From left to right in the front, New Richmond’s Samantha Ringhand, Clermont Northeastern’s Anna Best, New Richmond’s Lexi Wolf, and Goshen’s McKenna Dickason sprint toward the finish line in the girls 100-meter dash April 25, 2023, in the Williamsburg Invitational track and field meet at Williamsburg High School. Dickason won the event to lead the Warriors to the girls team title, while Wolf was second, Ringhand third and Best fifth.
Goshen edges New Richmond for girls title
Williamsburg High School’s Trystan Gries springs to victory in the high jump, helping to lead the Wildcats to the boys team title in their invitational track and field meet April 25, 2023, at the high school field.
CJ Boothby of Clermont Northeastern High School was a triple winner April 25, 2023, in the Williamsburg Invitational track and field meet at Williamsburg High School, winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the long jump.
New Richmond High School’s Samantha Ringhand continued her domination in the pole vault this spring, winning the event at the Williamsburg Invitational track and field meet April 25, 2023, at Williamsburg High School.
Not unlike a lot of high school track and field teams, the Williamsburg High School boys team uses regular-season meets as a sort of springboard.
Except for this meet, which annually puts an extra spring in the team’s step.
“Our typical goal during the season isn’t to win meets but instead to develop our athletes and team for league and districts. However, we do set things up to try and win our own invitational if we have a team capable of that,” Williamsburg coach Chris Rolph said after the Wildcats indeed proved capable, winning their Williamsburg Invitational on April 25 at the high school field.
Williamsburg won with 106 points. Cincinnati Archbishop McNicholas was second in the 15-team event at 97.5, followed by Batavia (82), Goshen (76), New Richmond (74), Georgetown (62), Clermont Northeastern (60.5), North Adams (48), St. Bernard (19), Felicity-Franklin (13), Williamsburg B (9), Miami Valley Christian Academy (6), West Clermont (4), and Eastern Brown and Lynchburg-Clay (3).
“Obviously, we were extremely pleased to win with fine teams like McNick (Cincinnati Archbishop McNicholas), Batavia, CNE (Clermont Northeastern) and Georgetown attending,” Rolph said.
The Wildcats won despite having only two individual winners: Trystan Gries in the high jump and Collin Klopstein in the discus. But the Wildcats also had three runner-up finishes (Kaidon Whisman in the 200 meters, Caiden Sailes in the pole vault, and Trey Holden in the shot put) and four thirds (Bryce Lillie in the long jump, Nick Patterson in the shot put and the 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams). In all, the Wildcats had 18 top-six finishes.
Among area Clermont County competitors, Clermont Northeastern High School’s CJ Boothby won three events – the 100, 200 and long jump – and was also a member of the 4×100 relay team that finished fourth.
“Boothby was his typical dominant self – three firsts and a fourth in the relay,” Rockets coach Liz Benjamin said. “But we’ve been battling injuries on the boys squad recently and it showed on the scoreboard. We have some freshmen stepping up in place of injury.”
Marcus Hughbanks of Batavia High School was the only other multiple winner among area Clermont County teams, finishing first in the 110 and 300 hurdles.
In the girls competition, Goshen High School edged New Richmond High School for the title, 129-126. Batavia was third (86.5) in the 14-team event, followed by Williamsburg (74.5), Clermont Northeastern (55), Georgetown (54), Cincinnati Archbishop McNicholas (42), Eastern Brown (24), North Adams (22), St. Bernard and Felicity-Franklin (16), Lynchburg-Clay (8), West Clermont (3), and Georgetown B (1).
Goshen was led by multiple-winner Peyton Dooloukas, who finished first in the 1,600 and 3,200. Also winning events for the Lady Warriors were McKenna Dickason in the 100, Bella Gordon in the 200, Cheyanne Thomas in the shot put, and the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams.
“Yes, the girls had a very good meet,” Goshen coach Jack Bailey said. “Peyton had another good meet, and our relay, sprinters and field-event people really performed well.”
New Richmond was first in two events. Pole-vaulting standout Samantha Ringhand again won that event, and the Lady Lions also won the 4×400 relay.
“We were disappointed in finishing in second place, but the Goshen girls are much improved this season and had a very nice meet,” New Richmond coach Doug Smiddy said. “Our girls team ran five season-best times/heights – 100 hurdles, 400 dash, 800, 4×400 relay, and high jump – and double-scored in 10 of 17 events.”
Girls and boys winners from area Clermont County teams (in alphabetic order by schools):
Batavia: Girls – Riley VanFrank, 300 hurdles (50.23); Ashlynn Etheridge, long jump (14-11); Octavia Kelch, discus (104-7). Boys – David Flandermeyer, 800 (2:05.05), Marcus Hughbanks, 110 hurdles (15.59); Hughbanks, 300 hurdles (41.27); 4×100 relay (45.51).
Clermont Northeastern: Girls – Bailey Fishback, high jump (5-0). Boys – CJ Boothby, 100 (11.20); Boothby, 200 (23.20); Boothby, long jump (20-8.5).
Felicity-Franklin: Girls – Emerson Pinger, 400 (1:04.85).
Goshen: Girls – McKenna Dickason, 100 (13.47); Bella Gordon, 200 (27.46); Peyton Dooloukas, 1,600 (5:20.36); Dooloukas, 3,200 (11:27.45); Cheyanne Thomas, shot put (34-10); 4×100 relay (53.47); 4×200 relay (1:55.69). Boys – Derrick Johnson, shot put (40-8).
New Richmond: Girls – Samantha Ringhand, pole vault (11-0); 4×400 relay (4:35.48). Boys – Grant Harrison, pole vault (13-0).
Williamsburg: Girls – Maggie Carver, 100 hurdles (18.23). Boys – Trystan Gries, high jump (6-2); Collin Klopstein, discus (127-9).