Union City wins 16 of 18 events to cruise past Quincy in Big 8 boys track

Troy Tennyson, Coldwater Daily Reporter

QUINCY – The Union City Charger boys track team won 16 of the 18 events competed in on the night Wednesday at Quincy High School, defeating the host Orioles in a key Big 8 dual by the score of 101-40.

Stars of the Dual

Union City had four athletes win multiple events in the Charger victory.

Senior Logan Cole swept up down in the pits, winning the discus in a new school record throw of 162 feet, 4 inches, breaking his own record set last year. Cole also won the shot put with a throw of 46 feet, 1 inch.

Dominating the sprints was junior Caden Hughes who won the 100-meter dash in 11.84 seconds while also winning the 200 in 24.04 seconds.

Union City's Nathaniel Maurer leads Quincy's Clayton Benson at the midway point of the 110 meter hurdles on Wednesday. Maurer went on to take first, Benson finished second.
Union City's Nathaniel Maurer leads Quincy's Clayton Benson at the midway point of the 110 meter hurdles on Wednesday. Maurer went on to take first, Benson finished second.

Ben Gautsche continued his dominant middle/long distance ways, winning the 800 in a time of 2 minutes, 13.27 seconds and the 1600 in a time of 4:57.73.

Senior Nathaniel Maurer swept the hurdle events for the Chargers, winning the 110 hurdles in a time of 16.28 while also winning the 300 hurdles in a time of 41.55.

Also securing wins for the Charger victory was Hunter Sinke with a first-place finish in the 400 in a time of 54.02; Jason Shoop with a win in the 3200 in a time of 10:44.10; and Rick Austin with a victory in the long jump with a jump of 19 feet, 1 inch.

Union City also swept the relay events, winning all four for big points. Taking wins for Union City was the 400 relay team of Hughes, Kent Robbins, Austin, and Riley Laird in a time of 46.65; the 400 thrower relay team of Dallas Demery, Gavin Kelly, Evan Swartz, and Cole, first place in a time of 56.51; the 800 relay team of Maurer, Austin, Laird, and Sinke, first place in a time of 1:36.00; the 1600 relay team of Maurer, Gautsche, Cohen Burdick, and Sinke, first place in a time of 3:45.52; and the 3200 relay team of Burdick, Malachi Payne, Shoop, and Gautsche, first place in a time of 11:08.01.

Union City junior Rick Austin flies high on his way to first place in the long jump on Wednesday
Union City junior Rick Austin flies high on his way to first place in the long jump on Wednesday

Quincy was able to secure two wins on the night, both in the field events. Junior Corey Turner continued his dominance of the pole vault, winning with a vault of 13 feet while freshman Noah Rufenacht won the high jump with a jump of 5 feet, 10 inches.

Union City’s depth key to win

Union City displayed their depth Wednesday night, taking numerous top three finishes for big points in the Big 8 dual.

Finishing inside the top three for Union City’s winning effort was Laird, second place in the 100 and second place in the 200; Owen Kincaid, third place in the 400; Burdick, second place in the 800; Payne, third place in the 800 and second place in the 1600; Noah June, third place in the 1600 and second place in the 3200; David Wilson, third place in the 110 hurdles; Kenny Case, third place in the 300 hurdles; and Kent Robbins, third place in the high jump.

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Finishing inside the top three for the Quincy effort was Cameron Barry, third place in the 100 and third place in the 200; Micah Groves, second place in the 400; Nathan Richer, third place in the 3200; Clayton Benson, second place in the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles; the 400 relay team of Turner, Benson, Pearson , and Barry, second place; the 400 thrower relay team of Tyler Grear, Jefferson Ridgway, Ethan Pearson, and Isaiah Staggs, second place; the 800 relay team of Barry, Rufenacht, Groves and Pearson, second place; the 1600 relay team of Michael Payne, Kaden Cutler, Hudson Gray, and Groves, second place; the 3200 relay team of Chayse Jensen, Eddie Miller, Richer, and Coy Wood, second place; Ethan Pearson, second place in the shot put and second place in the high jump; Lincoln Sims, third place in the shot put; Hayden Peters, third place in the discus; Alex Dunn, second place in the high jump and third place in the long jump; Austin Preston, second place in the pole vault; and Rufenacht, second place in the long jump.

Quincy's Cameron Barry hands off to teammate Noah Rufenacht during the 800 meter relay
Quincy's Cameron Barry hands off to teammate Noah Rufenacht during the 800 meter relay

The Quincy Orioles will travel on Friday to the Union City Invitational which will be held at Athens High School due to construction delays on the Union City bleachers.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Union City takes wins in 16 of 18 events to down Quincy in boys track

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