By Rob Hamilton

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Both Mount Gilead and Northmor were able to boast regional champions on Wednesday during the first day of the Division III regional meet hosted by Fairfield Union High School.

For Northmor, who finished the day tied for fourth place with 11 points, Demetrius Johnson won the long jump with an effort of 21’0.5”. Mount Gilead got 10 points, good for sixth place, by winning the 3200-meter relay. The quartet of Austin Hallabrin, Casey White, Nicholas Weiss and Brandon Stevens had a time of 8:09.14.

Finals were held in the 3200-meter relays and some field events on Wednesday, while prelims were held in numerous running events. Friday will see finals in the remaining events held.

Northmor’s Tony Martinez was the only other point-scoring boy, as he finished eighth in the pole vault, clearing 11’6”.

The only local girl to place on the day was Cardington’s Nadia Kerman, who was sixth in the shot put with an effort of 36’6.5”. The Pirate girls also had Lilly Grooms compete in the 100 hurdles, while the boys’ team had Mason Goers in both the 100 and 200, but neither advanced to the finals of their events.

For the Northmor boys, Kolton Smith advanced to the finals of the 110 hurdles, as did James Walker in the 300 hurdles and the 1600 relay team of Johnson, Walker, Drew Zoll and Calvin Komer. Smith also competed in the 300 hurdles. The team’s 3200 relay squad of A.J. White, Mostyn Evans, Alec Moore and Walker placed 12th.

The Lady Knights got 11th in the 3200-meter relay with Samantha Peters, Jessica Duryea, Julianna Ditullio and Maddie Jordan running. Brooke Bennett qualified for the finals in the 400; while the team of Ditullio, Jordan, Brooke Huntsman and Bennett ran in the 1600 relay prelims.

The MG teams were busiest on the day, with runners in most preliminary events. The boys’ 1600-meter team of Liam Dennis, Weiss, Hallabrin and Stevens advanced to the finals with the fastest qualifying time. Dennis also advanced in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, as did Connor Page; while Stevens moved on in the 400.

Jonah Barnett will compete in four events in the finals. Individually, he moved on in the 100 and 200. He also advanced in the 400-meter relay with Drake McCallen, Dustin Fraizer and Bryceton Gaines and in the 800-meter relay with McCallen, Fraizer and Stevens. Gaines also competed in the long jump, finishing 13th.

In the finals, the Indian girls were ninth in the 3200 relay, with Micah James, Baylee Hack, Hannah Bush and Darcy Picker running. Savannah Randall also was 14th in the shot put.

Olivia Brewer advanced to the finals in the 100 and 200, as well as in the 800-meter relay along with Jessica Brewer, Bridgette Millisor and Corrin Watts. The two Brewers and Watts also competed in the 400-meter relay with Addison Chapman and Jessica Brewer also ran in the 100 prelims.

Rob Hamilton can be reached at 419-946-3010, ext. 1807. Connect with him on Twitter at @SportsMCS