Track teams get off to flying start at Uniontown

Athletes from Crest, Marmaton Valley, Humboldt and Yates Center High schools racked up medals aplenty Tuesday at the 2024 season-opening Uniontown Invitational.

March 27, 2024 - 2:21 PM

Crest High’s Jacob Zimmerman, right, is neck and neck with Erie’s Jaden Daniels in the 110-meter hurdle finals. Zimmerman won the gold. Photo by Richard Luken

UNIONTOWN — The girls were definitely golden Tuesday as several local athletes got off to a roaring start to the 2024 track and field season.

Local schools brought home 11 gold medals in various running and jumping events at the Uniontown Invitational.

Crest High’s Lady Lancers easily won the team championship, winning seven events, including all three relay races. Individually, Peyton Schmidt won the 800- and 3200-meter runs, Josie Walter cruised to victory in the 1600 meters, and Hanna Schmidt was the queen of the 100-meter hurdles.

Crest’s girls racked up 126 points, more than doubling up Marmaton Valley, which placed second with 61 points. The Wildcats were buoyed by three-time winner Piper Barney, who won the 300-meter hurdles, the long jump and the triple jump.

Yates Center also got into the act, with freshman Jaylinn Birk besting all-comers in the 400-meter dash.

The boys had plenty to crow about as well.

Crest’s Jerry Rodriguez won the long jump and triple jump, keying the way for a second-place team finish. The Lancers scored 89, just behind champion Erie’s 95. Joining Rodriguez atop the medal stand were teammates Gunner Ellington, who won the 3200 meters, and Crest’s 4×100-meter relay squad. Marmaton Valley’s boys struck gold as well, with Jaedon Granere winning the 100-meter dash and Brayden Lawson finishing first in the shot put. The Wildcats took third as a team.

Humboldt also took a handful of athletes to Uniontown, with sophomore Laney Hull leading the way with her third-place finish in the high jump. On the boys’ side, the Cubs’ freshman Cooper Peters took fourth in the shot put.

Of note, Marmaton Valley coaches kept senior standout Janae Granere out of action as she continues to recover from an ankle injury suffered during basketball season.

Local results follow.

Marmaton Valley High’s Brayden Lawson throws the javelin Tuesday at the Uniontown Invitational. Lawson finished third in javelin and won the shot put. Photo by Halie Luken / MVHS

Humboldt High’s Cooper Peters throws the shot put Tuesday at the Uniontown Invitational. Peters took fourth in the shot and fifth in the javelin. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

Crest High’s Gentry McGhee, left, hands the baton to teammate Brenton Edgerton as part of the Lancers’ gold medal-winning 4×100-meter relay team. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

Marmaton Valley High’s Jaedon Granere, third from left, crosses the finish line first to win the 100-meter dash Tuesday at the Uniontown Invitational. The Wildcats’ Cooper Scharff, second from right, takes third. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

Humboldt High’s Luke VanLeeuwen competes in the long jump Tuesday at the Uniontown Invitational. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

5 photos

Uniontown Invitational

Boys

Team scores

1. Erie, 95; 2. Crest, 89; 3. Marmaton Valley, 69; 11. Humboldt, 8

100 meters — 1. Jaedon Granere, MV, 11.76; 3. Cooper Scharff, MV, 11.91; 7. Brenton Edgerton, Crest, 12.24; 8. Gentry McGhee, Crest, 12.25; 20. Colton Burkholder, YC, 13.80; 21. Jeremiah Jones, YC, 13.86; 23. Brendon Newman, MV, 14.19; 24. Luke VanLeeuwen, Humboldt, 14.39; 27. Luke Gibbons, Humboldt, 16.79

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