Track and field teams from across the area competed Friday night in a loaded field at the West Liberty-Salem Tiger Invitational, with the host Tigers claiming the boys team title while Bellefontaine finished runner-up and Benjamin Logan added several standout performances.
West Liberty-Salem Boys – 1st Place (108.5 points)
West Liberty-Salem defended its home track and captured the team championship with 108.5 points, narrowly holding off Bellefontaine (92) and Versailles (91) in a tightly contested meet.
The Tigers were led by two event victories. The 4×100 relay team of Jackson Henry, Sam Kidd, Tanner Myers, and Kamden Yang raced to first in 44.18, while Kidd added an individual title in the 200-meter dash with a winning time of 22.66.
West Liberty-Salem stacked points throughout the meet with numerous podium finishes. Sam Kidd finished second in the 100 dash (11.28), while Taryn Bradley was runner-up in both hurdle events, taking second in the 110 hurdles (15.83) and 300 hurdles (40.31). Bradley also helped the Tigers’ 4×200 relay team of Jackson Henry, Brevin Louden, Jake Lauck, and Bradley to a second-place finish in 1:32.5.
Distance runners also contributed heavily for the Tigers. Asher Cole finished second in the 1600 (4:20.34) and third in the 800 (2:01.06), while Caleb Larson placed second in the 3200 (9:28.6). The 4×400 relay team of Brevin Louden, Asher Cole, Jake Lauck, and Bradley finished third in 3:35.37.
Additional scoring came from Lucas Merriman, who was third in pole vault (11-6), Tanner Myers placing fourth in the 100 (11.68), and Zeke Longshore taking fourth in the 800 (2:02.04).
West Liberty also got fifth-place finishes from Brayan Gullett in the 1600 (4:26.97), Casey Boyer in high jump (5-10), and Lance Saylor in pole vault (10-0). Jake Lauck added a sixth-place finish in the 400 (52.45).
Further points came from James Brehm, seventh in the 110 hurdles (17.51), Dylan King, seventh in the 1600 (4:40.54), and the Tigers’ B 4×400 relay team of Robert Park, Cash LeVan, Casey Boyer, and Dylan King, which placed eighth in 3:46.34.
West Liberty-Salem next competes at the OHC Championships on May 11 and 14 at Greenon.
Bellefontaine Boys – 2nd Place (92 points)
Bellefontaine turned in a strong runner-up performance, scoring 92 points behind standout efforts from Caleb Sechrest, the relay squads, and a deep lineup that posted several personal records.
Sechrest swept both hurdle events, winning the 110 hurdles in 15.33 and the 300 hurdles in 40.13. He also ran a leg on Bellefontaine’s winning 4×200 relay team with CJ Butler, Kaiden Foulk, and Dillon Jones, which finished first in 1:31.14.
Kaiden Foulk added a second-place finish in the 400 (51.41), while the 4×400 relay of Hayden Maus, Dillon Jones, Foulk, and Sechrest placed second in 3:33.69.
Other scoring highlights included Kyrus Cobb finishing fifth in the 100 (11.74) and fourth in the 400 with a PR of 52.09. Foulk also scored in the 200, placing sixth in 23.46, while Dillon Jones followed in seventh at 23.54.
In distance events, Hayden Maus placed fourth in the 1600 (4:26.70), Landon Gerwels was sixth in the 800 with a PR of 2:04.49, Brenden Murray ran a PR of 2:14.62 in the 800, and Jack Wilson placed sixth in the 3200 with a PR of 10:10.25.
Terrance Hayes contributed key points by finishing fifth in the 300 hurdles with a PR of 42.46 and placing second in high jump at 6-0.
Bellefontaine’s relay teams also scored across the board. The 4×100 relay of CJ Butler, Dillon Jones, Kris Cobb, and Terrance Hayes placed fifth in 45.61, while the 4×800 team of Jack Wilson, Jake Moreland, Brenden Murray, and Will Myers finished fourth in 8:46.54.
Additional field points came from Derek Greene, who posted a PR in discus at 115-7.
Benjamin Logan Boys – 7th Place (42 points)
Benjamin Logan battled to a seventh-place finish and was highlighted by a record-breaking performance from Carter Daniels.
Daniels cleared 14-6 to win pole vault, setting both a new meet record and stadium record in the process.
The Raiders also scored heavily in field events, led by Gus Bibart’s fifth-place finish in discus with a PR throw of 144-8. Roman Maxwell placed fifth in long jump (19-1) and sixth in high jump (5-8).
On the track, Cooper Buck placed eighth in the 110 hurdles (17.73) and sixth in the 300 hurdles with a PR of 42.90. Wyatt Predmore added an eighth-place finish in the 200 (23.67).
Benjamin Logan’s relay teams turned in several strong performances, led by the 4×200 team of Wyatt Predmore, Davis Matthews, Cooper Buck, and Carter Buck, which placed third in 1:33.84 with a season-best mark.
The Raiders’ 4×400 relay team of Tyler Shoopman, Cooper Buck, Gavin Jordan, and Davis Matthews placed fourth in 3:35.41 PR, while the 4×800 squad of Gavin Jordan, Brock Henry, Maxwell Troth, and Tyler Shoopman finished fifth in 8:49.47 PR.
Benjamin Logan also got points from the 4×100 relay team of Wyatt Predmore, Hayden Hites, Roman Maxwell, and Candin Tucker, which finished eighth in 47.13.
The Raiders return to action next week at the CBC Invitational hosted by Jonathan Alder.
