Wolves Turn In Some Fine Performances At 33rd Annual Oil Country Track And Field Invitational

Photo courtesy of Tara Steele – Brenna on top of Shot Put medals stand.

Ten North Clarion Wolves track and field athletes competed in the 33rd Annual Oil Country Invitational, at Oil City High School on Saturday, May 7th, with some fine performances being turned in and a number of personal records established.

The North Clarion girls had three competitors, Brenna Armstrong, Gia Babington and Kaitlyn Guth.

Brenna earned the top position on the medals stand, winning the Girls shot put, with a heave of 34′-0.5.” This was Brenna’s season best throw so far.

Gia came away with second place in the 800, finishing with a time of 2:22.40, her personal record.

Kaitlyn finished eighteenth in the 800, with a time of 2:46.37.

The Wolves girls team finished eleventh in the team standings.

Seven North Clarion boys competed, Mason Burford, Jonas Wilshire, Isaac Lerch, Hayden Hindman, James Keenen, Mason Gourley and Logan Bish.

Mason Burford reached the medals stand twice for the Wolves boys team, with a fourth place finish in the 110 hurdles and sixth in the triple jump. Mason’s 100 hurdle time was 16.31 and his triple jump distance was 39′-2.” Mason also finished eighth in the 100, with a time of 11.61.

Two Wolves finished just one place from a medal, with Jonas finishing seventh in the 1600, with a time of 4:54.60, and Isaac taking seventh in the long jump, with a leap of 18′-11.”

Hayden had a 37′-2″ heave in the shot put, to tie Union City’s Tucker Pike for ninth place.

James ran a 57.31 in the 400, for seventeenth place. Mason Gourley finished seventeenth in the 300 hurdles, with a time of 47.56. Logan was twenty-fourth in the javelin, throwing for a distance of 108′-11.”

The Wolves boys team finished eighteenth.

Girls Coach Doug Jackson had this to say about his team’s performance, “We took only three girls to the OC Invite on Saturday mainly due to some of our NC students participating in the school musical. However, those three had a tremendous day competing. 

“Brenna Armstrong won the shot put with a season pr of 34-00.5. 

Gia Babington earned second place with a pr of 2:22.4 in the 800. She is currently the top-ranked 2A  runner in our district and ranked 10th in the state. 

“Kaitlyn Guth also set a pr in the 800. 

“Again, these athletes had some outstanding performances, and we are very proud of their dedication and effort.”

Boys Coach Andy Bish shared about his squad. “The North Clarion boys’ track and field team performed very well at the Oil City Invitational on Saturday.  All seven of the boys that competed on Saturday are in either 9th or 10th grade and this meet allowed them to gain some more valuable experience while also pushing many of them to accomplish their PR’s. 

“Mason Burford had another great day finishing 4th in the 110 hurdles, 6th in the triple jump, and making the finals and finishing 8th in the 100m.  Jonas Wilshire finished just outside of the medal stand with a 7th place finish in the 1600 running a blistering 4:54 while shaving ten seconds off of his season’s best.  Isaac Lerch also narrowly missed out on a medal by making the long jump finals and finishing in 7th. 

“James Keenen ran a PR time of 57.31 in the 400 and Mason Gourley ran a PR time of 47.56 in the 300 hurdles.  Hayden Hindman finished in 10th place in the shot put with a throw of 37-2 as he continually keeps getting better and better in the event as the season progresses. 

“I’m very proud of the boys and would like to praise them for all of the hard work that they have continued to put in throughout the season!”

(Nice work, Wolves!!!! Thanks to Tara Steele and Seth Babington for their photographs and Coaches Bish and Jackson for their comments!!)