NORTH ROBINSON — Colonel Crawford girls and Crestview boys took team titles in the Division III district track finals on Friday. It began Wednesday and a few field events were held Thursday due to the high winds.

The boys 4X100 meter relay produced three qualifying teams, including a super close finish for first.

The Eagles quartet of Jacob Awbrey, Carter Valentine, Ethan Holt, and Caulen Spangler ran a 44.93 to clip the Seneca East squad comprised of Jesse Beckman, Korbin Beamer, Taylor Young, and Dylan Young, who ran a 44.95.

“We got last I think last year. It feels good. I got it to him,” Taylor said of handing the baton to his brother Dylan.

“We’re all family,” Beckman said. “These two are blood, we’ve been on the relay since the seventh grade. We’ve all been together with football, lifting, in school, outside of school.”

“Keep grinding,” Dylan said regarding next week’s regionals at Port Clinton. “That shows the strength of our whole team what we did last week at the N10 and today.”

In third place was the Bucyrus team of Gavin O’Connell, Eddie Dagher, Kiyran Elsby-Kershner, and Michael Wise, with a time of 44.96.

Colonel Crawford boys coach Preston Foy witnessed a number of his athletes place in the top four.

“The girls did as expected. We can definitely get better; there’s some things we can do better as a team. They’re going to have to get better as the competition gets harder and harder each week,” he said.

Katie Ruffener tied her record set last year in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.29 seconds. She also won the 100-meter dash in 12.90. Emma Tyrrell of Bucyrus was second in 13.35 and Wynford’s Chloe Kaple third in 13.50.

In the 300-meter hurdles Ruffener set a mark 44.67 that broke another record held by Wynford’s Amber Rall (45.01 in 2002). Ruffener took second in the long jump to Lucas’ Shelby Grover going 17 feet, 9 inches.

Reagan Ritzhaupt took third clocking 49.56.

Mentally going into the post-season competition is an adjustment, Foy said.

“They think they understand what’s going on how a race or invite is run. But this isn’t like the Bucyrus Invitational where there are eight heats or six heats.

“The district meet is longer than even the regional or state meet because you’re looking at milers and two-milers who aren’t as quick. Next week, that meet will go fast.”

Others who qualified:

  • Tyrell and Kaple qualified in the 200 meters with times of 27.27 and 27.54.
  • Kaple captured the 400 meters in 1:00.99, with Crawford’s Mira Holt second at 1:01.21 and Buckeye Central freshman Nevaeh Metzger fourth at 1:03.95.
  • Cecelia Chase was second in the 800 meters (2:27.86) and fellow Lady Eagle Olivia Hardy fourth (2:31.89).
  • Lily Schiefer was second in the girls 1600 meters in 5:24.61. She was also second in the 3200 in 12:04.37.
  • The 4X100 meter relay took second in 51.70 8, with Reagan Ritzhaupt, Hailey Slagle, Ayla McKibben, and Niyah Shipman.
  • The Lady Redmen team took third (53.66) with Leah Sheets, Adacyn Rister, Kim Burling, and Tyrrell.
  • Crawford’s girls 4×800 team of Chase, Gabby Roston, Izzy Roston, Olivia Hardy won with a time of 10:06.11.
  • Second was Seneca East 10:19.62 8 with Amelia Boes, Jaidyn Kagy-Alexander, Makenna Depinet, and Lily Schiefer.
  • The girls 4X100 team of Reagan Ritzhaupt, Hailey Slagle, Ayla McKibben, and Niyah Shipman.
  • Colonel Crawford’s 4X200 relay team of McKibben, Holt, Rylee Ritzhaupt, and Reagan Ritzhaupt finished second behind Riverdale going 1:50.99.
  • The Eagles 4X200 meter relay of Tanner Dyer, Jacob Awbrey, Caulen Spangler, and Ethan Holt clocked 1:34.95 behind South Central.

“The relays are what really matters to us, and we made it out,” Rylee said. “We haven’t started tapering yet, so we’re expected to drop times at regionals.

Team chemistry is paramount in relays.

“We never compete at practice. We are always cheering each other on, pushing each other,” she said. “We work on handoffs before every single meet. When I hand off, I always yell, ‘Go.'”

The teams are poised and ready for regionals.

“I’m very excited. I think we can do well,” Ritzhaupt said.

She joined Gabby Roston, Holt, and McKibben to win the girls 4X400 meters in 4:16.68. Behind them was Wynford’s foursome of Hazel Stone, Allison Lust, Morgan Lambert, and Kaple. Their time was 4:17.11.

  • Seneca East was third with Boes, Kagy-Alexander, Depinet, and Schiefer.
  • Carter Valentine in long jump (21 feet, 1.5 inches) and Trevor Vogt (19 feet, 7.5 inches).
  • Liv Krassow and Niyah Shipman in high jump, along with Boes. Krassow went 5 feet, 4 inches, Shipman 5 feet, 2 inches and Boes 5 feet.
  • Corin Feik won the discus with a throw of 118 feet, 5 inches.
  • Julia Feik was second in the shot put with a throw of 39 feet, 3/4 inch.
  • The boys 4X800 relay team from Bucyrus took fourth in 8:39.40, with Deven Deskins, Jorien Durham, Eli Sprague, and Joe Rager. The same team was fourth in the boys 4X400 meter relay in 3:37.54.
  • Gabby Roston took the pole vault at 11 feet, four inches.
  • Gavin O’Connell of Bucyrus was fourth in the 100 meters in 12.15 seconds.
  • Enyce Sewell of Crestline grabbed second in the 200 meters in 24.08.
  • Brycen Lantz of Seneca East was third in the 1600 meters in 4:48.17. The sophomore also took second in the 3200 meters in 10:46.89.
  • Vogt won the 300-meter hurdles in 43.42 and was second in the 110-meter hurdles in 16.58.
  • Gavin Hargis of Seneca East was third in the 110-meter hurdles in 16.99.
  • Randy Banks of Bucyrus tied for third in the high jump clearing 6 feet, 2 inches.
  • Aiden McDougal of Buckeye Central was second in the discus with a toss of 156 feet, 2 inches.

GIRLS

1) Colonel Crawford 171 2) Riverdale 67 3) Carey 66 4) Ashland Crestview 60 5) Lucas 57 6) South Central 53 7) New London 49 8) Seneca East 40

8) Wynford 40 10) Bucyrus 26 11) Mohawk 11 12) Ridgemont 6 13) Buckeye Central 5 14) Crestline 3 14) Plymouth 3 14) Hardin Northern 3 17) Mansfield Christian 2

BOYS

1) Ashland Crestview 132 2) Colonel Crawford 74 3) Seneca East 69 4) South Central 57 5) Bucyrus 41 6) Hardin Northern 38 7) Riverdale 37 8) St. Peters 36 8) New London 36 10) Carey 26.50 11) Plymouth 20.50 12) Buckeye Central 20 13) Lucas 19 14) Mohawk 18 15) Crestline 15 16) Ridgemont 12 17) Mansfield Christian 10