Cougars fare well at D-II regionals

Van Wert independent sports

PIQUA — Van Wert’s 4×400 meter relay team won Thursday’s preliminary event and the 4×800 and 4×200 meter relay teams posted impressive finishes at Division II regional meet on Thursday.

In the final event at Piqua High School, Ethan Brown, Nate Phillips, Trey Laudick and Connor Pratt won the 4×400 in 3:25.24 and the four will try for a regional championship on Saturday.

On the boys’ side of the 4×800, Gage Wannamacher, Laudick, Gage Springer and Hunter Sherer finished as the runner-up to Waynesville, 8:05.46 to 8:05.48. The quartet will run at State at Pickerington North High School next week.

The boys’ 4×200 relay team (Brown, Phillips, Pratt, Laudick) advanced to Saturday’s competition with a runner-up time of 1:31.57.

Laudick also qualified for Saturday’s finals in the 200 meter dash (23.43).

Brown and Pratt also qualified for Saturday’s 400 meter dash finals, with Brown finishing second (50.47) and Pratt finishing fourth (51.14).

In addition, two Cougars finished in the top eight in the long jump. Dru Johnson placed fifth (21-01.75) while Brown finished seventh (20-3). However, only the top four qualify for the State meet.

On the girls’ side, Sofi Houg ran the 400 meter dash in 1:01.10 and finished eighth to claim the final qualifying spot on Saturday and the 4×400 relay team (Macy Johnson, Saylor Wise, Kyra Welch and Houg) finished fifth (4:09.38) and qualified for Saturday’s finals.

The girls’ 4×800 team of Wise, Welch, Tyra McClain and Carly Smith finished eighth with a time of 9:52.95.

Houg (27.58) and Johnson (27.72) finished 11-12 in the 200 meter dash and the 4×200 team (Johnson, Wise, Houg, Smith) placed 11th with a time of 1:50.79.