West Liberty-Salem’s boys track and field team will be well represented in next week’s Division III state track and field meet in Columbus.
The Tigers on Wednesday in the Division III regional at Troy advanced their 3,200 relay team of Quentin Rudolph, Micah Smith, Owen Harrison and Asher Knox to state as the group finished fourth in a season-best time of 8:14.41.
In the final day of the regional meet Friday, the Tigers qualified three athletes to state in two events.
Asher Knox was third in the 3,200 (9:42.95) and Owen Harrison was fourth in the 3,200 (9:45.37) as the top four athletes in each event earn state berths.
The Tigers’ Logan Phillips is also headed to state in the 110 hurdles after finishing fourth (15.07).
Phillips added a sixth-place finish Friday in the 300 hurdles (43.11).
Also Friday, Jackson Steider was seventh in the 110 hurdles (15.69) and the 400 relay team of Jack Bahan, Steider, Dylan Glunt and Lincoln Henderson was eighth (45.04).
On Wednesday, Mark Bair was eighth in the discus (133-0), Slayde Merriman was ninth in the pole vault (11-0) and Craig Stanford was 10th in the pole vault (11-0).
The WL-S boys finished the regional meet in a tie for eighth with Cedarville with 28 points.
Marion Local won the DIII title with 72 points. Anna was second (41), Twin Valley South took third (36) and Allen East finished fourth (34).
Lady Tigers qualify in 3,200 relay
On Wednesday, the Lady Tigers qualified their 3,200 relay team to the state meet as Gwen McCullough, Ashley Yoder, Breece Gullett and Mallory Bostick finished third (9:45.47).
Kenzie Bahan was seventh in the shot put with a career-best throw of 34-02.
On Friday, Sophia Hardwick was seventh in the 300 hurdles (48.44) and 12th in the discus (88-8), the 1,600 relay team of Ashley Yoder, Gwen McCullough, Teagan Boyd and Mallory Bostick was seventh (4:12.98), Malia Miller was seventh in the 3,200 (11:56.60), Elise Longshore was eighth in the pole vault (9-4), Ashley Yoder was eighth in the 1,600 (5:25.03), Claire Longshore was eighth in the 100 hurdles (16.27) and Breece Gullett was 10th in the 1,600 (5:38.44).
Minster won the DIII girls title with 88 points. Ft. Loramie was second (47.5), Botkins took third (47), Legacy Christian was fourth (34) and Ft. Recovery and Fairlawn tied for fifth (25).
WL-S was 17th with 17 points.
Riverside’s Brooks takes 5th in shot put
Riverside sophomore Travis Brooks finished fifth in the shot put at the Division III regional meet Friday.
Brooks turned in a throw of 48-4.75. He went into the competition seeded eighth.
It was a stellar season for Brooks, who finished first in the Three Rivers Conference meet and second in the district meet.
Triad’s Eaton headed back to state
Triad junior standout Cayla Eaton is returning to the state meet after finishing in fourth in the 300 hurdles in Friday’s Division III regional.
Eaton, who also qualified to state last year as a sophomore, had a time of 46.86.
Eaton just missed qualifying to state in the 100 hurdles as she placed fifth in a time of 15.09.