Two relays, four individuals take fist at FCs

NEW LONDON — Two distance relays and four individuals kicked off the Firelands Conference track and field championships with first-place finishes on Wednesday at New London High School. Standout throwers Hayden Keith (Western Reserve) and Autumn Fry (South Central) again dominated in the shot put and discus. Keith won with a distance of 58 feet, 2.5 inches, while Fry threw 126 feet, 5 inches for the Trojans, Also on Wednesday, New London's Jayden Bracken won the boys' pole vault at 12 feet, while South Central's Lauren Ingram won the high jump at 4 feet, 10 inches. New London's 4x800-meter boys relay of Garret Carruthers, Fritz McCully, Carter Hicks, and Ryan Twining won the event in 8:36.4. In the girls' distance relay, Western's Frankie Hoover, Korissa Fraelich, Ally Goebbel, and Kara Woodruff won in 10:46.3. Among the top four boys' placers on Wednesday, Monroeville's Brycen Dunlap was second to Keith in the shot put (49 feet, 6.75 inches). Western's Travis French (46 feet, 8.75 inches) was third, and South Central's Lucas Smith (42 feet, 3.75 inches) was fourth. In the long jump, Monroeville's Chase Horn was third (20 feet, 10.75 inches), and Western's Chase Hipp (20 feet, 8.25 inches) was fourth. Luke Kilgore was also fourth for South Central in the pole vault (10 feet). South Central's Kenlea Blair was third in the discus (105 feet, 11 inches), and Western's Audree Jackson was fourth in the high jump at 4 feet, 8 inches. In the boys' distance relay, St. Paul's Adam Dowdell, Owen Thimke, Tanner Denman, and Noah Alt placed fourth (9:20.55). In the girls' distance relay, St. Paul's Jenny Schwan, Frances Donnelly, Kennedie Frazee, and Kate Ware placed second (10:59.2), while South Central's Ady Stevens, Adelynn Smith, Lydia Williams, and Jayna Smith finished fourth (11:25.2). Western Reserve is out in front after the first day on the boys' side with 29 points, ahead of Crestview (24) and New London (23). South Central leads the girls' standings with 34 points, just ahead of Crestview (33) and Western (24). Action resumes at 5 p.m. Friday with the remaining field events and running finals.