Story by Cort Reynolds
Photos by Jamie Nygaard
COLUMBUS GROVE - The Bluffton boys track and field team finished a strong second at the Northwest Conference meet Thursday and Saturday at Columbus Grove.

Meet host Grove claimed both the boys and girls championships. CG cruised to the boys title with 217.5 points, ahead of second-place Bluffton (123.5).

CG captured the girls crown with 163 points, while Spencerville finished second at 141.

The Pirate girls finished fifth out of nine teams with 59 points, just behind Ada (59) and ahead of Delphos Jefferson and Lincolnview in a tie for sixth with 58 points.

Pirate senior Jonathon Schriner captured first in the 400 meter dash. Eden Antrim won the 1600 meter run, and Erik Nygaard took first in the 3200.

Senior Simon Derstine also crossed the line first in the 800 meters to give the Pirate boys a sweep of the distance races.

Sophomore Ethan Bogart took second in both the 110 and 300 hurdles. 

Sophomore Brianna Tabler came in second in the girls pole vault to register the top Lady Pirate showing.

Scoring Bluffton finishes (top 8):
Boys 400 Meter Dash
1st       Schriner, Jonathan  51.51     
6th       Mehaffie, Josh      54.78

Boys 800 Meter Run
1st       Derstine, Simon    1:57.70      
3rd       Armstrong, Landon  2:03.04

Boys 1600 Meter Run
1st       Antrim, Eden    4:31.50 

Boys 3200 Meter Run
1st       Nygaard, Eric  10:07.73
8th       Andreas, Theo  10:52.28

Girls Pole Vault
2nd    Tabler, Brianna   10-0
3rd    Diller, Allison    9-0       

Boys 300 Meter Hurdles
2nd       Bogart, Ethan   42.91  

Boys 110 Meter Hurdles
2nd      Bogart, Ethan  16.82      

Boys Shot Put
3rd       Tabler, Aaron   44-9   
4th       Luginbuhl, Xavier    42-9.25

Girls 1600 Meter Run
3rd       Matthews, Clara   5:40.36       
7th       Armstrong, Ella   6:07.12

Boys Long Jump
4th      Basinger, Brien   18-11.5

Girls Discus Throw
4th       Ackerman, Cierra    97-7     

Boys Pole Vault
5th       Derstine, Sam    10-0      

Boys High Jump
5th       Lovell, Wyatt    5-6

Girls 400 Meter Dash
6th      Diller, Allison   1:07.25      
8th      Schweingruber, Mak   1:09.12

Girls High Jump
6th       Lewandowski, Pearl  J4-6

Girls 100 Meter Dash
6th       Scoles, Skyler    13.60

Boys 100 Meter Dash
7th       Basinger, Brien   12.08

Girls 3200 Meter Run
8th      Weissling, Kaelin  16:22.05

Boys Discus Throw
8th     Mays, Zander      103-6

Boys 4x800 Meter Relay
2nd Bluffton 8:29.01      
     1) Nygaard, Eric 10                2) Novak, Landon 10               
     3) Armstrong, Landon 10            4) Antrim, Eden 10 

Girls 4x800 Meter Relay
3rd Bluffton  10:38.70       
     1) Matthews, Clara               2) Armstrong, Ella              
     3) Scoles, Skyler            4) Scoles, Sami

Girls 4x100 Meter Relay
4th Bluffton  55.62

Boys 4x200 Meter Relay
4th Bluffton   1:38.40   

Girls 4x200 Meter Relay
5th Bluffton  1:53.9

Girls 4x400 Meter Relay
6th Bluffton    4:42.43

Boys 4x100 Meter Relay
6th Bluffton     47.79      

NWC Boys team scores:
1) Columbus Grove 217.5 points     
2) Bluffton 123.5
3) Allen East 80        
4) Lincolnview 76   
4) Spencerville 54        
6) Crestview 48   
7) Delphos Jefferson 29 
8) Paulding 17        
9) Ada 16   
 
NWC Girls team scores:
1) Columbus Grove 163 points     
2) Spencerville 141   
3) Paulding 74 
4) Ada 60 
5) Bluffton 59   
6) tie: Delphos Jefferson 58      
6) tie: Lincolnview 58       
8) Crestview 34 
8) Allen East 15                

Bluffton competes in the Div. III district meet at Findlay May 19/21. The top four finishers in any event qualify for regionals the next week at Tiffin.