Celina’s Jake Knapke (Left), Ottawa-Glandorf’s Masen Vogt (right) and Isaac Macke (center) battle for the top three spots in the Boys 800-meter dash Saturday at the Celina Invitational.
CELINA – A track team with an abundance of depth can sometimes be too much for the opposition to overcome.
At Saturday’s Celina Invitational, Ottawa-Glandorf’s depth was in full display as the girls and boys teams both notched team titles.
The Ottawa-Glandorf girls registered 179 points, while second-place Celina scored 141 points. Defiance (89), New Haven (Ind., 68) and Kenton (59) rounded out the top five squads in a field of eight.
On the boys side, O-G scored 173 points, compared to Celina’s 137.5 points. Defiance (106), New Haven (66) and Ottoville (63.5) were the top five teams.
The O-G girls were in contention in every event on Saturday.
“We won 11 out of the 17 (events),” O-G girls coach Matt Burwell said. “We had a lot of repeat winners. I think we swept the relays. So, there were some great things for the start of the season.
“We had our eight girls run the two four-by-fours (1,600-meter relays) and they finished one-two. In the four-by-eight (3,200 relay), we’ve got six, seven girls that are fighting there (for spots). Our sprint relays did extremely well, and we have a couple of our girls on vacation. The girls are competing.”
Anna Buddelmeyer led the way for the O-G girls on Saturday, winning both the 1,600 and 3,200 runs.
In the 1,600, Buddelmeyer pulled away in the second half of the race and won with a time of 5 minutes, 26.76 seconds. Celina’s Brinley Korte finished a distant second in 5:44.22. O-G’s Corinne Closson was third (5:46.93).
Later in the day, Buddelmeyer pulled away in the second half of the 3,200, en route to a winning time of 11:51.06. Korte was second (12:21.71).
The last event of the day, the 1,600-meter relay, Buddelmeyer was part of O-G’s relay that took first (4:11.99). Liana Fortman, Rose Turnwald, Emma Heringhaus joined forces with Buddelmeyer to notch the victory.
Buddelmeyer, who earned all-Ohio honors this past fall in cross country with an impressive sixth-place finish, ran her first career outdoor 3,200 meters on Saturday. She ran the 3,200 one time this past winter during the indoor season.
“I ran it once indoor,” Buddelmeyer said about the 3,200. “I wanted to see how it (3,200) was different from indoor. I was hoping to go under 12 (minutes). … So, I’m very happy.”
Buddelmeyer is looking forward to competing in the 3,200 this season.
“I am excited for next week (Ehresman Invitational at Bath), because Bryan has a girl in the 11:40s. That should push me a lot,” she said.
O-G notched the top three spots in the girls 800. Liana Fortman won in 2:30.38, while teammates Brea Recker (2:31.68) and Corinne Closson (2:32.59) were close behind.
In the girls 100, O-G went 1-2. Savannah Recker won in 13.17 seconds, while teammate Delaney Duling came in second (13.24). Recker also took first in the long jump (16 feet, 2 inches).
On the boys side, O-G placed first in seven events.
“We’re real excited about our depth,” O-G boys coach Brian Heebsh said. “We have a lot of kids. We have a junior class that has a lot of experience. A lot of those guys are going to be four-year lettermen. So, it’s a real solid class. We have a good group of freshmen and sophomores. We have some good, younger kids that are filling in some of the cracks. We’re really excited. We have a veteran group, but we’re still kind of young.”
In the boys 1,600, O-G’s Ty Rosengarten separated from New Haven’s Bryan Garcia to record a winning time of 4:36.14.
Last spring, as a sophomore, Rosengarten competed at the Division II state meet in the 3,200, where he placed 10th. He also notched all-Ohio honors at this past fall’s Division II state cross country meet with a ninth-place finish.
Rosengarten said he felt confident of his chances on Saturday.
“Coming in (to the Celina Invitational), we planned on (having) two Defiance guys up front, but they ended up being in the first heat,” Rosengarten said. “So, my plan was to just go out and run by myself and run against the clock. I kind of knew after the first 100 (meters) that I would be leading the whole thing.”
Rosengarten, who excels at several events, said he will go back and forth between the 1,600 and 3,200 this season.
“Week by week, I’m probably just going to look at what teams are at each invitational and then choose either the 3,200 or 1,600 – whichever one looks like a better race,” he said.
Buening and Murlin lead the way for Celina
In the boys 3,200, Celina’s Colin Buening led from start to finish to win in 10:08.95. O-G’s Cooper Fischer finished second (10:47.50).
“I just run and try to stay consistent,” Buening said. “I go out and see what I got.”
Buening finished third in the 1,600 (4:50.27), while Fischer came in fifth (4:59.10).
In the throwing events, Celina’s Kaden Murlin won the shot put (48 feet, 2 inches) and finished second in the discus (144-0). Last season, Murlin made it to the Division II state meet in the shot put.
“I definitely could have done better,” Murlin said about his performance in the shot put on Saturday. “I have some stuff that I need to get out of the way. I’m going through some sickness right now. So, hopefully, there are better days coming up. I’m hoping to throw 55 (feet)-plus. That’s the goal this year.”
Other event winners on Saturday that were not already mentioned: GIRLS – Celina: Aliyah King (pole vault, 9-0), Defiance: Jamie Rollins (100 hurdles, 15.88 and 300 hurdles, 49.57), Elida: Jordan Gladen (high jump, 5-0), New Haven: J. Jackson (200, 26.89), Makenna Dommer (discus, 125-02), O-G: 3,200 relay (Madelyn Hovest, Liana Fortman, Rose Turnwald, Brea Recker; 10:05.48), 800 relay (Laney Hedrick, Emma Heringhaus, Delaney Duling, Averie Fox; 1:48.64), 400 relay (Laney Hedrick, Emma Heringhaus, Delaney Duling, Averie Fox; 50.93), Rose Turnwald (400, 1:03.63), 1,600 relay (Brea Recker, Averie Fox, Calvery Fox, Corinne Closson; 4:11.99), Emma Hoffman (shot put, 33-9).
BOYS – Celina: Jon Lutz (110 hurdles, 15.14), Defiance: Heaven Dalton (high jump, 5-8), Luke Westfall (20-5), 400 relay (Joey Robinson, Luke Westfall, Eli Howerton, Anthony Wilder; 45.45), Elida: Elisha Reddick (51.76), New Haven: Latrevion Bates (100, 11.27), John Bussard (discus, 150-7), O-G: 3200 relay (Isaac Macke, Jordan Croy, Connor Johnson, Masen Vogt; 8:33.55), 800 relay (Gavin Morman, Deegan Miller, Trevor Rump, Ethan Metzger; 1:36.30), Masen Vogt (800, 2:02.78), Deegan Miller (200, 23.11), Alex Schroeder (pole vault, 13-6), Ottoville: Garret Trentman (300 hurdles, 41.55).
*Full results can be found on baumspage.com
