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Shadyside, St. Clairsville, Linsly boys triumph

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Shadyside, Linsly and St. Clairsville have made winning Ohio Valley Athletic Conference boys track titles a habit.

The same can’t be said for Warren, which is still a relative newcomer to the conference.

However, after the dust settled through qualifying and an 18-event battle Saturday at Red Devil Stadium, all four are champions for 2019.

The Tigers won the small-school crown, while the Cadets (3A), Red Devils (4A) and Warriors (5A) are adding to their title collection.

Class 5A

Warren fought off a stiff challenge from a talented and deep Wheeling Park squad, 122-114 to win the school’s first conference title on the oval.

Wheeling Park got its first victory of the day in the discus circle thanks to senior Jermain Snodgrass’ mark of 134-8. He later added the shot put title with a mark of 48-11.

The Patriots picked up 10 more points in the field thanks to Christian Sorge who won the vault at 13-feet.

Park’s 4×1 set a stadium and class record with an impressive 43.11.

The Patriots closed the gap on Warren for the team title to six with their win in the shuttles in 60.99. However, Park simply ran out of points as Warren captured the 4×4 to salt away the victory.

Steubenville’s Jorian Jones won the overall and class title in the long jump with a mark of 21-6 1/2.

Big Red picked up another victory in the high hurdles thanks to senior Anthony Rice, who cleared 10 hurdles in 15.20.

Weir High junior speedster Sebastian Spencer electrified the crowd several times during the day in the short sprints. He posted a 10.52 to set a meet, stadium and class record in the 100.

He made it as many wins and records in as many tries when he captured the 200 in 21.84.

With Spencer on the anchor the Red Riders ran away from the field in the 4×2 en route to a 1:30.01.

Jake McCoy gave the Red Riders a key 10 points when he won the high jump with a 5-10.

Class 4A

The Red Devils captured their fourth straight title and the 14th in school history by scoring 156 points. They fought off a still challenge from Oak Glen, which closed with 126 points.

St. Clairsville’s first win came in the long jump thanks to senior standout Justin Heatherington, who later added the high jump. His first win came with a mark of 21-4. He soared over 6-6 to win his specialty, the high jump later in the meet.

Heatherington — via a tiebreaker — won the Butch and Donna Joseph High-Point Field Award.

The Red Devils’ strength in the hurdles was ignited by senior David Mellema in 15.30. He made it a hurdle sweep by skimming the intermediates in 40.49.

Thanks to an impressive anchor leg from Heatherington, the Red Devils picked up the 4×2 victory in the class with a time of 1:31.18.

The Red Devils passed the baton around the track in the 4×1 to a tune of 44.42.

St. Clairsville used a strong anchor leg from Mellema to chase down Wheeling Park to win the overall title in the hurdle relay in 60.88.

For good measure, the Red Devils laid claim to the 4×4 title in 3:31.41.

Oak Glen got a pair of victories from senior strong man Kellen Tropek. He won the class and overall discus title with a mark of 160-3. He captured the shot put with 52-11.

Tristan Lawson captured the 100 meter dash for the Golden Bears in 11.50. He also won the 200 in 23.21. Konnor Lawson gave the Golden Bears a victory in the 3200 meter run in 10:32.87.

Harrison Central’s Eric Leech won the 1600 meter run in 4:30.97.

Edison’s Bryce McAfoose won the pole vault at 12-6.

Buckeye Local’s Jacob Pielech captured the 400 meter dash in 51.29.

Class 3A

This class appeared — on paper — as the most wide open in the field. The Cadets strength in the speed events was too much for the remainder of the field to overcome. Linsly accumulated 118 points, which was 24 better than runner-up Bellaire.

Linsly’s Mikal Warfield-Payne was the high hurdle champion in 15.76.

The Cadets picked up another win in the 100 thanks to Corban James-Barrett in 11.46. James Barrett made it two for two with a win in the 400 in 51.43.

Another came for the Cadets in the 4×2 when they posted a 1:34.01.

Carl Nyh helped push the Cadets over the edge toward another team title when he won the 200 meter dash in 23.70.

The Caets put the finishing touches on their team title with a 65.10 to win the class crown.

Bellaire freshman Colt Sechrest captured the discus title with a twirl of 147-6.

A short-time later, Big Reds’ senior standout Cole LaRoche captured the overall and class shot put title with a class-record mark of 59-11 1/2.

The Big Reds’ first track win came in the 4×1 when they posted a 45.73 to prevail.

A.J. McCarthy claimed the class gold in the intermediates with a 41.90

Magnolia’s Spencer Shepherd won the 800 in 2:04.72. The Blue Eagles also captured the 4×4 in 3:38.20.

Union Local picked up a win in the 4×8 in a time of 8:37.66. Andrew Martin gave the Jets an individual win in the 3200 in 10:28.33.

Buckeye Trail’s Isaac Hickman won the vault at 12-feet.

Class 1A/2A

After finishing second last season, Coach Jeff Campbell’s Tigers got to the top of the 1A/2A mountain. The title is Shadyside’s first since 2006, but it’s the 29th in school history. That number is the most in the conference history.

The Tigers finished with 122 points, which was 60 points better than runner-up Steubenville Catholic.

Shadyside picked up its first win of the meet thanks to pole vault standout Dale Hawthorne, who won with a 13-6 clearance.

Senior standout Chase Stewart picked up the first of his two victories in the 1600 thanks to a 4:23.74. He later lapped basically the entire field en route to claiming the 3200 in 9:57.04.

Stewart, who also finished second in the 800, repeated as the Butch and Donna Joseph High-Point Track Award with 28 points.

The Tigers put the finishing touches on their victory with a win in the intermediate hurdles thanks to Jakob Klug’s 42.52.

Wheeling Central won the 4×2 in the smallest division in 1:34.81.

Paden City’s E.J. Weber claimed the shot put title with a mark of 44-10 3/4.

Bridgeport senior Kevin Herink claimed the class discus title with a heave of 137-10.

River junior Cooper Brown won the 400 class and overall titles in 50.26.

Madonna’s Brennen Secrist won the high hurdles in 15.96.

Steubenville Catholic Central’s Joe Rohde won the 800 in 2:03.92. The Crusaders also claimed the 4×4 title in 3:42.78.

Toronto’s Zach Stackhouse captured the high jump at 6-0.

Cameron’s lone title came in the shuttles when the Dragons posted a 63.29.

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