By Ray Sarvis
FPS Correspondent
If the saying “good things come to those who wait” is true, then the Minerva boys’ track and field team received a spectacular gift following the events of May 16.
For it was then, you see, that the Lions did something that had not been done in 45 years — win their conference championship in track and field.
Minerva not only won the Eastern Buckeye Conference boys’ title — the Lions won it convincingly. Minerva secured the boys’ team championship with 145 points, more than 30 points ahead of runner-up and host Salem, which finished with 114.5 points. Marlington placed third with 112.5.
On the girls’ side, Marlington won the team championship as the Lady Dukes outlasted the host Quakers, 150-135. Meanwhile, Minerva placed third with 81 points.
What was the Lions’ formula for success in winning for the first time in four and a half decades? Consistency and few holes. Sure, Minerva had its share of individual champions — Rowen Hoffee in the 800-meter run (1:58.07), Xander Mueller in the 300 hurdles (42.24), and Wyatt Gonzalez in the high jump (6-2).
But those three were the only individual champions. The Lions posted 11 second- and third-place finishes in individual events and placed two athletes in every running event from the 100-meter dash to the 3,200. Minerva scored in every event except for the long jump.
Beginning with the sprints, Nate Green and Owen Shick placed second and third in the 100, before flipping the order in the 200, where Shick was second and Green fourth. In the 400, Owen Yoder finished fifth and Gabe Weldon placed sixth.
In the 800, Tyson Fetty placed third. In the 1,600, Hoffee and Yoder were second and third, respectively. In the 3,200, Grasyn Rettig and Ryan Cassidy placed second and third.
The Lions were not as dominant in the field events but still managed to collect points. Ben and Roger Herstine placed third and sixth in the discus, Sean Scott was third in the shot put, and Shick placed fifth in the high jump.
In the relays, the Lions won the 4×800, took second in the 4×400, and placed third in the 4×200. Their lowest finish came in the 4×100, where they still placed fifth.
On the girls’ side, Tateum Richard delivered the Lady Lions’ lone individual title in the 400 (59.45), but like the boys, the girls had plenty of high finishes and repeat scorers. Richard also placed fifth in the 800.
Kyleigh Lippincott took second and fourth in the 200 and 100 sprints. Lilah Sanor finished fifth in the 400. Annabelle Crissman was fourth in the 800, while Hannah Ison and Kayla Crissman were fourth and fifth in the 1,600. Gabby Lupshu and Katie Ison capped the distance scoring with third- and fourth-place finishes in the 3,200.
In the throwing events, Autumn Thompson and Lanae Walter placed third and fifth in the shot put. Thompson also claimed fourth in the discus. In the jumps, Emma Catlett placed sixth in the long jump, and Sanor was seventh in the high jump.
In the hurdles and relays, the Lady Lions continued scoring. Ivey Rettig was fourth in the 300 hurdles, and Callie Yeagley placed seventh in the 100 hurdles. In the relays, Minerva took first in the 4×800, third in the 4×200, and fifth in the 4×100.
While the Lions were the most successful local team, they were not the only one competing at the EBC championships. Carrollton also sent a strong group to Salem. The Lady Warriors finished fifth with 50 points, and the boys placed sixth with 25.
Marleigh Osolin led the way for the Lady Warriors with second- and fifth-place finishes in the 100 and 200. Kylie Ujcich was second in the 3,200, and Kaylee Russell was runner-up in the shot put.
In the relays, Carrollton won the 4×100, placed third in the 4×400, and fourth in the 4×800.
For the Carrollton boys, Ricky Sibila was the lone champion, winning the 3,200 in 9:38.07. Landyn Winkler finished fourth in the 400, and Dillon Naylor was fourth in the shot put.
