LANCASTER – It was a special day for the Lancaster boys and girls track and field teams on May 17 at Fulton Field.
Hosting the Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division Track and Field Championships, both teams used their overall depth to secure league titles. The boys’ team finished with 146.50 points, while the Lady Gales finished with 191 points and cruised to a 56-point win over the second-place finisher.
It was the fifth consecutive conference title for the boys’ team, and the Lady Gales won for the third consecutive year.
In the eight-team field, Lancaster boys placed first, followed by Pickerington Central (127), Logan (124), Canal Winchester (101), Groveport (61), Reynoldsburg (45), Newark (29), and Teays Valley (23.5).
On the girls’ side, the Lady Gales were followed by Pickerington Central (135), Logan (95), Teays Valley (83), Canal Winchester (52), Reynoldsburg (42), Newark (36), and Groveport (20).
The Lady Gales had five first-place finishes. Junior Harper Allen had an outstanding day by winning the 1600 in personal-record time of 4:58.19 to beat teammate Marisa Heil (4:59.65) for the first time in her career in the event.
Allen, who also placed second in the 800 (2:29.54), said chasing Heil has helped her improve, and now that she has finally beaten her, it will give her even more confidence.
“I really like there is always room to improve, and just having something to chase all the time, helps me and makes me want to work harder,” Allen said. “(Heil) has always been there to help me, and us pushing each other has been huge. Coming into the (1600), I really wanted it because I had two more races to run back-to-back.
“After training in the offseason, I have shown that I can do so much more, and I don’t want to settle anymore. This is a big year for me, and I just want to leave everything out there. My confidence has been all over the place and this will help. I finally broke the five-minute mark, and I have been wanting that for a long time, so it just shows I can go much faster.”
Heil placed first in the 3200 (10:49.53), Brooke Derringer was second (11:24.45), and Ava Parrett was third (11:51.38). Sophomore Rylee Johnson placed first in the 300 hurdles (47.10), and Alexa Lape was first in the pole vault (11-6).
The Lady Gales won the 4×800 relay (9:48.36) which consisted of Heil, Parrett, Lily Carpico and Hadley Allen. Hadley Allen finished second in the 800 (2:24.03), Addison Westbrooks was second in the high jump (5-0) and Sienna Westbrooks was third (4-10). While Jacilynn Sark was second in the 400 (1:01.12).
On the boys’ side, the Gales had five first-place finishes, led by Brock Jarrett, who placed first in the 1600 (4:29.61) and 800 (1:56.59), and he, along with Charlie Cooperrider, JJ Notestine and Finn Tripp, placed first in the 4×800 relay (8:09.06). The Gales also placed first in the 4×400 relay (3:26.01) which consisted of Isaac Boyden, Kaden Keller, Jason Silva, and Gabe McNeil.
Eli Raush won the high jump (6-2), Wyatt Krutsch placed first in the pole vault (14-10) and Ben Faher was second (13-6). McNeil placed second in the 400 (49.87), while Carter Davis was second in the 3200 (10:05.20) and Cooperrider was third (10:05.57).
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: King of the hill: Lancaster boys and girls take home OCC track and field championships
Reporting by Tom Wilson, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette / Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
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