Zane Trace boys take third at Division II regional meet, area athletes advance to state

NEW CONCORD − Qualifying for the state track and field meet is an achievement in and of itself, and one that Zane Trace's runners know all too well.

But for Charley Clyne, Riley Hartsaugh, Peyton Dotson and Wyatt Vick, their 4x400 relay in the Division II regional meet on Saturday brought a new feeling. For the first time, the four of them have qualified for the state meet in a relay event. Clyne, Hartsaugh, Dotson and Vick placed fourth in the boys 4x400 with a time of 3:25.46 and punch their tickets to the final stage of their high school track seasons.

"A lot of times people say that track isn't a team sport as much as other sports, but this is a really close-knit team," Clyne said. "We all rely directly on each other. There's no one else on the field to help us, it's just us four against everyone else."

The four wouldn't have it any other way. Clyne, Hartsaugh and Vick are all in their senior years, and Dotson is fresh to the world of state track. Reaching state as a team is the best outcome any of them might have imagined, and now it has become a reality.

The four's performance was just one of a bevy of impressive performances for Zane Trace's boys team, which placed third at the meet with 40 points Saturday. Vick qualified in his own individual race after placing second in the 800, and another two state qualifiers ensured the Pioneers have a solid contingent heading to Dayton for the state meet next week.

"Wyatt went to state last year, Charley went to state last year and having Riley with football, having people to look up to look up to helps," Dotson said. "I give it to these three for helping make me as good of a runner as I am today."

Brower and Fetters earn their shot at state

Spencer Brower and Noah Fetters, aside from being teammates that have dominated shot put and discus for Zane Trace this season, also happen to be neighbors. They even have a running joke going between themselves about how the water near Dry Run Road helps them throw farther.

"Everyone wonders how we throw so far, I think it's the water at Dry Run," Fetters said. "We're neighbors, he literally lives two houses down from me. That's the secret sauce, just go to Dry Run, scoop a cup of water out of the creek and down it."

Inside joke or not, Brower and Fetters are seeing results few teammates share. The two qualified for the state meet in boys shot put on Saturday. Brower placed second with a final throw of 57-11.75, and Fetters' throw of 51-5 was good enough to garner him fourth place. After missing out on state last year, Fetters is itching to get to Dayton.

"It's always been the dream since freshman year at Zane Trace," Fetters said. "You get to state and you get your picture up on the wall, and I've always wanted that. My brother got it when he went. He got his picture up on the wall for football, and I was like, 'I want to be like him.' Making it this year really meant a lot to me."

Larue sets pace with personal record

Nothing keeps Caden Larue down for long. The Unioto senior is always chasing something, whether it be a ticket to the next round of the postseason or a personal record.

On Saturday, Larue got both. He earned second place in the boys 1,600 after posting a 4:23.08 final time, which shattered his personal record by over six seconds.

"I'm happy right now, I'm so excited," Larue said. "There was always a little bit of nerves, thinking I won't make it, but I just stayed confident the whole time, and about halfway through I realized, 'I'm making it, it's happening.'"

Larue came just short of becoming a regional champion, as well. He finished eight-hundredths of a second behind Fairfield Union's Nathan Phillips. Larue almost fell back in his final lap, but he persevered. He didn't want his journey to end in New Concord.

"Before that third lap, I could tell Nathan was a little gassed from leading the whole race," Larue said. "They kind of got ahead of me with 200 to go, and I was like, 'I can't let this happen. I've got to finish it.' So, that's what I did."

Trapp makes his return to state

When Josh Trapp qualified for the state meet last season, he made program history as the first Westfall boys runner to qualify in the 800 since 1989. A year removed from that feat, he'll be repeating that trek to state. Trapp finished third in the 800 Saturday with a final time of 1:57.56, which was less than a second behind Vick, who posted a final time of 1:56.67.

Trapp and Vick have been running with, as well as against, each other for almost their entire high school careers. At this point in the postseason, the two feel almost like teammates. The duo know how each other run and how to push each other to succeed. For Trapp, that means being pushed to reach state once again.

"It's good that we have each other to compete with, because if not, I don't know if we'd be here right now and be able to achieve all of this," Trapp said.

O'Bryant qualifies in long jump

Despite being a sophomore, Waverly's Paige O'Bryant is no stranger to the postseason. Last year, she qualified for the state meet in the girls' 100-meter dash, and has been a top contender in her three main events − the 100, 200 and long jump − all season.

Although O'Bryant won't return to state in her sprinting events, she will be back. O'Bryant placed second in long jump to book her spot in Dayton next week. Her longest jump − a solid 17-5 mark − garnered her a five-inch margin to secure her spot near the top of the podium.

"My last two jumps were my best," O'Bryant said. "I felt like I just had to lock in. I had to do what I know how to do and just control what I can control."

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Zane Trace boys take third at regionals, area athletes advance to state