Wildcat boys track wins home invitational

By Andy Brown
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Updated: April 26, 2017

Andy Brown / Louisburg Sports Zone

Louisburg junior Frankie Hurst clears a height in the pole vault Thursday during the Louisburg Invitational at Wildcat Stadium. Hurst set a new personal record after he cleared 12 feet to win the event.

The Louisburg High School boys track and field team didn’t waste its opportunity to compete in its home invitational Thursday.

In fact, the Wildcats relished it as they went on to win the Louisburg Invitational. Louisburg accumulated 181 points to win the meet going away at Wildcat Stadium — finishing 73 points ahead of runner-up Prairie View.

The Wildcats also won seven individual events, including five on the track that helped them capture their first meet of the season.

“I was really happy with the way we competed,” Louisburg boys coach Gary Griffin said. “We scored points in most of the events and competed like I was hoping we would at our meet.”

Tanner Belcher, Jarod Rose, Chris Williams and Ben Hupp got the track portion of the meet started right as they won the 4×800-meter relay in 8 minutes and 42 seconds and two of those runners went on to win individual races.

Williams won the 400-meter dash in 53.04 seconds and teammate Blue Caplinger took third in the event in 56.08. Belcher won the 800-meter run in 2:14 and Rose also earned a medal as he finished third in 2:16.

Wyatt Reece continued the gold medal performances on the track as he took first in the 1,600-meter run in 4:55 and also came in second in the 3,200 run in 10:57. Senior Jacob Benne earned his first varsity medal as he was runner-up (5:17) in the 1,600 and also took fifth (12:11) in the 3,200.

Junior Quinn Rigney got his first victory of the season in the 100-meter dash as he sprinted his way to a time of 11.30 seconds and later took second in the 200 dash in 23.53 seconds. Rigney recorded a personal record in both races.

“Quinn is running well right now,” Griffin said. “He is working hard and both of his individual races were his best of the season.”

Junior Quinn Rigney (right) sprints down the straightaway in the final leg of the 4×100-meter relay Thursday.

Senior Jackson Ewalt medaled third in the 100 dash in 11.78 seconds and he also took fifth in the 200 dash in 24.74 seconds. Sophomore Austin Moore was sixth in 25.36.

Ewalt, Caplinger, Rigney and Charlie Koontz finished runner-up in the 4×100-meter relay in 46.33 seconds, while the 4×400 relay of Williams, Caplinger, Hupp and Rigney was also runner-up in 3:44.

Hupp also took second in the 300-meter hurdles in 43.75 seconds and teammate Scott Murphy was fourth in 45.47.

In the field events, senior T.J. Dover won the discus for the second time this season as he recorded a season-best throw of 139 feet, 6 inches and also finished second in the shot put with a toss of 44-4.5.

“T.J. has been very consistent this year and I think he has some big throws in him in the next few weeks,” Griffin said.

Junior Matt Holloway (41-11) and sophomore Kiefer Tucker (41-2) took fourth and fifth, respectively, in the shot put to earn points for the Wildcats. Tucker also finished third in the discus (114-1).

Senior T.J. Dover reaches back for throw in the discus Thursday during the Louisburg Invitational. Dover won the event and took second in the shot put.

Frankie Hurst picked the right time to set a personal record in the pole vault. Hurst cleared 12 feet to win gold, while teammates Trent Martin and Caplinger both cleared 11 feet to finish fourth and fifth.

“I think all the vaulters are doing well,” Griffin said. “Coach (Andy) Wright is doing a great job with them and Frankie is now getting back into the flow after missing a year.”

Junior Kris Light also scored points for the Wildcats in the jumps. Light finished second in the high jump after he cleared 5-8 and sixth (34-6) in the triple jump. Charlie Koontz took sixth (17-6) in the long jump.

The Wildcats return to action Thursday when they travel to the Prairie View Invitational.

Other results are:

100 dash: Austin Moore, seventh, 12.21; Will Ridley, eighth, 12.24

200 dash: Ridley, eighth, 25.42

110 hurdles: Scott Murphy, 10^th, 21.93

Long jump: Ridley, eighth, 17-0.5; Trent Martin, 12^th, 15-8

Triple jump: Ridley, seventh, 33-11

Discus: Matt Holloway, 19^th, 79-1.5