Jay girls track ran away with the Wapahani relays

SELMA — They didn’t need to win the final event to sew up a victory.

For the Patriots, it was simply an exclamation point.

Jay County High School’s girls track team closed Saturday’s Wapahani Raider Relays with a meet-record time to take first place in the 4x400-meter relay for an emphatic finish to their team title.

“I’m really happy with the girls’ performances,” said JCHS coach Joe Imel, whose team broke three meet records. “We had a lot of PRs. … I’m very, very happy. … All around I feel like we had a really great day today.”

The Patriots’ 101 points put them 13 ahead of runner-up Winchester in the eight-team field. (They won despite being without three athletes, including senior hurdler and long jumper Morgan DeHoff.) The host Raiders were third with 79.

Jay County’s boys scored 70 points to finish third behind champion Mississinewa (110) and the host Raiders (89). Hagerstown scored 64 for fourth place.

“The boys had lots of improvements,” Imel said. “We’re not where we need to be, but we’re much better than we were last year.”

In the meet-ending 4x400 relay, Peyton Carpenter continued her strong day by putting the Patriots in strong position on the opening leg. By the time the runners made the cut during the second lap, Alexis Sibray was in the lead. She kept that spot for the next 300 meters and Ariel Beiswanger pulled away in the third leg. Mya Kunkler continued to pull away in the final 400 meters as JCHS beat the runner-up host raiders by nearly 10 seconds in 4 minutes, 33.16 seconds, for a new meet record.

Carpenter and Beiswanger were also part of another record relay, with the former again putting the Patriots in position on the first leg. Jenna Dues, Beiswanger and London Lloyd followed as the team put up a time of 51.96 seconds for another meet record and a win by more than three seconds over Winchester.

“The 4x1 was lights out, handoffs great,” said Imel. “Our best time last year was a 50.8 in the conference meet to set the school record. … So we’re heading in the right direction. Last year, I think we were a 53 here.

“4x4, I think we’ve got some surprise girls who realized, ‘I’m pretty good in the 400.’ … Ariel Beiswanger was the one who broke that open for us in leg three.”

In addition to her effort in the two relays, Carpenter broke out individually. 

The sophomore launched herself 15 feet, 4 1/2 inches, on her final long jump attempt to set her career best and a meet record, surpassing Winchester’s Madyson Hummel by 1 1/2 inches to win the event. The explosion for the victory and the record came after she went 13 feet, 4 inches, on her first attempt and hurt her ankle on her second.

 “I just had no one watching me, so I wasn’t under the pressure of feeling like I was gonna mess up,” said Carpenter. “And so I just went and put all the power I had because I knew it was my last jump. i just went for it.”

She also won her heat of the 100 dash and finished second overall behind Lilyana Mayberry of Winchester. (Beiswanger was third.)

Jordyn Hutzler delivered big points for the Patriots in the throws, winning the shot put at 30 feet, 6 inches, and finishing second in the discus at 88 feet.

Senior Adam Alig was the lone winner for the JCHS boys, fighting off Hunter Patterson of Winchester by three tenths of a second in 16.28. He was also third in the high jump at 5 feet, 6 inches, behind meet-record breaker Easton Foster (6 feet, 7 inches) of Monroe Central and Daylin Davis (6 feet) of Mississinewa.

Alig also joined Gabe Pinkerton, Caden Gambill and Garrett Hidy for a runner-up time of 45.95 seconds in the 4x100 relay. Alex Rivers, Max Klopfenstein, Blake Collins and Boggs finished the distance medley relay in 12:22.67 for second place.

“Joseph Boggs had an extremely great day in the 4x4, 4x8, DMR,” said Imel. 

Brasen Glassford added a third-place finish in the shot put at 41 feet, 9 inches.

Adding third-place efforts for the girls team were Maria Hemmelgarn in the 100 hurdles and Mya Kunkler in the high jump.