Cougars tracksters set personal bests

VW independent sports/submitted information

LIMA — The Van Wert Cougars traveled to Bath High School to compete in Friday’s Eherensman Memorial Invitational to face a large and competitive field of teams from across the area. The Cougars turned in a number of strong performances, highlighted by personal records and top finishes.

On the girls side, Haven Hunt led the way with an impressive day in the sprints, placing second in the 100-meter dash (12.96) and capturing a first-place finish in the 200 meters with a personal-best time of 27.15. Senior Harper Roop also contributed in the 200 meters, finishing sixth with a personal-best 28.98.

The distance group continued to shine, with Symphony Schuerman placing fourth in the 3200 meters and seventh in the 1600, while Ruby Dicke and Leah Krites both competed well in the distance events, with Krites earning a top-10 finish in the 800 meters.

In the relays, the 4×200 team of Lily Greve, Harper Roop, Livie Parrish, and Haven Hunt placed fifth, while the 4×400 relay team also secured a top-five finish. The 4×800 relay added another strong showing, finishing fourth overall.

In the field events, Flannery Foster had a standout performance, placing second in the discus and fifth in the shot put. Katie Kramer also contributed with a solid effort in the throws.

As a team, the Cougars (66 team points) finished third behind Ottawa-Glandorf (145) and Bluffton (96).

On the boys’ side, Van Wert finished 10th. Micah Cowan led the sprint group with a pair of top-eight finishes, placing sixth in the 100 meters (11.56) and seventh in the 200 meters (24.06), both personal-best performances.

The distance squad once again provided key contributions, as Evan Keuneke placed fifth in the 800 meters, while Harrison Sloan and Calvin Byrum both earned top-10 finishes in the 1600. In the 3200 meters, Isaak Castillo and Alexander Bauer both recorded top-10 finishes.

The boys 4×800 relay team turned in a strong performance, finishing fifth overall, while the 4×400 relay also placed in the top 10.

In the field events, senior Nick Edwards led the throwers, placing in both the shot put and discus, while Roman Martin recorded a top-10 finish in the long jump.

“With numerous personal bests and competitive finishes across the board, the Cougars showed continued progress as they compete against some of the top programs in the region,” head coach Nate Hoverman said.

Shawnee won the team title (130) and Ottawa-Glandorf was the runner-up (109.25) out of 12 teams.