HILLIARD—The Bucyrus middle school boy’s track team won the state meet this weekend for the first time in program history.

Coaches Matt Feck and Kevin Boggs entered the meet at Hilliard Davidson stadium with 17 hopeful athletes who put in hard work during the season.

“There was some very serious competition at that meet, so we wanted to bring kids who could really compete,” said Boggs.

The Redmen went up against several other teams, ranging in size and Division.

“We definitely didn’t expect to win because there were 68 teams registered and we didn’t know how many kids would show up from each team,” said Feck.

However, they came out on top in spite of the odds.

“When we saw the entries in the heat sheets, we realized we had a shot. Anything could happen the day of, but we were hoping for the best. We came out with 117 points and got the win,” said Feck.

In the end, the character of the athletes was what set the Redmen apart and made a difference at the state meet.

Feck said, “We had a group with a really good work ethic.”

“These kids were the ones who stay past the basic workouts. We’d have to send the vaulters home every night because it was getting dark,” said Boggs.

Boggs, the varsity head coach, noticed the middle school athletes looking up to the high school athletes as role models.

Boggs said, “They get along really well with the high school kids. This group of kids has been very supportive of each other, seeing that personal connection between the students is great.”

Some of the athletes who competed at state named fellow students as their biggest inspiration to work hard this season.

“[My biggest inspiration was] Dalton Barker, the high school pole vaulter,” said seventh-grade pole vaulter Ivan Pirnstill.

Looking ahead, the 2023 state champions have high aspirations for their future on the track. Some aim to break school records, while others, like seventh-grade sprinter Da’Shawn Cosey, wish to return to the state podium.

“I want the school to go farther and farther and for us to keep improving,” said Cosey.

 

Final results of the state meet, according to bucyrusschools.org, are as follows:

 

Gold Medal – First State Champions 2023

4x800m relay – Dustin Feck, AJ Griffin, Lucas Bradwell, and Paten Deskins

Boy’s high jump – Da’Shawn Cosey

Silver Medal – Second Place

Boy’s high jump – Quin Ross

Bronze Medal – Third Place

Boy’s 200m dash – Da’Shawn Cosey

Boy’s 110m hurdles – London Wade

Boy’s 200m hurdles- Ivan Pirnstill

Boy’s 4x200m relay – Luis Martinez, Wyatt Makeever, London Wade, Ivan Pirnstill

Girl’s long jump – Peyton Fackler

 

Fourth Place

Girl’s 100m dash – Peyton Fackler

Boy’s 110m hurdles – Wyatt Makeever

Boy’s 4x400m relay – Dustin Feck, AJ Griffin, Luis Martinez, Paten Deskins

Boy’s long jump – Dustin Feck

Boy’s discus- Quin Ross

Boy’s shot put- Haydon Ginn

 

Fifth Place

Boy’s 100m dash – Da’Shawn Cosey

Boy’s 400m dash – Paten Deskins

Boy’s 110m hurdles – Clayten Lawson

Boy’s 200m hurdles – Quin Ross

Boy’s 4x100m relay – Luis Martinez, Clayten Lawson, Ivan Pirnstill, Wyatt Makeever

Boy’s discus – Carson Witten

Boy’s shot put – Carson Witten

 

Sixth Place

Girl’s shot put – Savannah Clark

Boy’s shot put – Drew Posey