BUCYRUS — Ashland Crestview boys and Oak Harbor girls were winners of the 30th Bucyrus Elks’ Invitational on Saturday. Two meet records were broken.

But none of those were the story line. After 30 years, the founding fathers, Kip Kinn and Bill Metzger, are stepping away from their brainchild.

In 1992, Kinn and Metzger decided to organize a track meet at Bucyrus High School.

With No. 30 under their belts, a three-decade era came to an end, at least for the co-founders.

“I feel good,” Metzger said. “It’s just time for us to move on. Thirty years is a long time for anything.”

It was not intended to last for 30 years, according to Kinn, but it turned out that way and it has been a boon for the Bucyrus High School Athletic Department and the local economy.

“I’m a little bit sad,” Kinn said. “It’s been a tradition. We started it and we thought this was the year to end it.”

In ending it, Kinn meant as far as coordination by him and Metzger. They are still searching for a group to take it over.

In 30 years, only two meets were canceled — once due to a snowstorm and last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s always been a good meet — 16 teams,” Metzger said. “I’ll miss the officials. They’ve become very good friends.”

Kinn cited loyalty by a several schools as a steadying force for the meet’s longevity.

“We’ve had Lexington, Colonel Crawford, Wynford — we’ve had a lot of schools really loyal to us. They came back,” Kinn said. “I think they appreciate a good meet. We tried to make it a good, competitive meet and get them in and out. We did everything  we could to make it right for the kids.”

Crestview boys won with a team score of 126 to edge Marion Harding with 99. Oak Harbor girls totaled 115 to beat Lexington’s 96.

Locally, Colonel Crawford girls were third with 86 points and Galion was fifth with 53. Galion boys finished fourth with 73 points.

Marion Harding’s boys set a meet record in the 4X100 meter relay with a time of 44.81, eclipsing the previous mark of 44.81 set by Colonel Crawford in 2011. Reagan Garrett set a new mark in the girls’ discus throw with a 131-07 breaking the former record of 130-01 set by Brooke McCombs in 2008.

“Overall, we saw some things that were good, and we saw a lot of areas we’ve got to work on,” Bucyrus coach Carl Rittenour said. “We’re a young team this year.”

One of the good things Rittenour saw was the emergence of Emma Tyrrell, who won both the girls’ 100- and 200-meter dashes with times of 13.95 and 28.47, respectively.

“Emma did a great job today,” Rittenour said. “As a freshman, there’s a great future for her if she keeps on working hard.”

Kinn reflected on his final Elks’ Invitational as a coordinator.

“It’s really been hard getting help — just everything,” Kinn said. “But we thought it was a good time to go — get out and go on to something else.

“I’ll miss the athletes and the coaches, the officials,” Kinn added. “We’ve had about the same crew the whole time and they’ve been really loyal.”