VW Cougars compete at WBL track meet

VW independent sports/submitted information

KENTON — The Western Buckeye League Track and Field Championships, held in Kenton last Wednesday and Friday showcased some of the top talent in northwest Ohio, and the Van Wert Cougars responded with numerous standout performances, personal records, and finals appearances on both the boys and girls sides.

Junior hurdler and sprinter Micah Cowan led the Cougar boys with one of the top performances in school history. Cowan finished runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 39.86, moving him to third all-time in Van Wert history in the event. 

Van Wert also received a huge effort from sophomore distance runner Evan Keuneke, who broke the two-minute barrier for the first time with a fifth-place finish in the 800 meters in 1:59.17. Harrison Sloan added a personal-best 4:47.45 in the 1600, while freshman Calvin Byrum recorded strong efforts in both the 1600 and 3200 meter races. Alexander Bauer placed eighth in the 3200 meters.

The Cougar boys also earned a fourth-place finish in the 4×800 relay as Keuneke, Quintin Parrish, Sloan, and Bauer combined for an 8:39.27 clocking.

In the field events, senior Nicholas Edwards Jr. recorded a personal-best throw of 41-8.5 in the shot put, while Roman Martin placed tenth in the long jump. Jayden White and Noah Hillery also contributed strong performances in the jumps and vaults.

As a team, the Cougars finished ninth. Ottawa-Glandorf won the team title and Ottawa-Glandorf was the runnerup.

On the girls side, freshman sprint standout Haven Hunt had an outstanding meet, finishing third in the 100 meters and fifth in the 200 meters while advancing to both finals. Senior Harper Roop also qualified for the 200-meter finals.

Van Wert’s girls distance squad continued its excellent season as Ruby Dicke placed fifth in the 800 meters with a personal-best time of 2:23.16, moving her to fifth all-time in school history in the event. Symphony Schuerman and Noelle Byrum both earned personal-best performances in the 1600 meters before coming back to place sixth and seventh respectively in the 3200 meters.

The Cougar girls relay teams were especially strong throughout the meet. The 4×400 relay team of Dicke, Roop, Leah Krites, and Hunt earned runner-up honors in 4:08.89, moving the quartet to fifth all-time in Van Wert history. The 4×200 relay team of Livie Parrish, Roop, Lily Greve, and Hunt placed fourth, while the girls 4×800 relay team also brought home a fourth-place finish.

Van Wert’s girls also shined in the field events. Freshman thrower Flannery Foster had an outstanding championship meet, placing third in the shot put and runner-up in the discus with personal-best marks in both events. Parrish was second in the high jump, while Greve also earned a medal-winning performance in the event.

Ottawa-Glandorf won the girls’ team championship with Celina finishing as the runner-up. Van Wert finished in a third place tie with Defiance.

With numerous personal records and several athletes continuing to climb the all-time Van Wert performance lists, the Cougars now turn their attention toward the OHSAA tournament trail with strong momentum heading into districts.

The Cougars will compete at the Division III district meet at Napoleon on Thursday and Saturday.