By: Adam Freeman
The Tucker County Mountain Lions track and field teams turned in yet another impressive set of performances across two meets last week, highlighted by multiple first-place finishes and strong relay efforts.
At the Buckhannon-Upshur meet on April 21, the Mountain Lions boys had themselves quite a showing. Barb led the charge with a dominant showing in the field, capturing first place in both the long jump and high jump. On the track, Reid Kisamore sprinted to victory in the 100-meter dash, while Nate Ricottilli added a second-place finish in the 200 meters and placed fourth in the 100.
Distance events proved to be another strength for Tucker County. Lynk Suesli claimed first in the 3200-meter run, while Cameron Judy earned runner-up honors in the 1600. Draven Bunnell contributed solid finishes with fifth in the 1600 and fourth in the 3200.
Relay teams also shined. The quartet of Ricottilli, Keelyn Eichelberger, Barb, and Kisamore secured first in the 4×400-meter relay, while Judy, Suesli, Landon Wilfong, and Alex Collar took top honors in the 4×800.
On the girls’ side, Lela Wright swept the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Mayah Gross added a win in the 400-meter dash and placed second in discus. The 4×100 relay team of Gross, Julia Berežňáková, Rachel Hile, and Wright earned a third-place finish, while the 4×400 squad placed fourth.
The momentum carried into the Cline Stansberry Invitational at Doddridge County on April 24, where Tucker County continued to compete strongly against a larger field.
Barb again led the boys with a second-place finish in the high jump and fifth in the long jump. Kisamore placed third in the 100-meter dash, while the 4×800 relay team finished fifth. The 4×200 relay squad also contributed with a sixth-place finish.
For the girls, Wright remained a consistent force, winning the 100-meter dash and placing fourth in the 200. Though facing tough competition, the relay teams gained valuable experience, with both the 4×100 and 4×200 squads finishing seventh.
The Mt. Lions are set to take the track again on April 28 in Moorefield.
