Fleming 2nd in 1600 at state track meet

Van Wert independent sports

COLUMBUS — Last year, in winning the state 800-meter title, Van Wert’s Jared Fleming opted to scratch the 1600-meter race he was also qualified for. This year, he decided to go for it all, including running legs of the 4×400 and 4×800-meter relay races, a decision had mixed results.

Fleming first ran a school-record 1600-meter time of 4:15.29 that left him runner-up to Versailles’ Sam Prakel in the 1600, in addition to a fourth-place finish in the 4×800 and a sixth-place finish in the 4×400, but also resulted in a last-place finish in the 800, the race he won last year.

All in all, though, a great finish to arguably the most illustrious career of any runner at Van Wert High School.

Fleming and fellow runners Seth Kopp, Quincey Salcido and Nick Krugh ran a personal best of 3:23.21 in finishing sixth in the 4×400, in addition to setting a school record 7:54.57 in the 4×800-meter relay race with Kopp, Kase Schalois and Connor Holliday on Friday. In that race, Fleming ran what was thought to be a 1:51 leg — two seconds faster than his regional-winning time.

Also on Saturday, Amanda Clay took a ninth-place finish in the 400-meter dash for Van Wert, while Cougar Alexis Dowdy, a freshman, was 10th in the shotput.

In Division III, Crestview’s Mycah Grandstaff was ninth in the 3200-meter race in Division III, while Bayley Tow finished 12th in the 1600-meter race.