Jay Co. remains perfect in ACAC

BLUFFTON — Jay County High School’s girls track team remains undefeated in the Allen County Athletic Conference.
The Patriots earned seven victories on Tuesday, scoring 75.5 points to finish first in a three-team meet with the Leo Lions and Bluffton Tigers.
Leo, the defending ACAC champion, was second with 46 points, and host Bluffton was third with 34.5 points.
Jay County’s boys scored 20 points to place third. Bluffton won with 72 points, and Leo was second with 64. The Patriots fell to 1-9 (0-4 ACAC).
Megan Wellman earned two individual victories for the Jay County girls (9-1, 4-0 ACAC). The junior was first in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs, finishing in 5 minutes, 47 second, and 12:24 respectively. Ava Kunkler won the 800 run in 2:40, and McKensie Muhlenkamp placed first in the discus with a distance of 82 feet.
Kunkler and Briana Muhlenkamp joined Kellie Fortkamp and Erika Kunkler to win the 4x800 relay in 11:14, and they joined Britlyn Dues and Lexi Myers to finish first in the 4x400 relay in 4:36.
Lucy Laux, Taylor Homan, Emma Laux and Myers also won the 4x100 relay.
Aaron Neal and Andrew Trewyn earned the only two victories for the Jay boys. Neal won the 110 hurdles in 16.8 seconds, and Trewyn cleared 5 feet, 10 inches in the high jump.

Jay tops Eagles
FRANKTON — The Jay County girls tennis team earned its second win of the season Tuesday, defeating the Frankton Eagles, 3-2.
Jessica Kerrigan and Kyra Braun picked up singles victories for the Patriots (2-1). At No. 1 singles, Kerrigan defeated Gabby Ochoa 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, and after dropping the first set, Braun rallied to beat Hannah Hudson 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Jay County’s No. 1 doubles team of Faith Parr and Emily Westgerdes defeated Annie Gates and Morgan Rogers 6-2, 6-3 to give the Patriots the match win.
At No. 3 singles, Shelby McClain lost to Emma Wagoner 6-3, 6-4, and the No. 2 doubles tandem of Abby Reier and Abby Saxman fell 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The JCHS junior varsity team won, 5-1. Michelle Wellman, Francine Muhlenkamp and Cassie Reno earned wins in singles matches. Audrey and Kayla Dirksen won their doubles match, and Alexus Liette and Megan Smith also picked up a doubles victory.

Golfers third
BLUFFTON — The Jay County boys golf team finished third on Tuesday in an Allen County Athletic Conference quad meet at Timber Ridge Golf Club.
Defending ACAC champion Leo won with a team score of 158, and the Bluffton Tigers followed with a 184. Jay County scored 209, and Southern Wells was fourth with 275.
Sophomore Jay Houck was the lone Patriot to break 50 on a cold, windy evening. He made par twice, finishing with a 49.
Nick Hayden was second on the team with a 52, with Graham Haines and Kyler Hudson shooting matching 54s to round out the Patriots’ team score. Collin Haines was one stroke behind with a 55.
Leo’s Nate Morris earned match medalist honors, shooting 36 for even par.

Knights top JC
OSSIAN — Norwell’s baseball team scored eight runs in the first inning Tuesday, and Jay County couldn’t keep the Knights off the scoreboard in the final three frames in a 17-4 loss in five innings.
Jay County (5-5) cut into the deficit with a pair of runs in the second, but Class 3A No. 6 Norwell extended its lead to 12-2 with four in the bottom of the frame. The Knights tacked on three more in the third, and both teams scored two in the fourth inning.
Cole Stigleman went 2-for-2, including an RBI single in the fourth inning. Chandler Jacks had an RBI single in the second, and Levi Stant drew a bases loaded walk in the same inning.
Jacks took the loss, giving up 12 runs with only five earned in two innings.
Jay County opens its Allen County Athletic Conference schedule Thursday as it travels to Woodburn to take on the Woodlan Warriors.