VW Cougars win 2019 WBL track title

Van Wert independent sports

ST. MARYS — No pun intended, but Van Wert ran away with the 2019 Western Buckeye League Track and Field championship at St. Marys Memorial High School on Friday.

The Cougars finished with 115 team points, compared to 96 for runner up Defiance. Elida was third with 82 points, followed by Shawnee (73); Celina (43); St. Marys Memorial (31); Ottawa-Glandorf (28); Wapakoneta (25); Kenton (24), and Bath (10).

Two of Van Wert’s relay teams finished first during Friday’s action – the 4×200 team of Ethan Brown, Blake Henry, Nathan Jackson and Jacob Hart (1:32.54), and the 4×400 team of Connor Pratt, Henry, Jackson and Brown (3:32.92).

The 4×800 meter relay team of Trey Laudick, Gage Chiles, Asnake Steyer and Hunter Sherer placed second on Wednesday with a time of 8:30.32.

Hart finished first in the Friday’s finals of the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.49, and second in the 100 meter dash (11.12). In addition, Henry won the high jump (6-03), and Austin Clay was the discus champion (154-04.50). Clay won the shot put on Wednesday (58-07.75).

On the girls’ side, Defiance won the team title with 93 points, followed by Shawnee (77) and Elida (73). Celina finished fourth with 58 points, Ottawa-Glandorf was fifth (50) and Bath sixth (48). St. Marys Memorial edged Van Wert for seventh with 42 points. The Lady Cougars had 40 points, followed by Kenton (32) and Wapakoneta (14).

The Lady Cougars were led by Kirsten Clay, who won the shot put (40-05) and Jill Gemmer, who placed second (39-04.25). Clay won the discus on Thursday with a throw of 136-00.

Caylee Phillips placed third in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:27.57

Complete WBL meet results can be found at: https://www.baumspage.com/track/wbl/2019/Final%20Results%20WBL%202019.htm.