Clear Fork's Relay Triumph Highlights a Record-Breaking Day at Regionals

PIQUA — The dynamic quartet of Davis Hoeflich, Marcus Hoeflich, Devyn Oswalt, and their new teammate Nash Evans showcased their exceptional talent at the Division III regional championship track and field meet held at Piqua High School. Having a long-standing relationship in the 4x100 relay, the trio had to quickly adjust to the addition of Evans just a week before the meet, and they did so remarkably well, clinching the regional title with a time of 42.24 seconds.

“What makes it crazier is this is only our third race we have ever run together,” Evans remarked. The team outperformed Ontario’s squad, finishing 0.19 seconds ahead, and surpassed the defending champions from Shelby by 0.43 seconds. With only three races under their belt, the potential for further improvement is promising as they prepare for the upcoming OHSAA State Track and Field Championships at Ohio State University.

“I think it tells us that we can only get faster in the future,” noted Marcus Hoeflich, expressing optimism about their future performances. He emphasized that with each race, they are learning more about each other, aiming to drop their time even further in the preliminaries and finals at state.

The addition of Evans has elevated the relay team's performance significantly. Oswalt stated, “I don’t think there is a ceiling right now,” highlighting their swift progress since Evans joined the team. They have already reduced their time by an entire second in their initial race together, and they plan to refine their handoff techniques to enhance efficiency.

On the same day, Davis Hoeflich also excelled in the high jump, securing second place with a clearance of 6-06. He had to quickly transition from the podium to prepare for the 4x100 race, yet he managed his fatigue well. “It’s only 100 meters,” he said, reflecting on the challenge. Hoeflich will have another chance to compete against Dayton Dunbar’s Chrishod Averette, who bested him in the high jump but anticipates a strong performance at the state tournament.

In a remarkable achievement for the Clear Fork program, the Colts are sending more athletes to state than ever before. The 4x200-meter relay team, consisting of McKee, Oswalt, Beck, and Haring, qualified with a time of 1:29.40. Additionally, senior Nathan Wine will compete in the shot put, having thrown 53-00.25 for a fifth-place finish, and Julian Mills qualified in the discus with a throw of 152-05. Evans will also participate in the long jump after finishing second with a leap of 21-02, marking an impressive day for Clear Fork athletics.