4x400 for the win

SELMA — With more than a third of the sectional field on hand, the Patriots had not won a single event.

In the final race of the day, they were sitting third with one lap to go.

Then Makinsey Murphy took the baton.

The senior who returned to the team after taking a year off locked up the championship for the Jay County High School girls track at the Wapahani Raider Relays team as she fought back to give the Patriots their only victory in the 4x400-meter relay.

That lone win broke a tie at the top of the standings and lifted the Patriots (99.5 points) over sectional rivals Winchester (94.5) and Wapahani (88).The seven-team field also included sectional foes Monroe Central and Cowan.

“I feel like it was a really total team effort,” said JCHS coach Joe Imel, whose squad placed two in the top four in four individual events. “It was just a real well-rounded effort. We didn’t win a ton of events, but we scored well — second, third, fourth. When you do that, you’ve got a pretty strong team.”

Jay County’s boys got event victories from Austyn LeMaster and Adam Alig as they placed third with 71.5 points. The host Raiders earned the championship with 102 points and Hagerstown (97.5) was second.

“I was real happy with the boys,” said Imel. “We had a lot of PRs today.”

The Patriots and Winchester were deadlocked atop the girls standings heading into the final event, with Ariel Beiswanger of the former and Lanie Burger of the latter trailing Wapahani’s Ava Cook early on. The Golden Falcons continued to run second with the Patriots third midway through the race before Madyson Hummel of Winchester pulled into the lead late in the third lap. Judy Dargo reclaimed first place for Wapahani, but her spot in the front was temporary. Murphy zipped past Winchester’s Maggie Covert, overtook Dargo in the final 200 meters and ran away from the field for a victory of more than five seconds in 4 minutes, 40.51 seconds.

“This is the first meet she’s been able to run in because of injuries,” said Imel of Murphy, who was a regional qualifier in the 300 hurdles as a sophomore before deciding not to run last season. She teamed with Molly Muhlenkamp, Mya Kunkler and Beiswanger. “She does a really nice job.”

LeMaster wasted no time in delivering one of the highlights of the day for the Patriot boys when he stepped into the discus circle for the first time this season. He spun and let the disc fly, sending it easily the longest distance of anyone in the first round. When the measurement — 117 feet even — was announced, teammate Brasen Glassford had a question.

“Was that your PB?” he asked.

“By 4 feet,” LeMaster responded.

That throw was all he needed, as only one other competitor came within a foot of his mark. He took first place by nine inches over runner-up Landon Lawson of Hagerstown.

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JCHS track at Wapahani Relays (04/06/2024)

Alig also delivered a career-best performance in the season opener. Taking over the top spot in the hurdles from 2023 graduate Isaac Kunkler, he proved to be up to the task as he won the 110-meter race in 16.03 seconds ahead of Winchester’s Carter Campbell (16.21).

“Just an absolutely hard worker. Just a really, really hard worker,” said Imel of Alig, who was also third in the long jump and fourth in the high jump. “If we had everybody like that, that’s what you want on your team all the time. I really do appreciate him.”

While the final relay marked the only win of the day for the JCHS girls, the team was in the top three plenty to earn the team title. German exchange student Matilda Mende (100 dash), Morgan DeHoff (100 hurdles), Muhlenkamp (high jump) and the 4x800 relay team of Alexis Sibray, Paityn Wendel, Willow Hardy and Muhlenkamp all finished second. Third-place finishes came from Cash Hollowell (100 hurdles), Jordyn Hutzler (discus) and the 4x100 relay team of Jenna Dues, Naroa Zugasti, Mende and DeHoff.

Joseph Boggs was in on the other top finishes for the Patriot boys as he teamed with Caleb Garringer, Brayden Collins and Dylan Marentes for third in the 4x800 relay and placed fourth individually in the 1,600 run.