Bellaire’s Mayson Sochor and Union Local’s Hayden McCrate race to their respective class championships in the 110M high hurdles during Saturday’s OVAC Cal Giffin Track and Field Championships at St. Clairsville’s Red Devil Stadium. The Big Reds and Jets won the 3A and 4A team championships, respectively.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Though the Cal Giffin OVAC Track and Field Championship Meet only scores action during the final day, the tone is set during the early week qualifying.

Such was the case for Shadyside (1A/2A), Bellaire (3A), Union Local (4A) and Morgantown (5A) etched their names into OVAC history as the first track and field boys champions since the 2019 season.

All four squads used an impressive combination of top-end performers as well as depth to claim the conference titles Saturday afternoon at sunny and chilly Red Devil Stadium.

Here’s a capsule look at the individual classes:

Class 1A/2A

Shadyside owns one of the most storied track and field histories in the Ohio Valley. The Tigers added another chapter on Saturday.

Fending off Steubenville Catholic and Caldwell, the Tigers won their second straight OVAC title and 30th of all time with 118 points.

The Tigers wasted no time in flexing their muscles. Their shuttle team posted a 64.03 to prevail in the hurdle relay.

The Tigers picked up a pair of wins in the field, too.

Junior Wyatt Reiman won the high jump with a 5-10 clearance.

Freshman Andrew Osman soared over 11-6 to win the pole vault.

Steubenville Catholic Central’s 4×2 broke the tape at 1:35.76 to win the conference title.

Senior Joe Rohde gave the Crusaders their first individual winner when he captured the 400 in 51.34. He captured the 200 in 23.50.

Catholic Central’s 4×4 team posted a 3:35.95 to win the final event and did so with a class-record time.

Wheeling Central freshman Aiden Scott won the 1600 in 4:37.65. He completed the distance double with a 10:17.96 to win the 3200.

The Maroon Knights sprint forces combined to win the 4×1 in 46.25.

Toronto’s Josh Fancher swept the throwing events to fuel the Red Knights. He won the discus with a mark of 143-8 and then claimed the shot put at 47-4 1/2.

CLASS 3A

Bellaire came into the meet as the unquestioned favorite to prevail and didn’t disappoint.

Riding their strength in distance, hurdles and throwing events, the Big Reds picked up victories in half of the 18 events and finished with 142 points, which was 42 better than runner-up Barnesville.

Junior strong man Colt Sechrest was up to his same old tricks in the throwing circles. He won the discus with a toss of 169-9 and then added the shot put with a toss of 48-9.

On the track, the victories kept coming for the Big Reds. They got things rolling with a 1:04.57 to win the shuttles.

Freshman dandy Mayson Sochor continued his impressive campaign in the hurdles. He won the highs in 16.12 and then came back to win the intermediates in 42.93.

The 3A distance field belonged to senior standout Jacob Defibaugh, who had an impressive all-around meet. He swept all three long races, winning the 1600 (4:35.84), the 800 (2:04.65) and the 3200 (10:09.67).

Sophomore speedster Ray Ray Pettigrew had another solid meet. He won the 100 in 11.42.

Linsly got a win from sophomore Nathan Coleman in the long jump. He marked the sand at 20-5 1/4 to win by more than a foot.

The Cadets 4×2 prevailed with a 1:36.68.

Martins Ferry’s lone victory of the meet came in the 4×8 when the Riders ran eight laps in 8:38.58.

Magnolia senior Jason Beisel turned in a lap in 52.78 to win the 400. He later sprinted half a lap in 23.60 for the gold.

The Blue Eagles also claimed the 4×4 with a 3:34.42 effort.

CLASS 4A

Union Local has been the premier team in this class all spring and it showed again on Saturday.

The Jets took a couple fo good shots from St. Clairsville during the middle portion of the meet, but the Jets simply weren’t going to be denied their first OVAC title in boys track.

Union Local finished with 154 points, which was 10 better than the Red Devils.

Fueling the Jets were 10 victories, which were spread out between the field and track.

Senior Liam Vinskovich had a big day. He claimed the high jump with an impressive 6-4 clearance.

Classmate Nathan Meyer marked the sand at 20-6 1/4.

Sophomore Jaksan Price delivered in the discus with a mark of 134-5 to win the platter crown.

On the track, Union Local started strong by winning the shuttles in a solid 1:02.82. The Jets followed with a blistering 8:15.62 to win the 4×8.

Sophomore Hayden McCrate captured his first OVAC title, skimming 10 hurdles in 15.99 for the victory.

Senior Shawn Coe had a solid day as well. He won the 1600 meter run in the class with a 4:39.27. He came back and won the 800 as well with a 2:05.58. He finished the distance triple by claiming the 3200 in 10:23.21.

The Jets closed out their title run by winning the 4×4 with a time of 3:34.99.

St. Clairsville sophomore Karl Kain won the pole vault with a jump of 13-feet.

On the track, the Red Devils won the 4×2 in 1:35.05.

Impressive freshman Colton Westlake won the 300 intermediate hurdles in 41.97.

Oak Glen’s Tristan Lawson won the class 100 meter dash in an impressive 10.94. He later added the 200 title with a 22.92.

The Golden Bears also turned in a 44.68 to win the 4×1.

Weir’s Jonathon Howard claimed the shot put with a mark of 45-9.

CLASS 5A

The battle of Wheeling Park’s speed and Morgantown’s distance and field wasn’t limited to the girls side. It was the same scenario in the boys meet, too.

Though the Mohigans won out and claimed their third title in their brief history of the OVAC with 158 points, the Patriots took the runner-up plaque with 128 points.

Wheeling Park did the bulk of its damage on the track by winning seven of their eight gold medals there.

The most impressive performances of the week were put forth by Patriots senior sprinter Torrence Walker, who was named the Most Outstanding Male Athlete of the meet.

Walker blazed 10.56, which was just four hundredths of a second off the meet and class-record time. He returned to the oval and blitzed the 200 field, running a 22.03.

Senior Andrew Glass won the high hurdles in 15.29.

In the relays, Park shined brightly. It won the shuttles (1:03.14), 4×2 (1:32.26), 4×1 (43.29) and 4×4 (3:32.60).

In the field, however, senior Christian Sorge won the pole vault with a jump of 14-feet.

Steubenville freshman Savior Faulks won the intermediates in 40.65.

John Marshall sophomore Ashton Collett won the big-school high jump at 5-8.