Story by Cort Reynolds
Photos by Marvin Foster
WESTERVILLE - Several Bluffton boys track and field athletes competed well in the Div. III state meet held at Westerville North High School Friday and Saturday.
Senior Simon Derstine finished second in the boys 800 meter race Saturday to post the top Pirate finish. The regional champion crossed the line in 1:55.35 to finish behind only Ross Kuhn of Ashland Crestview by 1.37 seconds. Derstine's time establishes a new 800 meter record at Bluffton High School.
Bluffton sophomore Landon Armstrong came in 15th among the 18-runner field in the 800 meters.
Pirate sophomore Eden Antrim also finished a solid 10th in the 1600 meter run Saturday.
Senior Jonathan Schriner ended up 13th in the 400 preliminary heats Friday, and did not qualify to the eight-man finals race Saturday.
The Pirate quartet of Antrim, junior Ethan Bogart, senior Josh Mehaffie and senior Jonathan Schriner crossed the line seventh in the 4 x 400 relay finals Saturday after coming in fourth in the prelims Friday.
The Bluffton boys foursome of Antrim, Erik Nygaard, Armstrong and Derstine took eighth in the 4 x 800 relay race.
Minster captured the boys Div. III state team title with 52 points. Bluffton finished tied for 21st with 11 points.
West Liberty Salem won the girls state team crown with 52 points, while Mt. Gilead was second (42).
Bluffton state meet finishes, with event winner first:
Boys 800 Meter Run
1st Ross Kuhn 12 Ashland Crestview 1:53.98
2nd Simon Derstine 12 Bluffton 1:55.35
15th Landon Armstrong 10 Bluffton 2:01.77
Boys 1600 Meter Run
1st Eli Fullerton 12 Belpre 4:16.07
10th Eden Antrim 10 Bluffton 4:29.73
Boys 400 Meter Dash
Finals
1st Amere Talley 11 Lutheran East 48.41
Prelims
13th Jonathan Schriner 12 DNQ to finals 51.91
Boys 4x800 Meter Relay
1st Canton Central Catholic
Paul, Scheatzle, Abbott, Grillo 7:58.39
8th Bluffton
Antrim, Nygaard, Armstrong, Derstine 8:06.89
9th Columbus Grove
Stechschulte, Morman, Koch, Closson 8:11.12
Boys 4x400 Meter Relay
Finals
1st Minster 3:22.12
1) Brady Hoelscher 12 2) Nathan Droesch 12
3) Joseph Slonkosky 11 4) Bryan Falk 12
7th Bluffton 3:28.87
1) Eden Antrim 10 2) Ethan Bogart 11
3) Josh Mehaffie 12 4) Jonathan Schriner 12
4x400 Prelims:
1st Minster
Hoelscher, Droesch, Slonkosky, Falk 3:25.89
4th Bluffton
Antrim, Bogart, Mehaffie, Schriner 3:27.86
