RANDY HISNER & DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
HUNTERTOWN – Three champions and four runners-up propelled the New Haven Bulldogs to the school’s first boys’ regional track and field title Thursday night at Carroll High School.
Coach Larry Stemmler’s squad easily outscored runner-up Yorktown, 74-47, to complete the May trifecta—NE8, sectional, and regional championships.
Distance workhorse Bryan Garcia won both the 1600 and the 3200 for the Bulldogs, and teammate Aaron Hoffer took the 300 hurdles title. John Bussard added runner-up places in the discus and the shot put. New Haven’s other two second places came from the 4X400 relay and Kevion Mitchell in the 300 hurdles.
No Z-Land athletes advanced to state, but several scored points, including Heritage shot putter Charlie Riddle, who finished fourth, one place from an automatic bid to Indianapolis, with a throw of 52-1.
The Patriots’ Marshall Harris took fifth in the 400 meters, posting a 50.74.
Adams Central’s duo of distance stalwarts, senior Trevor Schwartz and junior Ethan Crockett, finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the 3200 meters. Schwartz ran 9:58.77, just a couple tenths of a second from his PR in last week’s sectional. Crockett’s 10:01.90 was a new career best.
Tristin Ehr of South Adams had one of the top freshman performances in the meet, taking fifth in the high jump at 6-2. His Starfire teammates set a new season best in the 4×800, with Caiden Neuenschwander, Easton O’Dell, Gavin Litwiller and Carson Laux teaming up to finish in 12th place.
New Haven had an unexpectedly easy time beating not only Yorktown but also traditional regional powers Carroll (third with 46 points) and Homestead (fourth with 45).
Garcia, who in last week’s sectional placed second in the 800 and 1600, as well as third in the 3200, came through Thursday with a 4:21.36 to win the 1600 title and a 9:28.94 to outkick Concordia’s Hunter Panning (9:29.91) and Homestead’s Cooper Knoblauch (9:30.52) in the final stretch of the 3200. Hoffer continued his dominance in the 300 hurdles (38.29), adding a regional title to his NE8 and sectional wins.
Norwell got an upset win from shot putter Wes Carmean. He was seeded third but unleashed two massive throws (55-3 and then 55-7.5) in the finals to edge Bussard, who threw 54-7. Jase Harmon will head to state too with his third place in the long jump at 21-11.75. The Knights also received points from their fourth-place 4X800 relay (Caiden Petrie, Gavin Threewits, Gage Reinhard, Hudson Petrie), Caiden Petrie in the 800 meters (eighth in 1:59.82), and Jasper Kreigh in the pole vault (sixth at 13-3).
Bluffton’s Jude Baumgartner will be heading to state by virtue of his runner-up finish in the 400 in 49.21. Eli Bertsch, third in the high jump at 6-4, will join Baumgartner at state. The Tigers also got points from Tavin Frees, fourth in the discus at 147-2; Drayvin Shoemaker, sixth in the shot put at 50-4.75; and Levi Johns, seventh in the 1600 meters in 4:34.5.
Other Fort Wayne area individual champs were Northrop’s Devonti Carter in the 400 meters (48.28), Homestead sophomore Jace Trevino in the 800 (1:52.97), Bishop Luers’ Danny Kelly in the high jump (6-7), and Leo’s Taran Davis in the pole vault (14-9).
Leo won the 4X100 relay (Rashaad Martin, Isaiah Detmers, Drew Sauder, Nolan Miller) in 42.79, and Carroll claimed the 4X400 crown (August Adams, Brady Hoffer, Brayden Page, and Trey Torres) in 3:23.21. The Chargers barely held off New Haven (3:23.33). Aaron Jackson and Jaleel Turner joined hurdlers Hoffer and Mitchell on that relay squad.
Team Scores: 1st-New Haven 74, 2nd-Yorktown 47, 3rd-Carroll (FW) 46, 4th-Homestead 45, 5th-Leo 33, 10th-Norwell 25, 12th-Bluffton 24, 17th-Columbia City 13, 23rd-Heritage 9, 28th-Woodlan 6, 29th-South Adams 4, 31st-Adams Central 1
100 M Final
1. Jalen Scott-Oak Hill 10.79
2. Coleson Kugler-Wabash 10.80
3. Daniel Davis-Yorktown 10.83
100 Prelim Times
Lucas Weber-Heritage 11.29
200 M Final
1. Coleson Kugler-Wabash 21.87
2. Damion Blevins-Eastbrook 22.33
3. Daniel Davis-Yorktown 22.37
200 Prelim Times
Jase Harmon-Norwell 22.82
400 M
1. Devonti Carter-FW Northrop 48.28
2. Jude Baumgartner-Bluffton 49.21
3. Nolan Miller-Leo 49.29
5. Marshall Harris-Heritage 50.74
10. Matthew Hernandez-Norwell 52.00
800 M
1. Jace Trevino-Homestead 1:52.97
2. Marvin Sanchez-Garcia-FW Snider 1:54.14
3. Caleb Aber-Wapahani 1:55.20
8. Caiden Petrie-Norwell 1:59.82
1600 M
1. Bryan Garcia-New Haven 4:21.36
2. Wyatt Turner-Yorktown 4:22.28
3. Sam Sweet-Carroll (FW) 4:27.07
7. Levi Johns-Bluffton 4:34.50
10. Gavin Threewits-Norwell 4:41.15
3200 M
1. Bryan Garcia-New Haven 9:28.94
2. Hunter Panning-Concordia Lutheran 9:29.91
3. Cooper Knoblauch-Homestead 9:30.52
8. Trevor Schwartz-AC 9:59.77
9. Ethan Crockett-AC 10:01.90
12. Caleb Garringer-JC 10:07.44
110 M Hurdles Finals
1. Marcus Bright-Delta 14.35
2. Kevion Mitchell-New Haven 14.61
3. Aaron Vance-FW Snider 14.69
110 M Hurdles Prelim Times
Adam Alig-JC 16.10
300 Hurdles
1. Aaron Hoffer-New Haven 38.29
2. Braylin Tisdale-Homestead 38.72
3. Carter Campbell-Winchester 38.95
10. Parker Barnes-Bluffton 42.29
16. Adam Alig-JC 43.50
4×100 Relay
1. Leo 42.79
2. Eastbrook 42.94
3. Carroll (FW) 43.09
12. Heritage 44.40
Weber-Martin-Naatz-Walter
4×400 Relay
1. Carroll (FW) 3:23.21
2. New Haven 3:23.33
3. Leo 3:23.58
13. Norwell 3:29.84
14. Bluffton 3:30.56
4×800 Relay
1. Marion 7:57.06
2. Columbia City 8:02.09
3. Wabash 8:03.92
4. Norwell 8:13.42
12. South Adams 8:38.59
Neuenschwander-O’Dell-Laux-Litwiller
13. Jay County 8:41.56
High Jump
1. Danny Kelly-Bishop Luers 6-07
2. Easton Foster-Monroe Central 6-05
3. Eli Bertsch-Bluffton 6-04
5. Tristin Ehr-South Adams 6-02
14. Adam Alig-JC 5-10
Pole Vault
1. Taran Davis-Leo 14-09
2. Kyle Brower-Oak Hill 14-00
3. William Ewer-Madison Grant 13-09
6. Jasper Kreigh-Norwell 13-03
11. Dominic Ferguson-Heritage 11-06
Long Jump
1. Ephraim Daugherty-Yorktown 22-07
2. Michael White-Homestead 22-00
3. Jase Harmon-Norwell 21-11.75
Shot Put
1. Wes Carmean-Norwell 55-07.5
2. John Bussard-New Haven 54-07
3. Ephraim Eller-Yorktown 53-06.25
4. Charlie Riddle-Heritage 52-01
6. Drayvin Shoemaker-Bluffton 50-04.75
14. Conner Landis-Bluffton 43-11
Discus
1. Emmanuel Taylor-Muncie Central 171-07
2. John Bussard-New Haven 163-10
3. Rosin White-Madison Grant 162-07
4. Tavin Frees-Bluffton 147-02
9. Wyatt Garland-Heritage 139-00
14. Braylen Cowans-AC 122-06
Charlie Riddle-Heritage No distance
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