The Big Walnut boys track and field team won its host event for the fourth straight season, scoring 94 points to take top honors at the Big Walnut Red Edwards Relays Saturday in Sunbury.
The Golden Eagles did some damage on the track, but really padded their point total with standout showings in the field events, taking top honors in the pole vault, shot put and discus relays.
Mitchell Truax (11-0), Josh Halbakken (10-0) and Nick Spangenberg (9-0) led the charge in the pole vault; Brandon Mosher (52-03), Mark Ruffing (44-02.50) and Brandt Ebright (41-03) contributed to the win in the shot put; and Mosher (meet-best throw of 152-05), Ruffing (114-04) and Luke Apple (110-08) combined to win the discus event.
The Eagles also won the 800 sprint medley as Dante Chhuom, Devon Bingman, Shane Swartzentruber and Tim Rumas teamed up to cross the finish line in 1:37.29.
In other action, the foursome of Caleb Ramey, Mitchell Embaugh, Swartzentruber and Rumas finished second in the 800-meter relay (1:34.31); Colin White, Brody Lawhun, Dawson Brehm and Blake Conner finished second in the shuttle hurdle relay (1:07.30); and Zach Westfall (runner-up effort of 5-08), Jackson Podraza (5-06) and Lawhun (5-04) finished second in the high jump relay.
Delaware Hayes, fifth with 51.5 points, saw its best finishes come in the pole vault, long jump and shot put relays.
Andrew Young (9-0), Jackson Patton (9-0) and Brian Schuette (9-0) combined to finish second in the pole vault event; Orion Ward (19-05.50), Laquans Banks (18-03.25) and Troy Ferguson (17-05.50) teamed up to nab runner-up honors in the long jump; and Todd Toney (41-11), Keishawn Mack (37-09.50) and Ashtyn Rollins (35-07) finished second in the shot put.
In girls’ action, the Delaware Hayes and BW squads both nabbed top-three showings, finishing second and third, respectively.
The Pacers, who collected 79 points on the way to their second-place finish, won four events and finished second in another.
They took hop honors in the 3,200-meter relay as Sydney McMillin, Ari Avant, Madeline Hayes and Emily Gray combined to finish in 4:23.52 — a mark almost 10 seconds better than the one runner-up Westerville Central posted.
Hayes also picked up first-place points in the sprint medley as Avant, Megan Reid, McMillin and Young finished in 1:53.35; and won the pole valut relay thanks to the combined efforts of Hayes (meet-best height of 10-0), Chase Patton (9-0) and Sarah Jennings (6-0).
The Pacers closed second in the 4×200 relay as Torie Young, Avant, McMillin and Hayes combined to cross the finish line in 1:49.16.
Big Walnut, third as a team with 75 points, won the discus relay thanks to the efforts of Maddie Swank (runner-up toss of 98-10), Grace Weber (87-10) and Cindy Schlaegel (80-11).
BW’s best finish on the track, meanwhile, came in the 6,400-meter relay as Colbi Borland, Chloe McKenzie, Alina Pecci and Adelee Gartner finished first in 23:49.90.
The Eagles were also solid in the 3,200, lap medley and pole vault relays. Borland, Kaitlin Meade, Becca Bogantz and Gartner finished second in the 3,200 (10:45.45); Bogantz, Grace Unger, Meade and Borland teamed up to take second in the lap medley relay (13:06.89); and solid showings from Julia Wood (7-06), Annika Anderson (7-0) and Abby Spangenberg (6-0) contributed to the second-place finish in the pole vault relay.
