Reynard ranked 1st in nation

Brandon Reynard was a state title contender during his career with the Patriots. Now a Warrior, he’s established himself as a favorite for a national championship.
Reynard, a 2009 Jay County High School graduate, moved to the top of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics rankings in the 400-meter hurdles thanks to his effort Friday at the Bellarmine Invitational in Louisville, Ky.
The senior won the 400 hurdles at Bellarmine, turning in the best time in the country so far this season. He finished in 52.78 seconds, easily besting runner-up Travis Stallings (53.37) of Rose-Hulman.
Reynard’s time vaulted him to the top of the NAIA rankings as he is one of just two athletes who have broken the 53-second mark this season. Oklahoma Baptist’s Derik Douglass is second in the nation behind Reynard at 52.85.
Also at Bellarmine, Reynard teamed with underclassmen D’Quan Ruth, Matt Adair and Nick Radionoff for a third-place finish in the 4x400 relay in 3:17.64. He finished the 100 dash in 11.16 seconds to tie for eighth place.

Danielle Wellman
Wapahani – 2012
Powered the Grace College softball team to a 9-7 victory Saturday over Taylor in the first game of a doubleheader.
Wellman smacked her second home run of the year as she finished 2-for-3 at the plate for the Maple Leafs (11-19). She drove in three runs and scored twice, and also had an RBI in the second game.
The freshman had three hits, one run and one RBI Tuesday in a doubleheader against former teammate Pazia Speed’s Huntington squad. She totaled two hits, two RBIs and a stolen base in a 6-2 win Friday over Mount Vernon.

Pazia Speed
Jay County – 2010
Helped lead the Huntington University women’s softball team to an 11-3 victory over Wellman’s Grace team in the first game Tuesday.
Speed recorded hits in both of her at bats and scored a run for the Foresters (9-11). In the University of St. Francis Tournament, she had a single and a run in a 7-4 loss Friday to Judson and a single in a 4-1 loss Saturday to St. Ambrose.

Tim Lehman
South Adams – 2012
Led a group of four area graduates who competed Saturday at the Huntington Invitational, turning in a top-five finish for the Goshen College men’s track team.
Lehman was fourth in his heat of the 400-meter dash and fifth overall. He finished the race in 52.27 seconds.

Hannah Moore
South Adams – 2012
Also turned in a top-10 finish as she competed for the host Foresters at Huntington.
Moore placed sixth out of 22 athletes in the 5,000-meter run. She posted a time of 19 minutes, 49.16 seconds.

Megan Taylor
Jay County – 2011
Ran for the Manchester College women’s team at Huntington.
Taylor competed in the 800-meter run and finished in 2 minutes, 35.06 seconds. She was 15th out of 27 athletes.

Allison Beitler
South Adams – 2010
Trailed her former teammate as she competed at Huntington for Goshen.
Beitler joined Moore in the 5,000-meter run and finished 18th. She had a time of 21 minutes, 31.45 seconds.

Billy Wellman
Jay County – 2009
Totaled five hits over the weekend as the Ball State University baseball team took a three-game set from Western Michigan.
Wellman had his biggest game in the series opener with two hits, including a double, two RBIs and a run. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI as the Cardinals (14-15) took the second game 5-2, and he added a hit as BSU won the final game of the series 3-1.
The redshirt junior had a hit and a run Tuesday in a 7-5 loss to Bowling Green.

Dexter Shreve
Jay County – 2009
Competed Friday and Saturday for the Kent State University men’s track team at the Northeast Ohio Invitational hosted by Akron.
Shreve turned in a time of 15.28 for the Golden Flashes in the 110-meter hurdles. He finished in sixth place.

Adam Gray
Jay County – 2009
Turned in the No. 2 score for the University of St. Francis men’s golf team Friday and Saturday at the USF Cougar Spring Invitational.
Gray shot an opening-round 78 at Brookwood Golf Course in the tournament in which the Cougars placed 10th out of 11 teams. He added an 83 on the second day to tie for 40th place overall with a 161.

Jordan McMillan
Jay County – 2011
Picked up a top-10 finish for the Ball State University women’s track team as it finished fourth out of 13 teams at the Miami Invitational, which was held Friday and Saturday.
McMillan’s top individual effort came in the 100-meter dash, in which she placed 10th out of 22 competitors in 12.39 seconds. She was also 12th with a time of 26.28 in the 200 dash.
The sophomore teamed with Rebecca Kropf, Lindsay Wallace and Janae Taylor for fifth in the 4x100 relay in 49.57.

Katie Simmons
Jay County – 2012
Joined her former Patriot teammate as she competed for IPFW at the Miami Invitational.
Simmons ran the 1,500-meter run for the Mastodons and finished 39th out of 49 athletes. She posted a time of 5 minutes, 7.09 seconds.

Jana Beitler
South Adams – 2009
Scored one of the Goshen College softball team’s three runs Tuesday as it bounced back after dropping the first game of a doubleheader to beat Bethel 3-2.
Beitler picked up her lone hit of the game with an infield single in the second inning. She scored on a triple by Melanie Meyer.
The senior went 2-for-3 for the Maple Leafs (4-18) in the second game of a doubleheader against Spring Arbor on April 4, and also had a single in the opener. She recorded one hit apiece in a doubleheader split with Taylor on Friday, and had a double Saturday against Mount Vernon Nazarene.

Sam Heckard
South Adams - 2010
Ran for the Bethel College men’s track team Saturday as it won the Raven Invitational hosted by Anderson.
Heckard competed in the 5,000-meter run for the Pilots and was last out of 11 athletes. He crossed the finish line in 20 minutes, 20.06 seconds.[[In-content Ad]]