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