Locals compete in OVAC track competition

Big Red’s Sabria Jones jumps to victory in the Class 5A long jump, posting a mark of 18-02.75, just shy of the school record of 18-3. — Mike Hughes

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Catholic Central won the OVAC Class 1A/2A girls team championship Saturday in St. Clairsville while Big Red’s boys in 5A and both Weir girls and boys finished as runners-up in 4A.

The Weir girls actually finished in third overall with 90 points while the Crusaders were right behind in fourth with 88. The Big Red girls were third in 5A and 10th overall while the boys were fourth overall.

Catholic Central’s Mary Rohde won the girls’ high jump with a jump of 4-10 while also finishing third in the 1,600 in 5:39.46 and second in the 3,200 at 12:38.59. Teammate Natalie Cherepko won the 300 low hurdles in 51.08.

The Crusaders’ 4×800 team won gold as the foursome of Kathryn Bolster, Carolyn Kuebler, Ella Maragos and Jackie Okarma finished in 10:53.4. CCHS’ 4×400 team faired just as well, with Elizabeth Schmiesing anchoring the team that finished in 4:20.96.

Toronto’s Josie Dickinson won the girls’ 800 in 2:28.80 in a race that Okarma finished fourth.

Weir’s Mea Kaufman runs the third leg of the girls’ 4×200 relay. Kaufman teamed with Kiana Leuvano, Gabriella Spickard and Olivia Baker to capture the event in 1:50.31. — Mike Hughes

On the boys’ side, Catholic Central’s Andrew Rohde doubled up, winning both the 1,600 (4:22.07), setting a Class 1A/2A record, while also snagging the boys 3,200 event with an OVAC meet best 9:33.89. Rohde was the only competitor to come in sub-10 minutes.

The Red Knights’ Landon Grimes came in first in the boys’ 800 in 2:05.26

Madonna’s Andre Crossland won the boys’ high jump with a 5-10. He came in second in the 400 at 53.88.

Class 5A

Big Red’s Sabria Jones turned in a solid effort in her final OVAC championships, capturing the 5A 100 meter dash in 12.29 while nearly breaking the school record in winning the long jump. Jones’ leap of 18-02.75 came up just short of the school mark of 18-3. It did best Big Red’s Elise Watts’ mark of 18-00.50 back in 2016.

The recent WVU signee also anchored Big Red’s winning 4×200 team along with Aniyah Warner, Laila Reed and Sarah Allen.

Bri Hudson and Aujanea Robinson finsihed 1-2 in the discus, with Hudson’s twirl of 125-05 besting the previous 5A mark of 124-06. Robinson was just behind at 124-03.

On the boys’ side, Big Red’s Javin Harper won the shot put withg a 45-02.50. Savior Faulks and Josiah Rea finished first and fourth, respectively, in the 110 high hurdles with Faulks posting a 15.29.

Faulks ran the lead leg on Steubenville’s winning 4×200 team along with Jalen Minniefield, Ziare Scurry and Jemier Faulks in 1:29.92, besting the previous 5A mark.

Ziare Scurry came in first in the 400 at 51.01, with Jemier Faulks adding four points, coming in fourth. Scurry added a third-place finish in the 200 at 23.61.

The 4×400 relay tema also took first, with Josh Schoonover anchoring a team of Faulks, Faulks and Scurry at 3:28.41.

Class 4A

Weir did its best to try to keep pace with 4A winner St. Clairsville, starting strong with a win in the Shuttles at 1:08.91 with a team of Myleigh Clevenger, Maleea Faulks, Illionna Kirlangitis and Kiana Luevano.

Next the 4×800 team of Naomi Young, Olivia Shetler, Dacodah Roche and Lea Young captured another win in 10:28.99. Leuvano, Gabriella Spickard, Mea Kaufman and Baker then won the 4×200 at 1:50.31, just edging runner-up Oak Glen. Not to be outdone, Spickard, Young, Baker and Kaufman teamed to win the 4×400 in 4:12.16 as the Red Riders’ relay teams were on point Saturday.

Oak Glen’s Reecelyn Craig edged Buckeye Local’s Pam Kandrach in the 4A shot put, with Craig throwing 34-11 and Kandrach posting a 34-03.25.

The Golden Bears went 1-2 in the 1,600 with Hannah Kliner and Lacey Cameron fnishing in 5:14.32 and 5:37.61, respectively. Kliner and Cameron went 2-3 in the 800 behind Weir’s Young.

Kandrach came back strong in the discus, winning with a twirl of 137-05, establishing the mark in 4A.

Brynn McKeever came in first in the 400 at 1:01.01, just ahead of Weir’s Kaufman, while the Marshall signee came in second to future teammate Emma Henry of St. Clairsville in the 100 and 200.

Edison got a first-place finisher in the 3,200 as Annie Board held off a pair of St. C. runners to come in at 12:33.58.

On the boys’ side, the Red Riders Devan Colson came in first in the 200 in 23.32, with teammate Jacob Taylor coming in third at 23.73.

Oak Glen’s shuttle team was victorious with Aiden Flowers, Christian Francis, Kyle Greenlief and Anthony Burt finishing in 1:03.81.