The 1st Annual OVAthletics.com Running with the Rams Invitational got off to a bang of a start. What started
as a plan last year came to a complete success this past Saturday at Monarch Stadium in Moundsville.
Teams from all over the Valley traveled to Marshall County to see some stiff competition across all of
the track and field events.
Of course, the Sherrard Rams (the host school) was in attendance, as was fellow Marshall County middle
school Cameron. Other teams participating were Hamilton Middle (Parkersburg), Mountaineer Middle
(Morgantown), New Martinsville Middle, South Harrison Middle, and Keyser Middle. It was great to see
some differing competition outside of the schools’ league meets.
A little mist in the air early was the only weather that they had to combat. Other than that, it was a nice
spring day for a track meet, not too much wind, could have used a little more sun, but no complaints.
Field events started out the morning session of the event. Let’s start with the “throwing” events, on the
girls side Aniya Brown from Mountaineer won the shot put with a throw of 33’ 2.5”, coming in a close
second was Paislee Babiczuk (Sherrard) (33’), who also finished 2 nd in the disc with a throw of 89’.
Keyser’s Logan Mason won the boys shot put (41’6”) and finished second in the disc (101’2”). While
Mason Ross (Hamilton) came in second with throw of 35’2”. Bella Bowman of Hamilton was first in the
disc at 93’1”. Winning the disc event on the boys end was Sherrard’s Austin Thayer with a throw of
101’11”.
Now it’s time to take to the air with the jumping events. We have to start out with the outstanding long
jump of Jaden Hatfield (South Harrison) who won the event with an impressive jump of 19’1”.
Hamilton’s Rogan Mincks was second with a really nice jump as well of 17’3.5”. Sherrard swept the girls
portion of the event with Sarah Hess (14’ 6.5”) and Rylee McKinley (14’ 4.5”) finished first and second
respectively. AJ Hendershot of Hamilton won the boys high jump (5’6”), finishing second from Keyser
was Addison Brafford (5’4”). Ella Finley (Sherrard) gave the Rams another jump champion with a jump of
4’8”, while finishing second was Hamilton’s Avery Matthews (4’6”). The last of the jumping events was
the pole vault. Deacon Stanislawczyk (Keyser) won at 7’6”, Mountaineer’s James Gipple was second 7’.
On the girls side Keyser’s Conleigh Burton won with a height of 7’, South Harrison’s Irelyn Radabaugh’s
6’6” was good for second.
Now it’s time to hit the track for some short sprints results. Sherrard’s Sarah Hess and Rylee McKinley
sweep another first and second. Hess won another event as she took the 100-meter event in a time of
13.21, McKinley’s 13.82 allowed her to finish second. Jaden Hatfield continued his impressive day with
first’s in both the 100 and 200 with blazing times of 11.5 and 23.47 respectively. Hess won her third
event of the day when she broke the line in 27.94 to win the 200 meters. Keyser’s Mya Burgess’s 28.83
gave her a second-place finish. On the boys end Addison Brafford ran a 24.17 to finish second.
To me the 400 meter in middle school is part sprint, part distance so I’m giving it its own space. This
name is going to sound familiar as Jaden Hatfield completed one of the best track and field
performances I’ve seen in a while with blazing time of 54.24 to win the event. Giving him 4 top places on
the podium for the day. Coming in second was Caden Moat of Hamilton with a time of 58.72. Mya
Burgess, Keyser, won on the girls side with a time of 1:06.27. While South Harrison’s Emma Sharpe ran a
1:10.03 to come in second.
Talk about your dominating performances, how about Zoe Zervos in the girls 800 meter and 1600-meter
runs? She won both events with impressive times of 2:36.57 and 5:35.23, respectively. Both races about
8 seconds ahead of second place finishers Gabrielle Tennant (Mountaineer, 2:44.81) in the 800. And Ava
Barrick, Keyser, finished second in the 1600 (5:43.10). In the 2-mile event Barrick won the event with a
time of 12:50.35, finishing second was Ainsley Friend, Keyser, running a 13:47.76. Hamilton swept the
800 in the boys portion with Moat (2:22.21) winning the event with teammate Rogan Mincks (2:28.67)
coming in second in both this event and the 1600. Winning both the 1600 and the 3200 on the boys end
was Keyser’s Luca Altobello (5:08.61 and 11:23.16). Second in the 3200 was Ben Honecker in a time of
11:38.00.
Hamilton’s Ashlyn Morris earned to first’s in the 100- and 200-meter hurdle races with times of 17.41
and 32.20. Coming in second in the 100 hurdles was Sherrard’s Isabella Cross (18.01). In the 200 hurdles
it was Sydney Blohm crossing the finish line second in a time of 33.02. For the boys it was Addison
Brafford from Keyser winning the 100 (14.98). Mountaineer’s Jaedyn Katchur was victorious in the 200
events in a time of 27.43. While, Hamilton’s Tyler Edman came in second in both events with times of
15.06 and 27.43. Sherrard’s girls shuttle hurdle team of Finley, Chloe Weekley, Jasmine Persinger, and
Cross won the event with a 44.97. For the boys it was Mountaineer’s team of Joel Moyers, Caden Dunn,
Sebastian Braud, and Katchur with a 42.08.
Now it’s time to get the baton’s out for the relay races. Beginning with the 4×800 on the girls side it was
the team of Lauren Brown, Alyssa Clutter, Ela Kirksey, and Hadley Ward from Mountaineer winning the
event in 12:33.07. It was Mountaineer winning on the boys side, too, with Elliot Jackson, James Gipple,
Tate Niceler, and Ben Honecker winning with a time of 10:12.13. Mountaineer’s girls team won another
relay in the 4×400 with the team of Gabriella Tennant, Makenzie Frye, Victoria Ribas, and Sophie Noe
crossing the tape with a 4:39.67. Hamilton won the boys relay with the team of Payne, Elias Cheuvront,
Luke Eagle, and Moat crossing the line in 4:15.28. Sherrard swept the 4×100 and 4×200 relays on the
day. First the 4×100 team of JaNiya Zuk, McKinley, Aubrey Lilley, and Hess won in a time of 56.11. For
the 4×200 it was Mya Berisford and Tessa Daugherty along with Zuk and McKinley that won the event
for the Rams with a 1:59.14. The Sherrard boys gained a victory in the 4×100 with the team of Lane
Icard, Marshall Holland, Hayden Fordyce, and Dalton Cooper finishing in 50.62. In the 4×200 it was the
Mountaineer team of Easton Gearde, Gavin Radford, Dunn, and Colton Lawless breaking the tape in
1:50.09 to win the event.
The Sherrard Ram girls dominated the first annual OVAthletics.com Running with the Rams Invitational
in the team standings to win the event and host the trophy with a final of 174 points. In just as
impressive fashion the Hamilton boys team won the event with 166 points overall. Also, given out were
individual high point scorers. On the girls end it was Sherrard’s Sarah Hess earning the award with a win
in the 100, 200, long jump, and part of the 4×100 relay to finish with 32.5 points. Wow, is not a big
enough word to explain this next performance. Jaden Hatfield of South Harrison won the 100, 200, 400,
and long jump to complete his day with a perfect 40 points, what a performance by this young man.
The 1 st annual OVAthletics Running with the Rams was an overwhelming success. Meet director Ashley
West was happy that it ran so smoothly and efficiently. She would like to thank all of the volunteers that
were at the event. West said, “that without them and our sponsors this does not happen.” She also
stated, “I can’t wait to direct next year’s event, it’s going to be even bigger and better”.
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