Patriot girls win opener (04/02/08)

Amanda Johnson won both of her individual events and led a first-place relay.

The rest of the Jay County High School girls track team provided plenty of help as the Patriots scored 84 points to defeat the visiting Blackford Bruins (56) and Muncie Southside Rebels (15).

Junior Dexter Shreve and Brandon Reynard combined for all five wins by the JCHS boys team, which finished second in the three-way competition. Defending sectional champion Southside won with 68 points, followed by the Patriots (48) and Blackford (40).

Johnson, who finished 11th in the state last season in the 800-meter run, picked up the win in the event Tuesday. On a night when strong winds were gusting in the runners' faces as they came down the front stretch, the senior finished in 2-minutes, 38.44 seconds.

She also took the top spot in the 400 dash by five seconds in 1:04.09, and teamed with Kari Hemmelgarn, Katie Butcher and Leah Wellman to win the 4x800 relay in 11:32.

Shreve built on his outstanding indoor season to lead the Jay County boys with a triple win in the first outdoor meet of the year.

The junior won the long jump by more than four feet, clearing the 21-foot mark for the first time in an outdoor meet at 21 feet, ¼ inch. His longest career jump came two weeks ago at the indoor Hoosier State Relays in Bloomington at 21 feet, 4½ inches.

Shreve made it a sweep of the jumping events, taking the high jump by four inches at 6 feet, 2 inches. He also won the 400 dash in 53.4.

Reynard earned the other two wins for the Patriot boys in the hurdles. The defending champion in the 300 hurdles won the event by nearly five seconds in 41.05 and took the 110 hurdles at 15.83.

Three the Jay County girls team's individual wins led one-two efforts.

Senior Sarah Mescher topped the field in the 200 dash in 28.87 with freshman Jordan McMillan in second place. In the 3,200 run, Aly Miller was first by 1:30 in 13:21, and Leah Wellman was the runner-up.

Lindsey Current cleared the bar at 5 feet, 0 inches to take first place in the high jump. McMillan was second again with a jump of 4 feet, 8 inches.

Amy Alig turned in the other individual win with a throw of 81 feet, 5 inches in the discus. Mescher, McMillan, Current and Lindsey Shannon also took the top spot in the 4x100 relay in 56.92.[[In-content Ad]]