Several area runners headed to state

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

Senior Jared Fleming won both the 800- and 1600-meter runs at the Lexington Division II regional track and field meet, and helped both the 4×400-meter and 4×800-meter relay teams to qualify for the state track meet over the weekend.

The Cougar boys’ track team finished third at regionals, a point behind runner-up Sandusky Perkins. Eastwood won the boys’ meet with 55 points.

On the girls’ side, Van Wert’s Amanda Clay finished second in the 400-meter dash to qualify for state, but missed an opportunity to qualify in the 100-meter dash, coming in eighth.

Fleming set a new school record in the 800-meter run, clocking a time of 1:53.88 and will defend his state title in that race next weekend in Columbus. He also won the 1600-meter run in a time of 4:24.97, slightly slower than his district time in that event, but fast enough to win at Piqua and advance to state.

The 4×400-meter relay team of Fleming, Seth Kopp, Quincey Salcido and Nick Krugh was fourth in 3:22.34, while the 4×800-meter relay team (Fleming, Kase Schalois, Kopp and Connor Holliday) finished in second place in a time of 8:00.56.

The boys’ 4×200-meter relay team (Kevon Pierce, Krugh, Terrance Branson and Kopp) also qualified for state competition with a fourth-place finish in 1:30.93.

Schalois came close to an individual berth at state with a fifth-place finish in the 3200-meter run in 10:01.21, while Kopp finished eighth in the 400-meter dash in a time of 52.12 seconds.

Clay ran a time of 58.15 in the 400 to finish second in that race and earn a berth to Columbus next weekend. She was a disappointing eighth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.75 seconds to finish out of the running in that race.

At the District III track and field meet in Piqua, Crestview’s Mycah Grandstaff was second in the 3200-meter run in a time of 9:50.97 to qualify for a state berth, while teammate Isaiah Kline finished fourth in the 400-meter dash in a time of 50.64 seconds.

Lincolnview’s Bayley Tow also earned a berth in the Division III state track and field meet this coming weekend with a fourth-place finish in the 1600-meter run this past weekend. His time was 4:28.82.