Baker sets pole vault records at MOAC meet
MARION — Day 1 at the Mid
Ohio Athletic Conference meet at
Marion Harding Stadium is complete and the Shelby boys find themselves in the lead.
Highlighting the Whippets start was senior pole vaulter Garrett
Baker who shattered school and conference records with a winning height of 14-10. He easily outdistance his closest challenger by 22 inches.
Baker broke the school mark of
14-9 by Greg Miller set in 1996 and the MOAC standard of 14-5 by
Bryan Chard of River Valley from 2004.
Baker’s feat was one of three firsts for SHS. In the 100 dash prelims he was quickest at 11.47.
The red and gray’s Connor Henkel soared 21-7 to win the high jump by a single inch over runner-up Kaedan Faggs of Marion Harding.
Shelby’s 4 x 800-meter relay of Luke Dininger, Huck Finnegan, Mason Hendrickson and Marshall Moore won with a time of 8:07.56. Their time is currently second-fastest right now in the state for Division II. Ontario was second with 8:24.30.
The Whippets have 58 points and River Valley is second with 45. Highland and Harding are tied for third with 36.
In another event decided by an inch, Clear Fork’s Joe Pritchard won the discus with 128-4 to edge out SHS thrower Xander Wilkins with 128-3.
“It was a good first day. Garrett is really coming into his own. Our throwers scored the points we needed. The 4 x 8 looked impressive,” said boys coach Chris Zuercher.
The Shelby girls were sitting fifth with 26.5 points. The red and girls won the 4 x 800 relay with a 9:44.32 and missed the meet record by a shade over two seconds. Members of the relay were Reyna Hoffman, Channon Cundiff, Abby Vogt and Kayla Gonzales.
The second day of competition in the MOAC meet at Marion Harding will begin at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.