By Cort Reynolds

The Bluffton High School track and field teams have been active and very successful in recent meets.

HOME MEET
On April 8, the Pirate boys and girls swept a four-team meet at Bluffton University. The Bluffton boys dominated with 108 points. Delphos Jefferson finished a distant second with 23 points, followed by Lima Central Catholic (17) and Temple Christian (11).

The Pirate girls also won their meet easily with 93 points. Jefferson tallied 29 points, while LCC again scored 17 and Temple Christian 15.

Several Pirates captured first in individual events.

Senior speedster Kain Wright won three sprint races to pace Bluffton. He took first in the 100-meter dash in 11.30, and crossed the finish line first in the 200 meters (22.75). He also captured the 400 meters (49.05).

Adam Fritsch won the 1600-meter run in 5:49.76. Junior Will Steiner took first in the 3200 run (11:37.45).

Sophomore Braxston Smallwood won the 110 high hurdles in 20.26. Freshman Jax Ewing won the 300 hurdles in 50.06.

Owen Scoles won the discus with a best throw of 142-6. Junior Tayte Giesige captured the long jump (21-2.75). Xandra Gatchell won the 1600 meters in 6:22.28.

The Pirate boys also won the 4x200 relay race in 1:32.89. Bluffton also won the girls 4x200 relay (1:55.39).

Nora Matthews captured the 3200-meter run in 11:20.02. Aubrey Burkholder crossed the line first in the 100 hurdles (17.54) and 300 hurdles (49.53). 

Pirate Lizzy Suter won the girls shot put with a best toss of 32-10. Suter also captured the discus at 96-3.

Mallory Blackburn won the pole vault with a top leap of 7-0. Lauren Dearth took first in the long jump at 13-11.25.

BATH EHRESMAN INVITATIONAL
On April 10, the Pirate girls finished a strong second out of 12 teams with 96 points. Ottawa-Glandorf won the girls meet with 129 points.

Shawnee won the 12-team boys meet title with 130 points, while the Pirates ended up seventh (39.7).

Pirate sophomore ace Maelee Miller won the girls 400-meter run in 59.41. She also took first in the 100 hurdles in 15.55.

Matthews also won the 1600 meters in 5:23.65. Gracie Warren took second in the 200 meters at Bath (28.2).

The Pirate girls 4x100 relay squad finished third in 54.59.

Wright finished first in the 400-meter run (49.68). The boys 4x200 relay team of Kizer Young, Lleyton Miller, Tayte Giesige and Wright crossed the line first with a time of 1:32.1.

RIVERDALE QUADRANGULAR
Bluffton also competed at the Riverdale quadrangular meet on Tuesday, April 14 with Marion Harding and North Baltimore.

Pirate Kohen Anderson won the 400 meters (53.3), and Liam Moore took the 800 run (2:21.88).

The Pirate boys teams won the 4x100 (46.9) and 4x200 relay races (1:34.81).

Pirate thrower Megan Follas swept the girls discus (92-8.5) and shot put (31-6) events.

Miller again captured the girls 100 hurdles in a time of 16.08. Teammate Lilianna Fleming took the 300 hurdles in 49.01.

The Pirate quartet of Warren, Burkholder, Dearth and Miller won the girls 4x200 relay race in 1:52.04.

Bekah Rehm also won the pole vault with a best vault of 7-0.