WEST LIBERTY – The West Liberty-Salem girls track team won the Ohio Heritage Conference North Division championship on Thursday.

WL-S won with 182 points, Triad was third with 91 and Mechanicsburg was fourth with 65.5.

Claiming OHC North first-place finishes for WL-S were Delaney Jones in the 100 in an OHC record time of 12.23, the 200 (26.60) and the long jump (17-5). Jones was also a part of the winning 4×100 relay team with teammates Tori Douthwaite, Gwen McCullough and Chloe Griffith (51.41). Also placing first for WL-S were Sophia Hardwick in the 300 hurdles (48.38), the 4×800 relay team of Malia Miller, Addie McAuley, Ashley Yoder and Mallory Bostick (10:02.41), Hardwick in the discus (109-10), Elise Longshore in the pole vault (10-3) and Miller in the 3,200 (11:51.53).

“With the wind and rain, we knew times and performances would be off, so we really focused on competing and trying to place higher than our seed,” said WL-S Coach Ann Vogel. “Our girls were really scrappy and fought for every point and I’m proud of the energy and determination they showed. Winning a conference title is always important to our program.”

Claiming an OHC North first-place finish for the Triad girls was Cayla Eaton in the 100 hurdles (15.76). Eaton also placed second in the 300 hurdles, high jump and long jump.

Claiming an OHC North first-place finish for the Mechanicsburg girls was the 4×400 relay team (4:15.94).

The WL-S boys team also won the OHC North title on Thursday.

WL-S had 164 points, Mechanicsburg was second with 149 and Triad was fourth with 51.

Claiming OHC North first-place finishes for the Tigers were Jackson Steider in the 110 hurdles (16.06), Troy Bradley in the 400 (52.9), Tarryn Bradley in the 300 hurdles (43.31), the 4x200m relay team of Henderson, McGill, Lauck and Bahan (1:34.87), the 4×100 relay team of Henderson, Bahan, McGill and Steider (45.40) and the 4×400 relay ream of Henderson, Lauck, Louden and Bradley (1:41.53).

Claiming OHC North first-place finishes for the Mechanicsburg boys were the 4×800 relay team (8:13.41), Kailen Butler in the 100 (10.91) and 200 (23:45), Will Negley in the 1,600 (4:28.37), 800 (2:00.50) and 3,200 (9:54.94) and Austin Haynes in the high jump (5-08).

Claiming an OHC North first-place finish for the Triad boys was Awsom Mitchell in the long jump (19-02.25).

The district meet begins this week.

JH runners qualify

Two local junior high athletes have qualified to run in the National Junior High Rodeo Finals in Des Moines, Iowa, next month – Avery Wolf, an 8th-grader at Graham and Basha Batkiewicz, a 7th-grader at Mechanicsburg.

They had to finish in the top 4 in the state to qualify.

JH track

The West Liberty-Salem junior high track teams swept the Ohio Heritage Conference Meet

Placing first for the Tiger girls were Isla Leichty, Mia Dooley, Olivia McQuinn, Addi Wallen – 4×800 relay (11:22.96), Arianna Weaver – 400 (1:06.72) and McKenzie Reames – discus (72-5).

Placing first for the Tiger boys were Aydan Knox, Owen Hardwick, Eric Hoover, Asher Cole – 4×800 relay (9:21.79), James Brehm – 110 hurdles (17.64), Brayan Gullett – 1,600 (4:49.41), Adly Knox – 800 (2:11.01), Asher Cole, Zeke Longshore, Brayan Gullett, Adly Knox – 4×400 relay (3:50.92) and Aydan Knox – high jump (5-2).

State champions

On Saturday, four boys from the West Liberty-Salem junior high track team participated in the OHSAA Middle School State Track and Field meet at Hilliard Darby High School.

The 4×800 relay team of Adly Knox, Zeke Longshore, Brayan Gullett and Asher Cole won the event in a school record time of 8:52.23 to become state champions.

Cole finished 10th in the 1,600 (4:47.23) and Brayan Gullett placed 18th (4:56.39).

Knox took home 12th in the 800 (2:10.59) and the boys 4×400 relay team of Longshore, Gullett, Knox and Cole placed 14th with a time of 3:54.12.