MANSFIELD — Sisters Layla and Briella van Harlingen clinched the top two awards in the stock division of the North Central Ohio Soap Box Derby on Saturday.
At 12 years old, Layla took the top prize, qualifying for the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship in Akron in July. Layla and 10-year-old Briella both qualify for the Buccaneer competition on August 12.
There were 45 racers in this year’s derby, including 24 in the stock division for ages 7 to 13. The super stock division is open to competitors ages 9 to 18, which had 19 competitors this year.
Soap Box Derby President Brian Smith noted the past three winners in both racing divisions have all been girls.
“No boys have won since COVID, so congratulations girls,” Smith said.
The prizes for each division included:
Stock division
1st Layla van Harlingen
2nd Briella van Harlingen
3rd Mari Medina
4th Levi Kucnick
5th Noah Urwin
6th Damion Finley
7th Karli Amert
8th Emitt Little
Dazzler
Karson Borror
Super stock division
1st Skyla Wilson
2nd Leslie Craft
3rd Marissa Kinnamon
4th Cohen Armstrong
5th Trysten Kilgore
6th Tanner Winningham
7th Caleb Harrison
8th Mason McKee
Dazzler
Cohen Armstrong
Originality and Design
Christian Kinnamon
Smith thanked all of the derby’s sponsors and supporters, including Skipper Buds, Meyer Bait, Russ and Ruth Kinsey, the City of Mansfield and many others.
Organizers also drew for grand prizes at random. Those prizes included five one-hour passes to Altitude Trampoline Park, $50 in cash and tickets to the ARCA Menards race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, as well as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Mid-Ohio.
Those winners included:
– Altitude trampoline park passes: Jackson Gregory
– $50: Izaak Koehler and Niall Cavanaugh
– Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course race tickets: Robert Elliott
Additional 2023 participants in the stock division were Wilson Amert, Niall Cavanaugh, Dakota Dunham, Wyatt Eddleblute, Jackson Howell, Brycen Kilgore, Izaak Koehler, Owen Little, Kerrigan Lukowski, Henry Medina, Emma Patton, Casey Rachel, Levi Theisen, Imani Wilson and Ja’shun Wilson.
Participants in the super stock division included David Elliott, Robert Elliott, Jackson Gregory, Kolton Kochheiser, Cami Rachel, Jacoby Rapp, Leland Taylor, James Wilson Ill, Tanner Winningham and Zack Winters.
More information on the North Central Ohio Soap Box Derby can be found online and on Facebook.
