SQ=2011 State Qualifier,
RQ=2011 Regional Qualifier,
PR=Personal Record
By Hannah Chappell-Dick
It didn't take the Bluffton High School boys' 4x200m relay team long to capture a victory: a minute and 38 seconds, to be exact. The team beat out Liberty-Benton's "A" team by a full second to take the division II/III title at The University of Findlay's High School Invitational on Sunday.
This team of sophomore Noah Stratton (SQ), senior Keshaun Hughes (RQ), senior RJ Stratton, and sophomore Isaac Little was competing for their first time indoors.
N. Stratton and Hughes were joined by seniors Lucas Harnish (SQ) and Logan Steingass to take 3rd in the 4x400 with a time of 3:51.19.
Thurgood Marshall HS seized the victory in a speedy 3:40.07.
Steingass and Harnish also competed in the 200m and 400m dashes. Steingass placed 13th (25.43) and 7th (56.07). Harnish placed 24th (26.93) and 10th (56.85). The competition was stiff as the events were won by Thurgood Marshall's Alante Oliver (22.79) and Clyde's Adam Turner (53.95).
Junior Julie Althaus (SQ) stepped into starting blocks Sunday in her first race since qualifying for Regionals in cross country: the 55m dash. Though accustomed to a race 100 times as long, she placed 28th with a time of 8.86. Althaus also took 8th in the 800m run with a time of 2:47.62.
Althaus was joined by senior Alissa Garmatter (RQ), and sophomores Courtney Barnett and Audrey Marshall (both cross country runners) to place 4th in the 4x800 with a time of 11:55.35.
The Pirates had individual success on the field as well. For his first time represented BHS track, RJ Stratton took fourth in the boys' high jump with a leap of 5'06". Sophomore Kayla Edgington threw a PR in the shot put with a toss of 28'2.75". Senior Chase Wilson cleared 11'00" in the pole vault.
Senior Hannah Chappell-Dick (SQ) teamed with cross country competitors Jill Kanney (Coldwater SQ), Taylor Vernot (Wauseon SQ), and Alexa Brown (Spencerville SQ) in the 4x800m to take 2nd at the Division I meet on Saturday in 10:38.36.
Chappell-Dick also took first in the mile in 5:32.34 and second in the 3200m in 12:17.94, both indoor PRs. Coldwater's Kanney won the 3200m in 12:00.87.
