New Richmond’s Olivia Behymer qualified for four events in the regional meet.

New Richmond’s Olivia Behymer qualified for four events in the regional meet.
By Chris Chaney
Sun staff

The Clermont County boys’ and girls’ track teams offered up an impressive performance during their respective district meets to send along 56 student-athletes, including 10 district champions, competing in 50 events to this week’s regional meets.

The New Richmond Lions will be the best rest represented school, sending 18 individuals to compete in 18 events. The girls’ team also won their district.

Representing the Lady Lions at Welcome Stadium will be Olivia Behymer, qualifier in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash, the last of which she was the district champion; Claire Burns in the 1600-meter run; Kara Burns in the 3200-meter run; Laura Painter in the 300-meter hurdles; Ashlee Lewis in the shot put; district champion Eleanor Wildey in the discus; Hannah Hall in the high jump; and Aly Skaggs in the pole vault.

The Lady Lions also advanced three relay teams: the 4×200-meter relay team of Jill Flenniken, Kayla Owens, Kelsey Hardin and Lindsey Williams; the 4×400-meter relay team of Paige Anderson, Maren Hance, Sarah Glenn and Behymer; and the 4×800-meter relay team of Emily Belmont, C. Burns, Glenn and Hance.

The Lady Lions won the Division II district by six points over McNicholas, their nearest competitor by 35 points. Clermont Northeastern finished 10th, Goshen tied for 11th with Bethel-Tate and Batavia came in 17th.

The Clermont Northeastern girls advanced two individuals, Katlin Reece in the 400-meter dash and Marissa Chambers, the district champion in the shot put.

Bethel’s girls’ team also advanced two regional qualifiers, Dakota Sicurella in the 100-meter hurdles and Taylor Atkins in the high jump.

Tiera Martinelli will represent Goshen’s girls’ team in two events as she won the district in the pole vault and finished runner-up in the shot put.

In Division III, the Williamsburg Lady Wildcats produced the most regional qualifiers as the team finished in third place overall. They will be represented by Ashley Jermer in the 100-meter dash; Lindsey Smith in the 1600-meter run; Heather Mcintosh in the 3200-meter run; Alyssa Donthnier in the 100-meter hurdles; Caley Pringle in the 100-meter hurdles, pole vault and long jump; Gabby Press in the pole vault; and Elizabeth Meisberger in both throwing events. Meisberger was the district champion in the shot put and runner up in the discus.

The Felicity Lady Cardinals, the 6th-place finishers, will add two individuals to the Division III meet: Arica Stutz and Christina Paskow. Stutz qualified in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles and the high jump while Paskow qualified in the 800- and 1600-meter runs.

No girls from Division I will advance to regionals. As a team, Milford’s girls finished highest in 12th place, followed by Amelia in 15th and then Glen Este in 16th.

Likewise on the boys’ side, New Richmond will be the best-represented Division II team. The Lions will send Austin Torres (800-meter run), Pierce Burnam (110- and 300-meter hurdles), Branston Evans (discus) and the 4×800-meter relay team of Bobby Bingham, Zach Fields, Luke Gilday and Torrens to the regional meet at Dayton University’s Welcome Stadium. Burnam was the lone district champion in the 300-meter hurdles.

Goshen will send two individuals to the regional meet: Calvin Phillips, the district champion in the shot put and third-place finisher in the discus, along with Darren Wiley, the runner-up in the shot put.

Both Batavia and Bethel-Tate will send one student-athlete each. Batavia’s Griffin Stith qualified for the 1600-meter run and Bethel’s Jake Robinson will compete in the long jump.

As a team, New Richmond’s boys finished in second place behind North College Hill. Goshen was next among Clermont school in eighth place, followed by Bethel in 16th, Batavia in 17th and CNE in 20th.

In Division III, Williamsburg was once again the cream of the crop. The Wildcats, who finished in third place as a team, will send eight individuals competing in eight events to regionals at Troy High School. They are Ryan Boggs (district champion of the 400-meter dash), Corey Stith (110-meter hurdles), Lee Brandon (district champion of the pole vault and qualifier in the 110-meter hurdles), Jamie Simmons (high jump), Pearce Williford (high jump), Cody Minnie (long jump) and the 4×100-meter relay team of Lane Edminsten, Roger Thornberry, Stith and Minnie.

The 16th-place finishing Felicity-Franklin Cardinals advanced Isa Abdullah in the 400-meter dash.

In Division I, the lone qualifier came from Glen Este. Jacob Hamilton will compete in the pole vault at regionals. The Trojans finished in 14th place as a team, tied by Milford and followed by Amelia.

The regional tournaments will take place between May 29 and June 1 with Divisions I and II competing at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium and Division III competing at Troy High School. Log onto ohsaa.orgfor more information.