A big night for Jay (04/25/08)

In their last home meet before hosting the Olympic Athletic Conference tournament, the Patriots couldn't have asked for much better.

Dexter Shreve turned in a record-breaking effort for the Jay County High School boys team, which topped two teams to secure a plus-.500 record. And three seniors turned in double wins on senior night to keep the girls team undefeated.

Shreve's destruction of the 28-year-old record in the 400-meter dash led the JCHS boys to victory with 75 points ahead of the Delta Eagles (62) and Fort Recovery Indians (18).

"It's actually kind of surprised me," said JCHS boys coach Greg Garringer, who said he and former longtime coach Roy Sneed could not remember the last time the squad finished with more dual meet wins than losses. "Overall I'm pretty happy with this group of kids. I did not expect to have a great dual meet season."

Two wins each by Sarah Mescher, Erika Hunt and Amanda Johnson gave the Patriot girls a 69.5-57.5 win over the Indians, who got a pair of victories from junior Tina Roessner.

Shreve gave Jay County (5-3 duals, 8-6 overall) the highlight of the night, taking down the longstanding 400-meter dash record he had been targeting all season. He shattered the mark without being pushed, winning the event by nearly seven seconds ahead of teammate Colten Sibery in 49.8 seconds.

Ced Bricker set the previous mark at 50.9 seconds in 1980.

"He really exerted himself in the 400," said Garringer of the junior, who turned in another triple win with victories in the high and long jumps as well. "That was one of them we were glad to see go. 1980 is a long time.

"And I still think this year we have two records we can go after. Dexter, when he's on, he's got a chance to get that long jump.

"Reynard is a competitor and he doesn't like to get upstaged. He's still got some time to get Hoffman's record in the 300."

Shreve's long jump win Thursday came at 19 feet, 8½ inches. But, he has cleared the 21-foot mark several times this year, giving him a chance at the 12-year-old school record of 21 feet, 10½ inches.

He took the high jump at 5 feet, 10 inches.

Mescher, Hunt and Johnson led the girls to 7-0 in their final home dual meet, with Mescher dominating the sprints. She fought off teammate Kaelee Keller by two tenths of a second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.1, and took the 200 at 28.5.

Hunt controlled the hurdles, leading both races all the way. She took the 100 in 16.6, and was first in the 300 in 52.1.

Johnson teamed with Katie Butcher for a one-two finish in the 800 run in 2-minutes, 37.66 seconds, and was the winner of the 400 dash with a time of 1:06.1. She and Butcher teamed with Leah Wellman and Aly Miller to take the 4x800 relay in 10:43.

"Our seniors did what seniors should do on senior night," said Patriot girls coach Brian McEvoy. "Erika was a double event winner. Amanda won her two individual events. Sarah went out and won her two individual events. That's big. The leadership they provide is really enabled us to get where we're at."

Roessner was the only winner of multiple events for Fort Recovery, keeping the girls team (11-5) close with her effort in the distance events. The junior dominated the 1,600 run by 10 seconds in 5:50.2 and won the 3,200 run by nearly 15 at 12:16.8.

"She's our strongest distance runner," said Fort Recovery coach Mindy Bubp. "She's always one everyone looks to."

McEvoy said the competition would help his distance runners as they head to the Muncie Relays, Blackford Invitational, Olympic Athletic Conference tournament and sectional tournament in the coming weeks.

"We knew Fort Recovery was really going to push our distance especially. They did a really good job in that area," he said. "They made our girls run pretty hard. Those were races we didn't win, but those races are going to make out girls better."

Joining Shreve in leading the boys team were fellow juniors Reynard and Lance Franklin.

Reynard handled the hurdles for the Patriots with winning times of 15.9 in the 110 and 39.55 in the 300. (Hoffman's record in the 300 is 38.21.) Franklin swept the throwing events, taking the shot put at 43 feet and the discus with a toss of 118 feet, 11 inches.

Shreve, Reynard, Patrick Johnson and Sean Hatzell teamed to take the 4x400 relay in 3:39.5. Reynard, Hatzell, Patrick Williams and Garrett Krieg took the 4x100 relay in 45 seconds flat.

"We've got some No. 2 guys who are really coming up for us," said Garringer, complimenting Williams and Zach Cash specifically. "We did a little tweaking in the 4x100 based on the sprint medley. We got Williams in there and moved Krieg to the three spot and ran a really nice time tonight."

Lindsey Current won the high jump for the Jay County girls at 5 feet, 1 inch, and Cara Garringer took the shot put with a toss of 31 feet, 10½ inches.

Fort Recovery took the other two field events, with Holly Brunswick winning the long jump at 14 feet, 9 inches and Anne Koesters first in the discus with a toss of 97 feet, 2½ inches. The Indians also won the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

The Tribe boys (5-5) finished the evening without a victory. Matt Vagedes, a state-title contender in the pole vault in Ohio's Division III, was the runner-up in the long jump at 19 feet, 6¾ inches. Adam Steinbrunner was the high jump runner-up at 5 feet, 8 inches, and Mark Mattraw finished second in the discus with a toss of 114 feet, 5 inches.

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