LEXINGTON, Ohio — Lexington girls track coach Michelle Smith was only half joking when she said Lady Lex ought to adopt the walking boot as part of the official team uniform.
“It will be a lot funnier in July,” Smith quipped during Thursday’s 43rd Lexington Invitational. “It’s not funny now.”
Short-handed Lady Lex held off Shelby to win the girls team title at the scaled-down seven-team event. Lexington piled up 190 points, with the Whippets (163) finishing a distant second.
The meet is traditionally one of the premier early-season events in the area, but was snowed out earlier this month and rescheduled for Thursday. Several teams backed out because of prior commitments.
“At least the weather was a little better,” Smith joked. “We don’t have six inches of snow.”
Lexington’s injury situation is no laughing matter. Smith said the team is without five regulars — including reigning 1,600 meter and 3,200 meter state champ Dominique Clairmonte, who is lost for the season after suffering a stress fracture two weeks ago.
“I don’t know if we’ll get any of them back (before the postseason),” Smith said. “Four of them are out for the year.
“We’ve had some other girls step up. I was proud of their effort tonight.”
Lexington’s individual first-place efforts came from Mackenna Curtis Collins in the 1,600 (5 minutes, 24.64 seconds), Hannah Hamilton in the 300 hurdles (51.90), Abby Miller in the 3,200 (11:31.25), Kelsey Fuller in the high jump (4 feet, 8 inches) and Alyssa Gottschling in the pole vault (10-0). The 4×800 relay team of Curtis-Collins, Whitney Wendling, Miller and Olivia Wolfe won in 10:02.96.
Mansfield Senior cousins Alaysia and Alaya Grose each won four events. Alaysia swept the 100 (12.84) and 200 (26.71), while Alaya won the 100 hurdles (15.31) and the long jump (16-2.5). The duo teamed with Makenna Hawk and Natasha Franklin to win the 4×100 (49.88) and the 4×200 (1:52.37).
Shelby’s Maddie Heimlich won the 400 (63.89) while twin sister Makenna won the 800 (2:24.60). The pair joined forces with Faith Bailey and Tory Thomas to win the 4×400 (4:15.65).
Shelby swept the throws with Bailey Walter winning the shot put (32-6.25) and Megan Crain taking the discus (102-6).
Boys: Shelby won an unlikely team title — with a little help from the host Minutemen.
The Whippets trailed Lexington by nine points going into the final event. The only way Shelby could capture the crown was if the 4×400 team won and Lexington’s 4×400 team was disqualified.
The unusual scenario played out with the Shelby foursome of Danny Friebel, Blake Lucius, Michael Mayer and Robert Moore winning in 3:40.19 and the Lex quartet getting DQed for what race officials termed taunting.
“We were just happy to come to this meet. We weren’t coming until the snow-out,” Shelby boys coach Chris Zuercher said. “We shouldn’t be here.”
Shelby’s individual winners were Lucius in the 400 (53.98), Devin Tuttle in the 200 (23.32), Brayden Burkhalter in the pole vault (12-6) and Ethan Waldruff in the shot put (46-1.5). The 4×800 team of Friebel, Sam Logan, Robert Moore and Tyler Green took first in 8:23.48.
Lexington’s Colin Christman won the 100 (11.48), while Ryan Johnston won the 1,600 (4:34.26) and the 800 (2:03.5). Josh Mueller was first in the 3,200 (10:17.64), while Tony Gerrell won the long jump (19-7.75) and Gavin Anable won the discus (146-1). Payton Lybarger, Grant Tasseff, T.J. Gerhardt and Hunter Biddle teamed up to win the 4×200 (1:36.32). Christman, Gerrell, Biddle and Jake Goettel won the 4×100 (44.89).
Mansfield Senior’s Joe Ellis won the high jump with a leap of 6-6.
