County produces seven district champions, Peebles girls finish second overall –
By Mark Carpenter –
An outstanding track and field season for the schools from Adams County continued last week as athletes from all four schools competed in the Division III District Track Meet at Southeastern High School, held on May 16 and 19. It was quite a successful two days for the local competitors as they brought home no less than seven district championships, while the Peebles Lady Indians finished second overall in the overall team standings.
The entire season has been a highlight for Coach Tyler Wilson and his Peebles track squads, and they will be well represented at this week’s regional meet, and could very well see a number of Indians moving on to the state tournament.
Two of those district titles belonged to junior Jenny Seas as she was the winner of both the Girls 1600 Meter Run and the Girls 3200 Meter Run. Seas took the 1600 in a time of 5:12.80, which set a new district record, just another of her long list of accomplishments. In the 3200, Jenny set the district record last year, and this year won with a time of 11:25.26.
Jenny’s older brother Matt, a Peebles senior, chose to compete in just one district event, the Boys 3200 Meter Run, and his second place finish (10:05.89) behind Fairfield’s Matthew Mangus, was good enough to earn him a spot in the regional meet.
The Peebles girls 4 x 400 relay team, made up of Alisan Behr, Kierra Stone, Jacey Justice, and Lilly Gray, also captured a district championship and will be moving on to the regionals, winning the district race with a time of 4:19.30. The Lady Indians’ 4 x 200 relay team, consisting of the same quarter of girls, will also compete at the regional level after finishing third in the districts in a time of 1:53.45.
Peebles produced another district champion as senior Kalub Smith came out on top in the Boys 300 Meter Hurdles, winning the event in a time of 43.03, moving him to the regional meet.
Peebles was far from done as far as regional qualifiers go, as Lilly Gray placed second in the district in the Girls 400 Meter Dash (1:00.70) and Kierra Stone was second in the Girls 300 Meter Hurdles (49.61), sending them both on to regionals, along with the Indians’ boys 4 x 400 relay squad of Corey Baldridge, Kyle Lightner, Levi Skinner, and Kalub Smith. That foursome placed fourth in the district with a time of 3:46.39, thereby earning a berth in the regional meet.
“I am very pleased with our girls finishing as district runners-up,” said Coach Wilson. “Placing second out of 36 team is quite an accomplishment. We had several kids that made the podium but were just shy of moving on to regionals, but I like our chances in several regional events and we are excited to compete. The boys 4 x 400 relay team has two seniors and they have been working diligently since they were freshmen to make it to regionals. I’m proud they finally made it.”
The rest of the district titles for the county all belonged to one young man- North Adams senior Dylan Ison. Ison continued his remarkable spring by winning a trio of district titles, taking the Long Jump (20’4”), the High Jump (5’8”), and the 400 Meter Dash (52.22). Add in a second place finish in the 200 Meter Dash (23.72) and Ison will be quite a presence at the regional meet, qualifying in four events.
Another North Adams senior, Charlee Louden, will compete at the regional meet as she qualified with a third place finish in the Girls 400 Meter Dash with a time of 1:05.13.
For Coach Jason Little and his West Union Dragons track squads, the district meet produced a record mark, six team members moving on to regionals in five events, the most in school history. The Dragons had no district champions, but nevertheless will be well represented at the regional meet, beginning with junior Conner Campbell, who will become the first Dragon since Jeffrey Franklin in 2014 to compete in the regionals in the Long Jump, the 100 Meter Dash, and the 200 Meter Dash. Campbell earned the trip to regionals with a second place finish in the Long Jump (19’8.5”), a fourth place finish in the 100 Meter Dash (12.16), and a fourth place finish in the 200 Meters Dash (24.45).
Also representing WUHS at the regional meet will be senior Cole May, who managed a third place finish in the Boys 300 Meter Hurdles, crossing in a time of 44.64. For the first time since 1998, the Dragons will send their Boys 4 x 800 relay team to the regionals. The quartet of Braxton Blanton, Colt Parker, Steven Runyan, and Adam Fulton placed third in the district race with a time of 9:14.94, giving them a spot in this week’s regionals.
“I am extremely proud of all the WUHS athletes and the year that we have had,” said Coach Little. “We had possibly the most Dragons ever making it to district finals and the most ever moving on to the regional meet. “
Last but definitely not least, Manchester senior Ethan Pennywitt will cap off his illustrious Greyhound career with one final trip to the regional meet. Competing in the 800 Meter Run, Pennywitt sealed his spot in the regional with a third place district finish, in a time of 2:08.61.
As athletes continue to climb the track and field postseason ladder, the competition gets tougher and tougher and all of the county athletes mentioned above will have their work cut out for them as they reach the regional meet, with their eyes on the state meet in Columbus.
That regional competition will take place on Wednesday, May 23 and Friday, May 25 at Fairfield Union High School in Lancaster. Look for results from our county athletes in a future issue of The People’s Defender.
