Deehring, Johnson sprint to record book

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

LIMA — It was a record-setting day for a pair of Van Wert runners at the annual Western Buckeye League meet at Bath High School.

Junior Kendra Deehring zoomed to the 100 meter dash title with a school record and WBL meet record time of 12.20 seconds during Friday’s portion of the event. The previous meet record was 12.22, set in 2002 by Stacey Clausing of St. Marys Memorial.

“Honestly the WBL record came as a surprise,” Deehring said. “Going into the race my only goal was to place first…to say the least my nerves were very high before the race. After running it I was shown a time that my coach had on hand but knowing that time wasn’t true I knew I was close to another school record. While standing on the podium I heard that I’d broke the WBL record and it was an amazing feeling.”

“Going into meets I don’t focus too much on record setting, just setting my own goals,” she added. “For the remainder of the season I have high hopes for taking another trip back to state in the 100 and 200 and possibly another relay this year. My personal goals are to break 12 (seconds) in the 100 and run sub-25s in the 200.”

Deehing also ran a time of 12.32 in the preliminaries. Both times, she edged Syerra Greber of St. Marys Memorial, who ran a 12.33 in the preliminaries and 12.26 in the finals.

Teammate Macy Johnson, a senior, won the 200 meter dash and set a Van Wert High School record with a time of 25.41, while edging Greber (25.44). Deehring finished fourth (25.87).

On the boys’ side, Owen Scott was the 3200 meter run champion, finishing the race in 9:39.01. He also finished second (4:24.03) behind Ottawa-Glandorf’s Ty Rosengarten (4:22.51) in the 1600 meter run.

Other top placers for the Cougars included the girls 4×200 relay team (Olivia Vaas, Johnson Harper Roop and Deehring (second, 1:46.25); the 4×100 relay team (Vaas, Johnson, Mia Rager, Deehring, second, 50.69); Claire Benner, shot put, third, 35-05.50; Rager, fourth, long jump 15-09/50); Sophie Gearhart, fifth, pole vault, 7-06); 4×400 relay (Johnson, Lily Greve, Gearhart, Vaas, fifth, 4:16.12); Payton Nagel, sixth, 50.98. Rylan Miller, second 800 meter run, 1:59.88; Andrew Laudick, third, 3200 meter run, 9:59.87; Morgein Bigham, fifth, discus, 139-03.

Van Wert finished fourth in the girls’ and boys’ team standings, while Ottawa-Glandorf swept the girls’ and boys’ titles, with 128 and 112 points respectively. Bath was the runner-up on the girls’ side (82), followed by Celina (63.50), Van Wert (59), Defiance (47), Wapakoneta (41), St. Marys Memorial (37), Kenton (31), Shawnee (21) and Elida (16.50).

Shawnee was the boys’ runner-up with 99.5 team points, followed by Celina (72), Van Wert and Bath (48), Defiance (42), Elida (40), Wapakoneta (27.5), Kenton (24), and St. Marys Memorial (14).

Full results can be found here.