The Van Wert boys, the OG girls will win team titles

VAN WERT – Alex Fortman’s great Ottawa-Glandorf track is always looking to break the record.

In Friday’s Western Buckeye League Championship final at Van Wert High School, Fortman set one of the many records she aspired to.

Fortman not only broke the WBL record on Friday night, but she broke the record in the 800-meter dash, the league’s highest mark since 1981, and became the oldest WBL record to date.

Fortman quickly came out in the 800 on Friday and broke the record by more than five seconds, winning 2-1.78. The previous WBL record was 2: 16.80. Fortman’s personal record for all time is 800 – 2: 11.21.

Fortman also won 400 (58.35) and was leading in the 1600 winning relay (Avery Fox, Karin Klosan, Lily Hasselman, Fortman; 4: 09.11) for the Titans on Friday. She finished third in the 100 (13.19).

“Today was very difficult when I was making four (400) and eight (800) takes,” Fortman said. “So I just relied on God. He made it all possible. “

After the first lap in the 800 Fortman was not sure where she was, given the time.

“I didn’t really know. I usually hear it (the so-called split), ”she said. “So I knew I needed to go because I didn’t know how much time I had left.”

In the 1600 relay, when Fortman received a pass on the anchor leg, the Titans were seventh. Fortman made his way ahead of the pack to give her victory.

OG girls head coach Matt Berwell was impressed but not entirely surprised at how well his juniors performed on Friday.

“We didn’t run it in four (400) and eight (800) along with (OG) gold medals (meeting),” Berwell said. “We didn’t have a meeting until Wednesday (the first day of the WBL) for 13 days. In warm weather watch what she was doing at four and eight, especially. … She is special. It’s just great.

“In one of the matches (this season) she won 100, 200 and 400. She won four and eight on the gold medal (earlier in the season). She ran 5:10 miles (1600). And she has a (school) cross-country record. It’s amazing how much she likes to compete. “

On Friday, Kaylee Demeron of Selina won both 1,600 (5: 16.52) and 3,200 (11.51.90).

In the girls’ final team standings on Friday, OG won the title, ahead of Celina with a score of 100.5-100. St. Mary’s (78), Kenton (61.50) and Van Wert (50) closed the top five teams in the 10-team field.

On the boys side, Van Wert won the team title, defeating Shawnee, who finished second, 119.50-94. Closed the top five teams Celina (55), Defiance (54.50) and OG (51.50).

Senior Van Wert Connor Pratt scored big points for the Cougars on Friday.

Pratt won 400 with a personal best of 49.76 seconds. Then Pratt came back and took second place in the distance of 200 (22.90). Earlier in the meeting, Pratt was part of the 800 relay team. He also participated in the 1600 victory relay.

“We worked very hard every day in practice,” Pratt said. “We always say, ‘We make deposits.’ Then in such meetings you can always withdraw money to get faster times. This is what we always preach. Then obviously one of my biggest goals this year was to go below 50 (seconds out of 400). I was very excited to finally hear “49”.

Isaiah Jones of Shawnee won on Friday 1600 for 4: 38.31 – became the second consecutive WBL 1600 title. Second was teammate Carter Cleves (4: 44.15).

On Wednesday, the first day of the WBL Championship, there were several field finals as well as a 3,200-meter relay.

In the boys’ pole vault, Conner Douglas of Elida won with a new WBL record of 14 feet 6 inches.

In the relay 3,200 girls Defiance (Mira Horvat, Samantha Hohenberger, Leila Brisen, Emily Wall) took first place with a result of 9 minutes 47.08 seconds.

In the relay 3200 young Shawnee (Justin Altenbach, Isaiah Jones, Carter Cleves, Noah Williams) won with a score of 8: 08.74. Shawnee just overtook Van Wert (Gage Vanemacher, Rylan Miller, Gage Springer, Hunter Scherer), who showed a time of 8: 10.63.

In the girls’ high jump, Ella Jacobs of St. Mary’s won 5-1. Jordan Gladen of Elis was second (5-0).

In the boys’ long jump, Brendan Bowers of St. Mary’s won 21-3.75.

The girls were defeated by Tatum Miller of Kenton (139-7) and Emma Hoffman of Ottawa-Glandorf was second (136-5).

In the shot put for boys won Xavier Griffiths of Bath with a score of 57-1.

Alexa Fortman of Ottawa-Glandorf (left) and Sierra Greber of St. Mary compete in the 400-meter dash during Friday’s WBL Championships in Van Wert.

Conor Pratt of Van Wert is involved in the 400-meter dash during Friday’s WBL Championships in Van Wert.

Lily Hasselman of Ottawa-Glandorf is competing in the sixth jump during Friday’s WBL Championships in Van Wert.

Isaiah Jones of Shawnee; performs in the 1,600-meter dash during Friday’s WBL Championships in Van Wert.

Kaylee Demeron of Selina competes in the 1,600-meter dash during Friday’s WBL Championships in Van Wert.

Fortman breaks old WBL record