Manchester, Peebles win SHAC JH Track titles

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

Lynchburg High School was the Friday, May 3 host of the 2024 Suuthern Hills Athletic Conference Junior High Track meet and as is the norm for SHAC meets, the weather was overcast and wet but that didn’t deter the action, especially for apir of Adams County squads that came home as SHAC Champions.

For the first time in school history, the Manchester Lady Greyhounds are the SHAC Girls Track champions and it wasn’t even close. The Lady Hounds totaled 132 points, far ahead of the North Adams Lady Devils (83) who brought home the second place hardware.

The boys race was much closer, but in the end it was the Peebles Indians being crowned SHAC champions with 124 points, with Eastern Brown second at 115.

In boys action, North Adams’ Zachary Jones placed second in the 100M Dash (12.48) while Cooper Meade from Peebles was second in the 200M Dash (26.08). West Union’s Fletcher Watkins was third in the 400M Dash(1:01.51) and Peebles’ Calen Vogler was third in the 800M Run (2:30.60). Vogler finished second in the 1600M Run (5:23.99).

In the Boys 110M Hurdles, Peebles’ Xavier DeVore placed fifth (20.02) and he later placed third in the 300M Hurdles (30.38).

In the boys relay races, Manchester took the 4 x 100 (53.69) with West Union second (54.55). The Dragons took the 4 x 200 Relay (1:52.40) with Peebles coming across in second (2:03.73). North Adams was the champion of the 4 x 400 Relay (4:14.46) with Peebles third (5:54.43).

In the boys field events, Peebles’ Cooper Meade is the SHAC champion in the High Jump with his best effort of 5’2” with teammate Braylen Stephens third at 5’0”. In the Boys Long Jump, West Union’s Samuel Griffis was second (16’11.25”) with Stephens fourth (16’2.5”). The 2024 SHAC Boys Discus champion is Jaxon Baldwin from North Adams with his best throw of 135’9” and fellow Green Devil Carson Davis was second (124’7”). Third place in discus went to Peebles’ Tanner Bennington (101’7”).

Manchester’s Colton McChesney is the 2024 SHAC Boys Shot Put champion (41’10”) with Peebles taking second and third, Bryce Hawkins (39’) and Tanner Bennington (33’4.5”).

For the girls, the 100M Dash was run in a downpour with Manchester’s Hayden Rideout coming out as SHAC champion with a time of 12.92. (On a side note, Rideout has qualified for the Junior High State Track meet in the 100M and will run on Saturday at Hilliard Darby High School.) North Adams’ Kinsley Fogle was second in the 100M (13.72) with Manchester’s Joselyn Lucas third (13.95).

In the Girls 200M Dash, it was Rideout taking home another championship ribbon with her winning time of 27.68, with Peebles’ Amryn Carroll second at 29.44 and North Adams’ Kinsley Fogle third at 29.47. Carroll placed second in the 400M Dash (1:05.45) with Manchester’s Maddie Easter fourth (1:08.12) and West Union’s Raeghan Rothwell fifth (1:10.51).

In the girls distance events, Manchester added another SHAC champion with Faith Scott winning the 800M Run in a time of 2:36.71. North Adams’ Trinity Bosko was third in the 800M at 3:09.91. Bosko was the champion of the 1600M Run, coming across the finish line with a winning time of 6:16.88. West Union’s Stella Rhonemus was third in the 1600M with a time of 6:29.72.

Chalk up another SHAC title for Manchester as Jessa Tadlock won the Girls 100M Hurdles with a timeof 18.88. Peebles’ Kendall Myers was fourth in the 100M Hurdles (20.38). North Adams’ Bella Gray is the SHAC champion in the Girls 200M Hurdles, winning with a time of 33.69. Peebles’ Myers was third at 36.17.

The girls relays began with Manchester taking first place in the 4 x100 (58.32) with Peebles second (1:02.64). The Lady Hounds continued to rack up the points and the SHAC championships as they won the Girls 4 x 200 Relay in a time of 1:59.58 with Peebles again second at 2:07.86. R-The third relay title for Manchester came in the Girls 4 x 400 (4:51.12) with North Adams second (5:04.51) and Peebles third (5:31.54). The Lady Hounds placed second overall in the girls 4 x800 Relay, coming across in a time of 12:28.74.

In the girls field competitions, North Adams’ Bella Gray is the SHAC champion in the High Jump with a best effort of 4’10”, with Peebles’ Lauren Shreve second (4’2”) and Manchester’s Lyrric Hanson fourth (4’0”). Katie Myers from Peebles was third in the Girls Long Jump (12’6.5”).

The SHAC Junior High girls discus champion is North Adams’ Ellie Bosko, who tossed the sphere a winning distance of 92’9”. Manchester’s Peyton Hayslip was second (92’) and North Adams’ Johnie Edwards was fifth (64’4”). Finally, in the Girls Shot Put, Manchester’s Maddie Curtis placed second (33’4.5) with Hayslip in fifth (30’11.5”).

With the junior high meet in the books, the SHAC High School Meet is set for Friday, May 10 at Manchester, with field events beginning at 4:30 p.m and rtrack events at 6 p.m.

2024 SHAC Junior High Meet Final Team Standings

Girls: Manchester 132, North Adams 83, Peebles 80.5, Eastern Brown 63, Whiteoak 58.5, Fairfield 53, Lynchburg 23, West Union 21, Fayetteville 19, Ripley 6

Boys: Peebles 124, Eastern Brown 115, Fairfield 65, North Adams 60, Fayetteville 59, West Union 44, Manchester 39, Lynchburg 24, Whiteoak 6