ASHLAND – The Ashland boys and girls track and field teams each were within two final events of winning Ohio Cardinal Conference titles in the same season for the first time since 1998 on Friday.
Unfortunately for the Arrows, some critical finishes in the 3,200-meter races and the 4×400 relays to close the OCC Championships at Ashland University’s Dwight Schar Athletic Complex proved to be the razor-thin difference.
Ashland’s boys fell by a single point to New Philadelphia for the crown, 147-146, as the Quakers went 1-2 in the 3,200, then closed the meet with a fourth-place effort in the 4×400 (3:31.58). The Arrows were third in the 4×400 behind Madison by .14 seconds; had Ashland topped the Rams, AHS would have won OCC gold.
It was New Philadelphia’s first boys track title as a member of the OCC. Lexington’s boys were trying for their third straight league crown, but finished third with 131 points.
The Arrow girls, meanwhile, also carried a lead into the 3,200, but Lexington took the top two spots there, then nabbed second in the 4×400 to distance itself from Ashland for the team title, 172-165.
It gave Lady Lex their fifth consecutive OCC gold – the longest girls track streak in the league’s history. The Arrows’ runner-up finish was their best since taking second in 2016, while Wooster was third with 113 points.
Despite the heartbreaking team finishes, Ashland turned in a variety of huge outings, taking home hardware for three individual awards.
For the boys, senior Ashland University commit Dakota Kruty won an OCC long jump title for the third time and was named Male OCC Track Athlete of the Year.
The Ashland girls then saw junior Sadie Walter turn in a historic night as Female OCC Runner of the Year, breaking three former meet records. Junior teammate Oaklynn Burns also took home Female OCC Track Athlete of the Year.
Walter was electric for the girls, claiming titles in both the 100 (12.31) and 300 hurdles (44.48) to set new OCC meet records. Her 14.83 in the 100 hurdles also would have set a new meet record, but she took second to Wooster’s Teagan Hafner (14.70).
Walter also clocked in for third in the 200 (26.35).
Burns performed big in a variety of areas as well, coming up gold in the long jump (17-11.25) and as part of the 4×100 relay with Evelyn Brockway, Campbell O’Brien and Frankie Rupsis (50.99). The junior added a second-place finish in the 200 (25.96).
Kruty, meanwhile, had a winning long-jump measurement of 22 feet, 1.25 inches. The junior also was second in both the 200 (22.56) and 100 (11.03), and as part of the 4×100 relay that included Avion Woodard, Killian O’Brien and Jayden Colvin (43.09).
Also taking home first place for the Ashland boys were senior Braden Donatini in the 110 hurdles (14.73) and junior Greyson Blough in the shot put (53-11.75).
Runner-up efforts came from Donatini in the 300 hurdles (39.61), senior Jack Parsons in the 800 (2:01.32) and senior Ty Bates in the pole vault (12-9), while an individual third-place performance was from Brady Anderson in the 400 (51.33).
For the AHS girls, junior Alanah Cole took gold in the pole vault (10-3) while senior Frankie Rupsis won her second consecutive OCC title in the high jump (5-2).
Third place for the Arrows individually went to senior Alyssa Sampson in the 400 (1:00.20).
