and Grace Estes (51.7), the 800 relay of LeVan, Estes, Madison Bahan and Emily Hollar (1:47.7) and the 1,600 relay of Bahan, Stapleton, Estes and Emily Hollar (4:09.3).
Runner-up efforts came from Estes in the 100 (12.9), Emily Hollar in the 200 (26.7), Addison McAuley in the 1,600 (5:31.1), Claire Longshore in the 300 hurdles (50.4) and Selena Weaver in the discus (109-10), while third-place finishes came from Selena Weaver in the shot put (32-9) and Mandilyn Weaver in the high jump (4-8).
Taking fourth were Madison Bahan in the 400 (1:03.05) and Lilly Weaver in the long jump (14-11.5) with fifth-place finishes coming from Kaylee LeVan in the 100 (13.4), Taylor Kennedy in the 3,200 (12:47.6) and the 400 relay B squad (55.5).
Adding sixth-place efforts were Mallory Bostick in the 200 (28.8) and Tina Douthwaite in the pole vault (7-6).
Ben Logan’s girls had one win from Ella Studebaker in the high jump (5-0), while a runner-up finish came from Georgia Bates in the 800 (2:27.5).
Placing third were the 1,600 relay of Ezrah McGue, Isabel Henderson, Sami Meeker and Bates (4:35.3) and the 3,200 relay of Bates, Meeker, Mylee Boysel and Dani Widmark (10:22.3).
Coming in fourth were Hannah White in the 300 hurdles (52.9), Maddy Plikerd in the high jump (4-8), the 400 relay of Studebaker, Maddy Plikerd, Meeker and Mya Burrey (54.9) and the 800 relay of McGue, Burrey, Bates and Kerry Copenhaver (1:55.5).
Finishing fifth was White in the 100 hurdles (18.5), while a host of sixth-placed finishes came from Henderson in the 400 (1:04.2), Boysel in the 800 (2:40.9), Widmark in the 1,600 (5:52.9), Studebaker in the 100 hurdles (18.6), Copenhaver in the 300 hurdles (53.4), White in the long jump (14-1.75) and Alanna Gibson in the shot put (31-0).
Bellefontaine’s girls were carried by Ashlyn Gonterman who placed second in the pole vault (4-6), third in the 200 (28.0), sixth in the high jump (4-6) and was on the sixth-place 400 relay along with Carmen Shumaker, Parker Penhorwood and Maggie Howard (55.9).
Also for the Chiefs, Katie Pool was third in the shot put (32-9) and fourth in the discus (101-3) and Penhorwood took fifth in the pole vault (7-6). Adding seventh-place efforts were the 800 relay of Joslyn Robinson, Azlynn Bechtel, Ella Reier and Alexis Robinson (2:13.6) and the 3,200 relay of Montanna Buck, Emma Middaugh, Reier and Taylor McCafferty (11:54.4).
Boys results
WL-Salem’s runner-up team finish was spearheaded by five event wins. Those came from Isaac Brown in the 800 (2:03.3), Dylan Lauck in the 1,600 (4:31.09), Andrew Krabill in the 300 hurdles (43.0), the 400 relay of Mason Powell, Dylan Glunt, Trevor Berry and Jace Wade (45.8) and the 3,200 relay of Brown, Owen Harrison, Tate Yoder and Josh Spinner (8:22.9).
Earning second-place finishes were Wade in the 100 (11.5), Yoder in the 3,200 (10:10.2), Garrett Richardson in the 110 hurdles (17.4) and the 1,600 relay of Kimball, Logan Phillips, Isaiah McGill and Brown (3:45.3).
Coming in third were Wade in the 200 (24.1), Spinner in the 1,600 (4:46.6) and Harrison in the 3,200 (10:27.7). Taking fourth were Phillips in the 400 (53.6), Richardson in the 300 hurdles (45.5) and the 800 relay of Kimball, Gabe McGill, Cooper Havens and Glunt (1:37.3). Phillips also took fifth in the 110 hurdles (18.1).
Brady Burrey sparked Ben Logan’s boys by winning the 100 (11.2) and 200 (23.2) and taking second in the 400 (52.2). The Raiders also saw a win from the 800 relay of Gavin Gibson, Hunter Lattimer, Max Leezer and Mitch Vance (1:35.7), while a second-place finish came from the 400 relay of Gibson, Leezer, Lattimer and Sam Whitten (46.01).
Picking up third-place finishes were Vance in the 400 (53.1), Alec Rodenberger in the high jump (5-8), Davontae Fahle in the long jump (18-10), Marshall Jackson in the discus (140-1), the 1,600 relay of Lattimer, Tucker Munz, Keaghan Stahler and Vance (3:46.7) and the 3,200 relay of Munz, Stahler, Tayte Williamson and Blake Rhoades (8:51.9).
Finishing fourth were Whitten in the 100 (11.85), Yale Scheiderer in the 110 hurdles (18.09), Fahle in the high jump (5-8) and Jackson in the shot put (46-2.5).
Securing fifth-place spots were Vance in the 200 (24.4), Stahler in the 800 (2:12.8) and Gabe Hemmelgarn in the discus (130-10), while a sixth-place spots went to Hemmelgarn in the shot put (41-8).
Leading Bellefontaine with runner-up efforts were Connor Skidmore in the 1,600 (4:38.2) and the 800 relay of Kaiylin Organ, Max Varner, Evan Baker and Harper Scott (1:36.1).
Coming in third place were Justin Carper in the 800 (2:10.3), Jaquan Mundy in the 110 hurdles (17.7) and the 400 relay of Organ, Baker, Scott and Ethan Yoder (46.09), while a fourth-place finish came from Yoder in the long jump (18-8.75).
Placing fifth were Baker in the 100 (11.88), Varner in the 400 (53.8), Tony Stewart in the 3,200 (10:43.5), James Holt in the 300 hurdles (46.09), Micah Fogan in the shot put (44-7) and the 3,200 relay of Stewart, Varner, Gannon Purcell and Patrick Donnelly (9:03.2). Adding a sixth-place effort was Mundy in the 300 hurdles (46.1).
WL-Salem competes in the Ohio Heritage Conference prelims today at Mechanicsburg. Bellefontaine and Ben Logan compete in the Central Buckeye Conference prelims Tuesday at Indian Lake.