Local track and field teams turned in an impressive night of performances across multiple meets Thursday, with Bellefontaine sweeping both team titles at the Miami East Invitational and West Liberty-Salem delivering standout finishes at the Triad Invitational, highlighted by a runner-up effort from the girls team and a championship performance from the boys.
Miami East Invitational (Thursday)
Bellefontaine Girls – 1st Place (142 points)
The Lady Chieftains set the tone early and never looked back, piling up 142 points to comfortably outdistance runner-up Miami East (93).
The Bellefontaine girls were fueled by standout individual efforts across both the track and field events.
Callie Shumaker turned in one of the top performances of the meet, capturing the 200-meter dash while also sweeping the 100 and 300 hurdles with commanding runs.
In the distance events, Leila Hammond controlled the 3200 from start to finish to earn a first-place finish, while Kaileigh Flora added valuable points with a fourth-place run in the 800 and a runner-up finish in the pole vault.
The 4×800 relay team of Flora, Ximena Marquez Diaz, Hannah Wilson, and Grace Brown delivered another highlight, combining for a first-place finish in 10:43.07.
In the field events, Kelsie Snapp proved dominant, winning both the shot put and discus to give Bellefontaine a major boost in the standings.
Additional contributions came from throughout the lineup, including strong sprint efforts from Jillian Ullum and Layla Davis, who each placed in multiple events, as well as solid relay finishes in the 4×100, 4×200, and 4×400.
The depth of the Lady Chieftains was evident, with points coming from distance races, sprints, hurdles, relays, and field events, showcasing a balanced and complete team performance.
Bellefontaine Boys – 1st Place (127 points)
On the boys’ side, Bellefontaine leaned on its distance strength and relay success to secure the team win ahead of second-place Piqua (103).
Hayden Maus led the charge with a pair of victories in the 800 and 1600, showing strong finishing speed in both races. The Chiefs also found success in the relays, most notably in the 4×200 where CJ Butler, Caleb Sechrest, Dillon Jones, and Kaiden Foulk combined for a first-place finish, while the 4×400 added a runner-up effort.
Bellefontaine’s versatility was again on display with contributions across the board. Kaiden Foulk turned in a strong day with a runner-up finish in the 200 and a third-place run in the 400, while Caleb Sechrest placed second in both hurdle events.
In the field, Terrance Hayes cleared 6 feet to win the high jump, and Maddox Marlen added a third-place finish in the long jump. The distance group also added key points, with multiple top-five finishes in the 3200 and a strong showing in the 4×800 relay. Altogether, the Chiefs combined consistency, depth, and several event wins to lock up the team title.
Triad Invitational (Friday)
West Liberty-Salem Boys – 1st Place (155 points)
West Liberty-Salem put together a dominant performance of its own at the Triad Invitational, capturing the team title with 155 points in a meet that highlighted the Tigers’ depth and balance.
The Tigers were especially strong in the relays, sweeping three events to anchor their victory. The 4×800 team of Brayan Gullett, Dylan King, Garrett Wallen, and Owen Hardwick opened with a first-place finish, while the 4×200 and 4×400 relay squads followed suit with wins of their own.
Individually, Taryn Bradley delivered a standout performance by winning both the 110 and 300 hurdles, while also placing in the triple jump. Asher Cole added a first-place finish in the 1600, and Brayan Gullett claimed the 3200 title to lead a strong distance showing.
West Liberty-Salem’s success extended across nearly every event, with multiple athletes contributing valuable points. Caleb Larson finished second in the 1600, Jake Lauck took second in the 400, and the 4×100 relay added a runner-up finish.
The Tigers also picked up key points in the field events, including a second-place finish in the pole vault from Lucas Merriman and additional scoring efforts in the high jump, long jump, and shot put.
With contributions coming from sprints, distance races, relays, hurdles, and field events, West Liberty-Salem showcased the kind of depth that makes it a strong contender as the season progresses.
West Liberty-Salem Girls – 2nd Place (108 points)
The West Liberty-Salem girls also turned in a strong performance at the Triad Invitational, finishing second out of 12 teams with 108 points, behind meet champion Fairbanks (140).
The Tigers were dominant in the relay events, capturing first place in both the 4×200 (1:41.85) and 4×100 (52.14). The winning 4×200 team consisted of Lea Brickerson, Ella Albers, Gwenyth McCullough, and Chloe Griffith, while the 4×100 relay featured Tori Douthwaite, Ella Albers, Gwen McCullough, and Chloe Griffith.
Douthwaite added an individual title in the pole vault, clearing 10 feet, 6 inches, while Elise Longshore placed second in the event at 9 feet, 6 inches.
West Liberty-Salem also saw strong runner-up finishes from the 4×800 relay team of Malia Miller, Charlee Albers, Elia Matthews, and Isla Leichty (10:56.15), along with individual second-place efforts from Chloe Griffith in the 100 (13.41), Malia Miller in the 1600 (5:47.48), and Lea Brickerson in the 200 (27.97).
Additional top-three finishes included a third-place run in the 3200 by Isla Leichty (12:52.41) and a third-place finish in the 4×400 relay (4:31.80) from Brickerson, Ella Albers, Miller, and McCullough.
The Tigers added depth with multiple top-eight finishes, including Douthwaite (4th, 100), Griffith (4th, 200), and Lyndee Harrison, who contributed in several events with a fourth-place finish in the shot put (30’10”), fifth in the 3200, and sixth and eighth-place finishes in the discus.
Other contributors included Mariska Smith (7th, 800) and Ella Albers (7th, long jump).
West Liberty-Salem will return to action Tuesday at the OHC North meet at Northeastern, with field events beginning at 5:00 p.m. and running events scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Calvary Christian Middle School
Calvary Christian’s middle school track teams turned in several notable performances at the Ben Logan Invitational, highlighted by a record-breaking effort and multiple top finishes across both the girls and boys competitions. The Eagles made their presence felt early, with Liliana Philipps capturing first place in the long jump, while Nevaeh Davis delivered one of the top moments of the meet by winning the 800 and setting a new meet record with her time of 2:37.
The Spartans continued to build on that success with strong performances across distance events and relays.
Ella Miller placed second in the 1600 and later teamed with Peyton, Nevaeh Davis, and Charis to earn a runner-up finish in the 4×400 relay.
Additional contributions came from Marissa Ramirez, who placed fourth in the 800, while the 4×800 relay team also finished fourth.
Liliana Philipps added a fifth-place finish in the 100 dash, and the 4×200 relay placed eighth.
The Spartans also saw several athletes break into the top 10, including a fifth-place finish from the 4×800 relay team, a sixth-place run in the 800 by Reece McCarty, and ninth-place finishes from Charais K. in the 400 and the 4×400 relay.
While the Spartans did not capture a team title, the combination of a meet record, event victories, and multiple top finishes made for a productive outing as the program continues to build momentum early in the season.
