CONNERSVILLE, Ind. – When Rushville was announced as second place in the IHSAA Connersville Sectional on Thursday, the members of the Hagerstown boys track team didn’t need to hear anything else.
There appeared to be a lot of jubilation as the Tigers celebrated the first boys sectional title in school history.
“I’m really happy with the boys,” Hagerstown Head Coach Kent Gray said. “They had some great gutsy efforts.”
Hagerstown finished with 122.5 points, while Rushville had 121.5. Lincoln was the next best Tri-Eastern Conference squad in fourth with 70 points. Centerville was sixth with 44.5, Union County seventh with 39 and Northeastern eighth with 32.5. Tri High was 10th with 14.
“We won six events, which is the most we’ve ever done,” Gray said. “I’ve had a lot of good teams in the past that couldn’t quite do this.”
Gray was pleased that his squad was able to overcome the fact that TEC schools do not compete in the pole vault. Rushville scored 14 points in that event.
“It really showed our strength in the field events and distance races,” Gray said. “It was a great effort.”
“You’ve got to take care of the little things,” Gray continued. “That seventh and eighth place really does make a difference.”
Hagerstown’s 3200 Relay team of Alexander McKee, Seth Richards, Kaleb Slagle and Logan Tuttle started the event with a victory.
Individually, the Tigers had wins from Slagle (1600), Tuttle (800), Holden Robinson (300H) and Ryan Golliher (SP).
The Tigers claimed the championship with a win in the 1600 Relay, which was the final event of the evening.
McKee, Tuttle, Dylan Napier and Robinson’s victory gave the Tigers 10 points, while Rushville was third to score six.
There were five other winners from the TEC.
“It was a good night for the conference,” Gray said.
Lincoln had two champs with Centerville, Northeastern and Union County each having one individual title.
Hayden Pierce (110H) and Caleb Craig (HJ) won for the Golden Eagles with Centerville’s Ben Nevels (3200), Northeastern’s Chaz Johnson (LJ) and Union County’s Dylan Dunaway (400) also winning.
All of the winners along with the second and third place finishers in each event advance to next Thursday’s regional at Franklin.
Here’s the list of other TEC athletes who advanced to the regional for finishing second or third:
Hagerstown
Ryan Golliher (D)
Elijah Halcomb (3200)
Kaleb Slagle (3200)
Lincoln
Blaine Cowan (SP)
Chase Hokey (SP)
Hayden Pierce (HJ)
Centerville
Dylan Benedict (110H)
Jonathan Jellison (300H)
Ben Nevels (1600)
Union County
Justin Beasley (110H)
Ravi Dare (1600)
Team Scores
1. Hagerstown 122.5; 2. Rushville 121.5; 3. Richmond 81; 4. Lincoln 70; 5. Connersville 69; 6. Centerville 44.5; 7. Union County 39; 8. Northeastern 32.5; 9. Seton Catholic 15; 10. Tri High 14.
TEC Individual Results
3200 Relay – 1. Hagerstown 8:32.00; 5. Lincoln; 6. Centerville; 7. Union County; 8. Tri High.
110 H – 1. Hayden Pierce (L) 16.04; 2. Justin Beasley (UCO); 3. Dylan Benedict (C); 5. Holden Robinson (H).
100 – 4. Nick Wilson (T); 5. Chaz Johnson (N).
1600 – 1. Kaleb Slagle (H) 4:44.95; 2. Ben Nevels (C); 3. Ravi Dare (UCO); 7. Elijah Halcomb (H).
400 Relay – 4. Hagerstown; 5. Centerville; 6. Union County; 7. Lincoln.
400 – 1. Dylan Dunaway (UCO) 52.67; 6. Dylan Napier (H); 7. Haydn Martin (N)
300 H – 1. Holden Robinson (H) 40.59; 3. Jonathan Jellison (C); 5. Seth Richards (H); 7. Justin Beasley (UCO); 8. Hayden Pierce (L).
800 – 1. Logan Tuttle (H) 2:02.75; 4. Alexander McKee (H); 5. Trenton Bertsch (L); 6. Britten West (L); 7. Garrett Townsend (UCO).
200 – 4. Nick Wilson (T); 6. Haydn Martin (N).
3200 – 1. Ben Nevels (C) 10:27.41; 2. Kaleb Slagle (H); 3. Elijah Halcomb (H); 4. Austin Wampler (L); 7. Payton McGriff (L); 8. Luke Bantz (UCO).
1600 Relay – 1. Hagerstown 3:34.20; 2. Richmond; 3. Rushville; 4. Union County; 5. Centerville; 7. Northeastern; 8. Lincoln.
HJ – 1. Caleb Craig (L) 6-3; 2. Hayden Pierce (L); 4. Dylan Napier (H); 4. Caylor Fisher (N); 6. Dylan McDaniel (N); 7. Jonathan Jellison (C).
LJ – 1. Chaz Johnson (N) 20-1 3/4; 4. Gage James (H); 7. Hayden Pierce (L).
SP – 1. Ryan Golliher (H) 46-5 1/2; 2. Chase Hokey (L); 3. Blaine Cowan (L); 4. James Blevins (H); 6. Logan Stephens (T); 7. Jarrett Hayden (C); 8. Davie Berger (N).
Discus – 2. Ryan Golliher (H); 5. Carter Mettler (L); 6. David Berger (N); 7. James Blevins (H); 8. Logan Harmeyer (L).