Shawnee’s Noah Williams competes in the 4x800 meter relay during Friday’s Shawnee Invitational.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP – Shawnee senior track standout Noah Williams can score points in several different ways.
At Friday’s Shawnee Invitational, Williams provided some key points to help lead the Shawnee boys team to a close second-place finish to Findlay.
Findlay ended the night with 189 points, while Shawnee recorded 173.33 points. Indian Lake (69), Elida (43), Allen East (21.66), Lima Central Catholic (15) and Lima Senior (14) rounded out the seven-team field.
On the girls side, Findlay won the team title with 168 points, while Indian Lake was a distant second (98). Shawnee was a close third (82), and Elida (81) was a close fourth. Allen East (61), Lima Senior (19) and LCC (17) rounded out the field.
Williams won the 1,600 (4 minutes, 42.62 seconds) and 800 (2:03.94). He was also the anchor leg of the winning 3,200-meter relay (8:20.70), and victorious 1,600 relay (3:32.24). Teammate Carter Cleaves was a close second in the 1,600 (4:43.77).
“I think the 800 and the mile (1,600) will be my main focus,” Williams said. “So, I really want to excel in those two for the league (Western Buckeye League Championships). Then, obviously, I will be in D-I (postseason tournament) and there will be much more competition. I really want to see how far I can go, whether it’s the 800 or the mile. I’m just trying to get record after record.
“I’m super stoked about the (1,600) relay team this year. We’ve put in a lot of great work this year. I think that we can come out here, no matter what division it is and succeed.”
Joining Williams in the 1,600 relay are Dalton Hopson, Reece Davidson, and Connor Heitmeyer.
Hopson is another key cog for Shawnee this season as a sophomore sprinter.
On Friday night, Hopson won the 100 (11.03) and placed second in the 200 (22.91). He also was part of the winning 1,600 relay and the 400 relay that finished second (43.83).
Hopson has clocked a personal best 10.79 seconds in the 100 this season.
“The 100 is definitely my favorite,” Hopson said. “I’m trying to get the school record. Last year, my PR was 11.1. I made it to regionals up at Amherst in the four-by-four (1,600 relay). I’m looking to go to state this year.”
In the field events, junior thrower Akyus Richardson has led the way for Shawnee this spring.
At Friday’s home invitational, Richardson won both the shot put (56 feet, 3.5 inches) and the discus (148-3).
Earlier this season, Richardson set a personal best in the shot put with a toss of 60-4.
Richardson is striving to get back over the 60-foot mark again this season.
“I threw a 53 (at the D-I state meet last season), and I finished seventh,” Richardson said. “I’m really happy with the consistency that I’m having right now. I feel great. The people around me are great. I feel like I have some really good support. I really want to make a really good run this season.
“It (60-foot shot put) is something that I’ve been chasing for a while. I want to get another one. I want to get consistently out there.”
For the Shawnee girls, Jenna Stump won both the 1,600 (5:31.31) and 3,200 (11:49.83).
Allen East’s Rilynn Jones won the 200 (27.04), 100-meter hurdles (16.23) and 300 hurdles (46.55).
*Complete results for the Shawnee Invitational are on milesplit.oh.
