Oakwood Dominates Relays and Mid-Distance Events at Vermilion Valley Conference Track Meet
By Fred Kroner
Three Oakwood relays turned in first-place finishes on Thursday (May 2) in the 11-team Vermilion Valley Conference boys’ track and field meet at Westville.
Also winning an event was junior Thomas Wells, who out-ran everyone in the 1,600 meters (personal-best 4:44.36).
Wells also ran on the victorious 3,200-meter relay, teaming up with Jakob Rupp, Lucas Tyas and Macen Phillips for a time of 8:36.44.
The championship 1,600-meter relay featured Rupp, Phillips, Jacob Taflinger and Connor Smith. Their cumulative time was 3:33.92.
The 400-meter relay posted a winning time of 43.78 seconds. Sharing the baton were Bryson McDaniel, Connor Moss, Jacob Pricer and Smith.
The Comets’ 800-meter relay ended seventh in 1:39.58. Sharing the baton were Connor Taflinger, Saul Carrillo, Kaden McDaniel and Jacob Taflinger.
Individually, Smith logged a pair of runner-up finishes and Bryson McDaniel contributed a second- and third-place finish.
Smith was the runner-up in the 100 meters (11.25 seconds) and the 400 meters (51.62 seconds).
Bryson McDaniel took second in the triple jump (40 feet, 3 inches) and third in the long jump (19 feet, 10 inches).
Oakwood top-10 placers who recorded personal-best performances were Sailer Harrison (fourth in the triple jump at 39 feet, 6 inches), Rupp (fifth in the 800 meters in 2:10.23), Trevor McCall (seventh in the 300-meter hurdles in 44.84 seconds), Kyler Johnson (ninth in the discus at 97 feet, 4 inches) and Pricer (ninth in the 200 meters in 24.06 seconds).
Other Comets among the top 10 were Trevor McCall (fourth in the 110-meter hurdles in 17.47 seconds), Johnson (fifth in the 110-meter hurdles in 18.00 seconds), Tyas (ninth in the 800 meters in 2:12.90) and Alex Wells (10th in the 3,200 meters in 14:20.69).
Salt Fork won the team title with 120 points. Finishing second was Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (99 ½ points). Oakwood was fifth with 82 points.
On Monday (May 6), Rupp, Thomas Wells and Bryson McDaniel were individual winners in a four-school Last Chance Meet at B-H/R-A.
Rupp won the 400 meters (personal-best 54.81 seconds). Wells won the 3,200 meters (personal-best 10:48.34) and McDaniel was victorious in the triple jump (40 feet, 3 inches).
Three Oakwood relays also capture first-place finishes.
The 400-meter unit was led by McDaniel, Moss, Pricer and Smith. They were timed in 44.09 seconds.
Running on the 800-meter relay were Moss, Pricer, Phillips and Smith. Their composite time was 1:35.04.
The 1,600-meter relay included Rupp, Tyas, Phillips and Thomas Wells. Their time was 3:42.38.
The Comets had runner-up finishes from hurdler McCall (17.20 seconds in the 110-meter event as well as 45.58 in the 300-meter hurdles race) and jumper Harrison (38 feet,7 inches in the triple jump).
Placing third were Tyas (800 meters in 2:12.23), Johnson (110-meter hurdles in 18.93 seconds), Bryson McDaniel (19 feet, 5 inches in the long jump) and Saul Carrillo (4 feet, 10 inches in the high jump).
Johnson took fourth in the discus (personal-best 101 feet, 5 inches).
Ben Darling had a pair of fifth-place performances, including the 800 meters where his time of 2:21.05 was a personal-best. Darling was also fifth in the 1,600 meters (5:59.46).
Trevor Hanner was fifth in the long jump (16 feet, 8 inches), Alex Wells was fifth in the 3,200 meters (14:19.00), Taflinger was fifth in the 400 meters (personal-best 56.18 seconds) and Pricer was fifth in the 100 meters (personal-best 11.87 seconds).
B-H/R-A won the meet with 66 points. Runner-up Oakwood had 48 points.
The Comets return to action on Friday (May 17) in the 17-school Salt Fork Sectional at Catlin.
