- Mount Gilead won the Division III Central District championship Saturday morning at Westerville North.
- The Indians scored 112 points to easily outdistance second-place and rival Northmor's 72 points.
- The top four in each event moved on to the regional, while the top eight scored points for their team in the district.
WESTERVILLE — At Mount Gilead, it's run-for-all and all-for run ... plus some all-for-jump and all-for-throw, too.
For the third straight season and 12th time in program history, the Mount Gilead boys track and field team won the Division III Central District championship Saturday morning at Westerville North.
"It’s super important for all of us. The entire team through distance, sprints and throws, (they) not only compete for themselves but compete for the team. It is definitely a super motivator going on," Mount Gilead junior distance ace Will Baker said. "It’s one of my favorite things about this sport. It’s about running for yourself but also the guys next to you. It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done."
Sectional Baseball Roundup:Five Marion-area teams heading to districts
The Indians scored 112 points to easily outdistance second-place and rival Northmor's 72 points. Pleasant was sixth with 53 points in the 23-team district that also included Cardington, Ridgedale and Elgin.
"That’s awesome," MG senior Parker Bartlett said of the three-peat. "We set those goals at the beginning of the season, so to accomplish them, it’s always an awesome feeling."
How did Mount Gilead do it?
Baker swept the two long-distance races, winning the 1600 meters in 4:18.08 and the 3200 in 9:31.4.
"Me and the guys have worked so hard to get where we are today," Baker said. "Right now, we’ve done all the work we need to. It’s about getting as fresh and as prepared for these meets where we need to compete at the highest level against guys in a district that is one of the hardest in the state. It’s absolutely terrific to get out and race with those guys. It’s a great opportunity."
Also making the most of his opportunity was teammate Wyatt Mowry who won the 300 hurdles in 40.96. MG's 4x200 relay of Jonathan Miller, Logan High, Collin Gabriel and Quade Harris was first with a 1:31.73 as was the 4x400 relay of High, Gabriel, Miller and Harris in 3:28.8.
Finishing as a district runner-up were MG's Joey Baldwin in the boys shot put at 42 feet, 9 inches, Harris in the 400 in 51.13 and Bartlett in the 3200 in 9:43.75. Also advancing to the Heath High School regional with a pair of third-place finishes was High in the 100 in 11.44 and 200 in 22.86, while the 4x800 team of Owen Hershner, Liam Stalnaker, Bartlett and Baker was third in 8:12.77.
The top four in each event moved on to the regional, while the top eight scored points for their team in the district. The D-III Heath regional is set for Wednesday and Friday.
"All the hay’s in the barn," Bartlett said. "We don’t have to worry about working out or doing anything crazy to get where we need to be. We’re here, so it’s really about competing from here on. It’s survive and advance."
Who else won championships?
Northmor's Levi Hunter earned a spot earlier in the week by winning the boys pole vault in 12-4, and he will be joined by sister Natalie Hunter, who ended tied for first in the girls pole vault at 9-4. Also for Northmor, Cowin Becker took the boys 400 in 50.19, while Pleasant's Hudson Warner won the boys 110 hurdles in 16.26.
"I’m happy. I didn’t really expect anything," Warner said, who was also a runner-up in the boys long jump at 21-4.5. "I just came in hoping to do my best. I was looking at times, and I knew it was close, so it motivated me to push a little harder."
Who else earned regional spots?
Other area female athletes advancing to the regional from Saturday were MG's Abby Leonard in the discus (third, 98-10), Pleasant's Casey Kimball in the 1600 (fourth, 5:17.97), MG's Kimberly Staley in the 3200 (third, 12:05.05), Ridgedale's Maddie McKenzie in the 100 hurdles (second, 16.54), Pleasant's Sarah Jordan in the 100 hurdles (fourth, 17.06) and MG's 4x100 relay of Mackenzie Mosher, Natalie Waugh, Faith White and Danielle Pohlkotte (third, 52.77).
Other boys from the area who are moving on from Saturday were Becker in the long jump (third, 20-10), Northmor's Ryan Lehman in the 800 (third, 1:55.11), Pleasant's Caleb Cameron in the 800 (fourth, 2:00.36), Northmor's Ethan Amens in the 300 hurdles (third, 41.51), Elgin's 4x100 relay of Ronnie Newman, Kaden Thomas, Landon Shepard and Karson Thomas (fourth, 45.98), Northmor's 4x200 relay of Bo Landin, Hunter, Amens and Becker (second, 1:33.57), Northmor's 4x400 relay of Becker, Lehman, Landin and Hunter (fourth, 3:29.64) and Northmor's 4x800 relay of Lehman, David Blunk, Griffin Healea and Hunter (fourth, 8:16.46).
Who scored district points on Saturday?
Scoring points for their girls teams were Elgin's Abigail Seiter in the discus (fifth, 91-8), Elgin's Addison Holland in the 100 (fifth, 13.13), Northmor's Hunter in the 800 (seventh, 2:29.05), Cardington's Magi Hallabrin in the 800 (eighth, 2:29.14), Staley in the 1600 (sixth, 5:30.99), Northmor's Ryann Brinkman (seventh, 5:40.19), Pleasant's Taydon Obenour in the 100 hurdles (fifth, 17.27) and 300 hurdles (seventh, 50.43), MG's Darbie Dillon in the 100 hurdles (seventh, 17.43), Jordan in the 300 hurdles (eighth, 51.99), Elgin in the 4x100 (sixth, 54.43) and 4x200 (sixth, 1:57.55), MG in the 4x200 (fifth, 1:49.8) and 4x800 (eighth, 10:51.37), Pleasant in the 4x400 (sixth, 4:19.73) and the 4x800 (fifth, 10:22.24) and Northmor in the 4x800 (seventh, 10:44.68).
In the girls team totals, Fairbanks and Columbus School for Girls both scored 93 points to tie for the district championship. Mount Gilead was eighth with 32.5 points and Pleasant 10th with 27 in the 25-team meet.
Scoring points for their boys teams were Northmor's Connor Stockdale in the long jump (sixth, 20-1), Ridgedale's Landon Murphy in the long jump (eighth, 19-7), Pleasant's Landon O'Donnell in the shot put (fifth, 42-2), MG's Griffin McClelland in the shot put (sixth, 41-11.5), Miller in the 200 (seventh, 23.75), Ridgedale's Breyton Richmond in the 400 (fifth, 52.35), Cardington's A.J. Brehm in the 400 (sixth, 52.41), Cardington's Aidan Reitmire in the 800 (fifth, 2:00.59), Hershner in the 800 (sixth, 2:01.92), Pleasant's Nick Swartz in the 1600 (sixth, 4:34.45 and 3200 (seventh, 10:09.35), Lehman in the 1600 (seventh, 4:37.61), Ridgedale's Brogan Weston in the 3200 (eighth, 10:18.55), Northmor's Owen Yunker in the 110 hurdles (sixth, 18.14), MG's Tae Davis in the 110 hurdles (seventh, 18.51), Warner in the 300 hurdles (fifth, 43.02), Cardington's Luke Visconte in the 300 hurdles (eighth, 44.33), Northmor's 4x100 relay (seventh, 46.8), Pleasant's 4x200 relay (sixth, 1:35.85) and 4x400 relay (seventh, 3:36.68 and 4x800 relay (sixth, 8:25.47), Cardington's 4x400 relay (fifth, 3:29.68) and Ridgedale's 4x800 relay (fifth, 8:17.4).
rmccurdy@gannett.com
419-610-0998
X @McMotorsport
Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star
Local News
Comments / 0