Cougar runners advance to D-II State

Van Wert independent sports

PIQUA — Van Wert High School will be well represented at the Division II Ohio High School Athletic Association Track and Field Tournament at Pickerington North High School.

In addition to the 4×800 meter relay team of Gage Wannamacher, Trey Laudick, Gage Springer and Hunter Sherer, two other Cougars relay teams qualified for this week’s state meet.

The 4×400 team (Ethan Brown, Nate Phillips, Trey Laudick, Connor Pratt) earned a regional championship at Piqua on Saturday with a time of 3:37.35 and the 4×200 team, made up of the same four runners, advanced by finishing third (1:31.56).

Springer also qualified for the state meet by placing third in the 800 meter run (2:01.67), while Pratt and Brown advanced to Pickerington by finishing 3-4 in the 400 meter dash with respective times of 51.49 and 51.59 in the regional finals.

As a team, the Cougars (49) finished third in the final regional standings behind Waynesville (70) and Bryan (51).