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St. Clairsville, Linsly race to girls’ championships

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — As it pertained to track and field in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, Saturday’s championship meet was simply more of the same.

Track and field’s OVAC Cal Giffin Track and Field Championship wrapped up Saturday at Red Devil Stadium with the same four teams hoisting the team trophies that did last season.

Wheeling Central (1A/2A), Linsly (3A), St. Clairsville (4A) and Wheeling Park (5A) ran away from their respective classes and hid en route to the championships.

Here’s a look at each class:

5A

Wheeling Park collected its 14th title in school history and second straight thanks to 156 points, which was 54 better than runner-up Morgantown.

The Patriots got their scoring rolling in a big way when junior Aaliyah Speights won the long jump with a 15-9 leap.

On the track, sophomore Aubrey Wiethe was impressive in the hurdles. She won the highs in 15.40. She later added the class and overall title in the low hurdles as well with a 46.62.

Wiethe’s efforts also earned her the girls’ Butch and Donna Joseph High Point Track Award.

The Patriots’ relay strength was demonstrate with a win in the 4×2 with a time of 1:47.00 and they later added the 4×1 in 50.62.

Park officially wrapped up its conference title in the shuttles with a 1:06.13 to capture both the overall and class titles.

For good measure, the Lady Patriots notched the final victory of the meet in the 4×4 with a time of 4:11.05. That win was also an overall victory for the Lady Patriots.

Steubenville picked up a class win in the shot put thanks to the work of freshman Amya Livingston in the shot put. She marked at 36-3 1/4.

Senior speedster T’Kayla Kelley set a record for the big-school class with a 12.29 in the 100. She came back a short-time later and notched a meet and stadium record in 25.55 to win the class and overall title in the 200.

Brooke’s Rachel Clayton captured the high jump at 4-9.

John Marshall standout Zara Zervos won the overall and class crown in the 400 meter dash with a 59.59.

4A

The St. Clairsville Red Devils flexed their muscle during the qualifying round and carried it over to the finals. Coach Tony Ciroli’s team finished with 153 points, which was 28 better than runner-up Oak Glen.

The title is the 12th overall and third in a row for the Red Devils.

St. Clairsville got a jumpstart on its meet with a victory in the shot put. Sophomore Jaeda Nowak claimed the class title with a mark of 34-8 1/4.

The points kept coming on the track, too.

The Red Devils’ 4×8 was the first victory on the oval with a time of 10:33.61.

Senior speedster Emily Baire posted her best time of the season in 12.87 to win the 100. She made it a short-sprint sweep with a 200 victory in 26.90.

St. C.’s speed shined brightly in the 4×1 when the Red Devils posted a 50.89.

Oak Glen’s first victory came in the long jump thanks to senior Maggie Kovalcik, who also claimed the overall title with her 17-0 1/2.

The Golden Bears, who finished with XXX points, got into the winning act on the track in the 4×2 when they clocked 1:49.27. Abigail Myers prevailed in the 400 in 63.19. Sophia Arner captured the 800 meter run in 2:35.83.

Oak Glen crossed the finish line first in the shuttles in 1:15.47.

The strong showing in the team race for Oak Glen received an exclamation point when the Golden Bears won the 4×4 in 4:11.08.

Edison’s Faith Hoobler won the discus title both in the classs and overall with a mark of 125-10.

Harrison Central’s Jasmine Arnold won the 1600 meter run for her first OVAC title. She ran four laps in 5:36.61. She also claimed the two mile in 12:09.12.

3A

Linsly watched early on as Magnolia racked up points in bunches in the five field events knowing that some heavy points were coming for the Cadets. They didn’t disappoint. Linsly captured nine first-place finishes on the track and finished with 151 points to secure their fourth title overall and second straight.

Linsly’s strength on the track was evident in the first event when the Cadets claimed the 4×8 in a time of 10:30.18.

The Cadets made it two wins in a row when Kylee Pell won the highs in 18.10.

A third consecutive victory on the oval came from Sydney Glessner, who won the 100 in 13.16. She later added the 200 title in 27.21.

The Linsly 4×2 made it four in a row with a victory in the time of 1:50.95. Another win came in the 4×1 with a 53.30.

Maddie Campsey notched a victory in the 400 with a 60.82.

Pell made it a hurdle sweep for the Cadets when she won the lows in 51.17.

The Cadets kept on coming in the shuttles when they prevailed in 1:15.63. Linsly’s final victory came in the final event as the Cadets claimed the 4×4 in 4:14.93.

Magnolia, which finished second in the team race with 123 points, got its meet started with a class and overall victory in the shot put. Sophomore dandy Mady Winters won the shot put with a heave of 39-7.

Winters also captured the Joseph High Point Field Award.

Bellaire’s Michaela Flaherty prevailed with a clearance of 4-10 in the high jump.

The Big Reds’ field event strength continued in the discus where freshman Katelyn Hart won with a mark of 118-11.

Buckeye Trail freshman Kathryn Williams was the 1600 meter champion in 5:28.54. She added the 800 crown in 2:28.84.

Union Local’s Hannah Kemp posted a victory in the 3200 meter run with a 12:07.01. Senior Allison Loase won the pole vault at 10-6.

1A/2A

The Maroon Knights didn’t bring a large delegation to Belmont County Saturday, but quality trumps quantity, evidently.

Central finished with 74 points, which was four better than Steubenville Catholic Central.

Wheeling Central’s speed troops got things going for the Knights when senior Kenadee Wayt won the 100 in 12.76.

The Maroon Knights claimed the 4×2 in 1:50.73. The Knights added the 4×1 title in 52.35.

Ireland Wayt joined her twin sister in the winner’s circle when she captured the 800 in 2:29.33.

Steubenville Central’s first win of the meet came in the 4×8 when the Crusaders broke the tape in 10:36.13. Rebecca Bodo gave the Crusaders their first individual win with a 60.66 clocking in the 400.

Freshman Clara Symington picked up the conference title in the 300 low hurdles in 48.96.

The Crusaders simply couldn’t catch the Knights despite winning the 4×4 because Central finished fourth in the race to fend them off. Steubenville Central’s 4×4 team clocked a 4:11.17.

River’s Livi Beard won the class title in the 1600 with a 5:35.04. She later added the 3200 in 11:59.19, which was also good enough for the overall title.

Madonna’s Kennedy Martin won the discus title with a mark of 107-9.

Paden City’s Abbe Stackpole was the champion in the 200 with a 26.72 effort.

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