Ontario Boys Claim First Regional Track Championship, Girls Secure State Spots

PIQUA — Ontario's head coach Rachel Miller had her hands full while preparing for the Division III regional track and field championships held at Piqua High School. By the end of her preparation, she realized she needed a double-sided printer to accommodate all the details. On Saturday, May 30, the Ontario Warriors showcased their remarkable depth, clinching the boys' team regional championship with an impressive total of 57 points, narrowly edging out Valley View, which finished with 53 points. This victory marks a historic achievement as it is the first regional championship for the boys' track program.

The Warriors are set to compete at the OHSAA state track and field championships at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, sending qualifiers in six individual events and three relays. Notably, the team claimed only one regional championship event, highlighting their collective effort. “I think it speaks volumes to the depth of this team,” Miller remarked. “Last year, our girls team was very deep, and now our boys are that and then some to the point we don’t need anyone to be a hero. We have a bunch of people who just show up and do their jobs.”

The standout performance came from the 4x800-meter relay team, which included Xavier Trent, Michael Ward, Xander Chitwood, and Jace Young. They secured the championship with a time of 7:55.54, finishing over four seconds ahead of their competition. Junior Jermel Powell had a remarkable day as well, qualifying for state in the 100-meter dash with a seventh-place finish of 10.98 seconds and taking third in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.14 seconds, securing an automatic spot. He also contributed to the 4x100-meter relay team, which finished second with a time of 42.43 seconds, and the 4x200-meter relay team that took third with 1:28.91.

“I am just grateful for my coaches,” Powell expressed. “They believe in us so much and it makes it easy to go out and compete for them. We want to keep this momentum at state.” Despite not having previously placed higher than third individually, Powell played a key role in the team’s success, accumulating significant points. “That guy stepped into the 200 seeded sixth and placed third,” Miller noted, highlighting the team’s strength in versatility.

Young also made his mark by finishing third in the 800-meter run with a season-best time of 1:54.81. “It was all worth it,” he said, reflecting on the team spirit and support from their fans. Other notable performances included Fowler's sixth-place finish in the 100-meter dash, which earned him an at-large bid to state, and Trent’s third-place finish in the 1,600-meter run with a personal best of 4:22.11. Sophomore Maddix Smith rounded out a successful regional meet for the Warriors by taking third in the boys' discus with a personal best throw of 161 feet.

The Ontario girls also demonstrated their strength with junior Audrey Mahon qualifying for state in the 100-meter dash, finishing fourth with a time of 12.50 seconds. She, along with Mia Moton, Tessa Crum, and Sasha Bulakovski, formed a 4x200-meter relay team that took second place with a time of 1:41.91. Additionally, Mahon, Crum, Bulakovski, and Kamryn Pelphrey secured second place in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:55.27, earning their spots at the state competition next week.