Harrison Central junior high track athletes compete at state

The Harrison Central Junior High track team had a strong season

Young athletes stand on a boys pole vault podium at an outdoor track and field meet.

Harrison Central pole vaulter, Nelson Lan, places fourth at OHSAA State Track Championship in Columbus.

Submitted

Sharon Dalton Sharon Dalton News-Herald Correspondent

Published May 18, 2026 - 8:07 a.m.

Harrison Central was represented by three athletes May 16 at the OHSAA seventh- and eighth-grade state track championship in Columbus. Avalyn Sall qualified in pole vault, Marybella Ferda qualified in high jump and Nelson Lan qualified in pole vault. Lan placed fourth at 11 feet.

The Harrison Central Junior High track team had a strong season. The team earned boys runner-up honors at the Bellaire Early Bird Invitational, boys and girls runner-up honors at the Shadyside Invitational and Martins Ferry Relay Invitational, and Buckeye 8 championships.

Representing the Huskies as Buckeye 8 boys champions were Gideon Weiss, 110 hurdles, 7.48 seconds; Brody Sweeney, high jump, 5 feet; and Lan, pole vault, 10 feet, 6 inches.

Girls Buckeye 8 champions from Harrison Central were Jax Phillipson, Addy Reese, Callie Culbertson and Cecelia Gibson in the 4x800 relay, 11:50.62, and Sall in the pole vault, 8 feet.

Both the boys and girls teams were crowned champions of the Eastern Buckeye League. Sall was champion of the girls pole vault.

The Harrison Central Middle School League Championship netted champions in 20 events. Boys champions included Gage Giesey, Brayden DiLoreto, Weiss, the 4x100 relay team, 4x200 relay team, 4x400 relay team and 4x800 relay team, Sweeney, Zane Willis and Lan. Girls champions included Sall, Gibson, the 4x200 relay team, 4x400 relay team and 4x800 relay team, Ferda and Sall.

At the Union Local Invitational track meet, both the Harrison Central boys and girls teams captured first place. Lan dominated the meet as the top individual scorer for the boys teams.

The junior high teams are coached by Orion Bengier, Grace Bengier, Audrey Zanath, Ty Kenny and Katie Sedgmer.

harrison county sports

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