The Buckeye Valley track and field teams posted solid early-season showings over the weekend in Heath, nabbing a pair of top-five performances at the always competitive Hank Smith Invitational.

The boys, led by Ethan Browning, finished second with 79 points. Mount Vernon took top honors with 92 points while Heath smoothed out the top three with 70.

Browning picked up first-place points in the 110 and 300 hurdles, winning the events with respective efforts of 15.48 and 41.30 seconds.

BV’s 4×200 relay team had a stellar showing as well, as Hayden Mays, Brendan Olney, Philip Haney and Sam Jones joined forces to finish second in 1:33.74 — a mark a fraction of a second behind the 1:33.29 posted by first-place River View.

Mathew Hall, Andrew Suchland, Haney and Jones led the 4×400 relay team to second-place points in 3:33.73 and Jones, already a two-time placer in the relays, earned a runner-up showing as an individual in the 400 (51.04 seconds) to punctuate a strong all-around showing.

Other Baron standouts included Mitchell Melfe, who was second in the 200 (23.52 seconds); and Sam Stokey, who closed third in the shot put (46-05.75).

One the girls’ side, the 4×200 relay team of Noor Smith, Alexis Chang, Carlie Osborne and Grace Daily lead the charge, teaming up to win their event in 1:47.97.

Chang, Osborne and Daily posted strong showings in individual events, too.

Chang won the 300 hurdles (47.48 seconds) and closed third in the 100 hurdles (16.61 seconds); Daily was first in the 200 (26.34 seconds) and second in the 100 (12.46 seconds); and Osborne finished second in the 400 (1:01.84).

BV finished fifth among the 16 teams in action, collecting 63 points. Fairfield Union (101.5), John Glenn (95.5) and Northridge (82) took the top three spots.

FROM FRIDAY

Olentangy Orange’s girls track and field team won with 191.5 points while the boys took the team title with 161 at Friday night’s Granville Invitational.

Individual champs on the girls’ side included Cassidy Shimp, who won the 100 and 200 in respective times of 12.49 and 25.70 seconds; and Teresa Christian, who won the triple jump with an effort of 35-10.

Orange also won the 4×100 and 4×400 relays.

On the boys’ side, top Pioneer point producers included Nick Robinson, who won the 200 (21.83 seconds); Bobby Ogles, who won the discus (157-02); Luke Woolard, who won the hammer throw (153-07); Elias Lewis, who won the high jump (6-02); and Cam Shively, who won the pole vault (14-0).

Orange padded its point total with a win in the 4×200 as well.

Olentangy Berlin was also in action. The boys finished fifth with 75 points while the girls closed fifth with 69.5.

The Bears were boosted by Evan Cornell, who won the 800 in 1:58.73; and Alexandra Acosta-Munoz, who took top honors in the pole vault (10-0).

They also earned wins in the girls distance medley, boys distance medley and boys 4×400 relay.