Tusky Valley girls, Indian Valley boys win IVC titles

With the larger schools out of the way a week after the county meet, Tusky Valley’s girls track team handled the smaller schools at last week’s Inter-Valley Conference meet. Indian Valley’s boys prevented the Trojans from completing a sweep.

Tusky Valley’s girls totaled 101 points to finish seven ahead of runner-up Ridgewood. Garaway was third with 83, followed by Newcomerstown with 79.5, Claymont with 79.5, Strasburg-Franklin with 71 and Indian Valley with 63.5.

Indian Valley’s boys scored 125 points, edging second-place Tusky Valley with 117.5. Garaway followed with 81, Malvern with 68.5, East Canton with 62.5 and Ridgewood with 51.5.

Tusky Valley’s girls won four events, all on the track. The Trojans opened with a victory in the 4x800-meter relay as seniors Sami Ward and Trista Lieser teamed with juniors Hayden Huffman and Josie Eick to finish 14 seconds ahead of Strasburg-Franklin.

Senior Savannah Ashton won the 100- and 200-meter dashes. She edged Ridgewood’s Jaelyn McQueen by 0.05 seconds in the 100 and Ridgewood’s Kenzie Bice by 0.33 seconds in the 200. Junior Natalia Wolock captured the 300 hurdles, finishing 0.13 seconds ahead of Newcomerstown junior Solee Garland.

Newcomerstown’s girls won the 4x100 relay as Garland and fellow junior Cameran Kuder joined sophomores Samantha Kuder and Avilyn Hoover for the victory.

Claymont junior Jadyn Sproul won both the shot put and discus. She won the shot put by about 8 inches and the discus by 2.5 feet.

Indian Valley senior distance standout Kylie McKenzie won the 1,600 and 3,200. She held off Claymont’s Kali Wallace by less than three seconds in the 1,600 and Tusky Valley freshman Natalie Stokes by 13 seconds in the 3,200.

Sophomore Auria McDaniel added another Braves victory in the pole vault. She tied Tusky Valley senior Katie Armstrong at 10 feet, 6 inches, but won on attempts.

Sandy Valley finished ninth with 34 points. Freshman Taliana Tozzi won the high jump by clearing 5 feet, finishing 4 inches ahead of the field.

Tuscarawas Central Catholic senior Elena Price provided a preview of the postseason by winning the 800 by nearly 11 seconds over Wallace.

Indian Valley’s boys title was fueled by senior double winners Carsen Hostetler and Reese St. Clair. Hostetler won the 110 and 300 hurdles, while St. Clair claimed the 100 and 200.

Junior Nolan Patacca added a victory in the 3,200, and the 4x200 relay team of senior Grady Kinsey, Hostetler, St. Clair and junior Logan Burrier also finished first.

Tusky Valley’s boys opened with a victory in the 4x800 relay. Juniors Logan Roth and Cade Conrad joined sophomores Micah Rippel and Blake Markle for a two-second win over East Canton.

Conrad also won the 800, while senior Abe McElwee captured the 400. McElwee, Conrad and juniors Braden Miller and Ben Brantley teamed to win the 4x400 relay.

Newcomerstown’s boys, who finished seventh with 45 points, won the 4x100 relay. Seniors Dom Singer and Tanner Smith joined junior Lukas Justice and sophomore JJ Justice for a victory by more than a half-second.

Sandy Valley placed eighth with 44 points. Sophomore Gleason Pfeffer won the 1,600 by less than two seconds over Indian Valley’s Patacca.

Claymont finished 10th with 18 points. Strasburg-Franklin placed 11th with 11 points, while Tuscarawas Central Catholic was 12th with 8.

TCC junior Nolan Pugh tied for the top pole vault at 13 feet, 6 inches, but placed third on attempts.