Findlay teams claim both crowns at Lima

TRACK LIMA – It was a two-team race in the boys meet, while Findlay's girls were well ahead of the pack as the Trojans swept both the boys and girls titles of the Lima Shawnee track invitational on Friday. In winning a second straight invitational championship, Findlay's boys team edged host Lima Shawnee 189-173.333 in the seven school event. Findlay's girls racked up 168 points to finish well ahead of Indian Lake (98). Findlay's won seven individual events and took a couple of team titles as well, with Israel Moore, Dominic Smith, Jacob Ragland and Avion Miles winning both the 400 (43.15) and 800 (1:30.16) relays. Smith also was first in the 200-meter dash (22.59) and was second (11.07) and Moore third (11.12) in the 100. Moore hit the tape first in the 400 with a time of 53.04, and James Steffen swept the hurdles, posting a time of 15.86 in the110s and 40.99 in the 300s. Sam Ernst was first in the high jump (5-8) and third behind Steffen in the 300 hurdles (42.57). That ability to double up in several events served Findlay well. Adrian Stechschulte was first (9:37.52) and Darren Paige third (10:47.57) in the 3,200, Jeremiah Spiceland was third (2:07.45) and Phat Tran fourth (2:09.69) in the 800, and Tran was third (4:47.50) and Tyler Strabley fourth (4:57.19) in the 1,600. Miles won the long jump with a leap if 22-2½ with Dane Green-Moran third (20-2). Luke Swan was runner-up in the pole vault (11-0) and Josh Dahike (5-6) was third behind Ernst in the high jump. The Trojans also placed second in two relays, with Ragland, Ernst, Steffen and Conner Hermiller posting a runner-up time of 3:33.74 in the 1,600 and Stechschulte, Spiceland, Tran and Paige turning in a time of 8:21.85 in the 3,200. Findlay's girls dominated the relays, winning all four with times of 51.31 in the 400, 1:04.92 in the 800, 4:20.75 in the 1,600 and 10:38.45 in the 3,200. Members of each relay were not included with results of the meet. The Trojans also scored extremely well in the field events, with Emmy Caton and Neeti Borat sharing first place in the pole vault (9-6), Katelyn Stechschulte winning the long jump (16-3½), and Olivia Gayhart finishing first (5-0) and Sidney Myers third (4-10) in the high jump. Madilyn Stechschulte was second in the shot (33-0) and placed third (100-4) ahead of teammate Chayse Wolk (95-7) in the discus. On the track, Josey Weihrauch (1:03.14) and Lilly Zaciewski (1:04.45) went 1-2 in the 400 and Natalie Gutman (11:54.38) and Lindsay Clarke (11:55.76) went 2-3 in the 3,200. The Trojans also got third-place efforts rom Mya Hammer in the 200 (27.36), Abanna Dotson in the 800 (2:38.13) and Addison Lobb in the 300 hurdles (53.98). FHS will host the Findlay Invitational Friday at the Cooper Tire Track and Field Facility on Friday, then will prepare for the Northern Lake League meet to be held May 8 and 10. BASEBALL NAPOLEON &emsp;&emsp;3 FINDLAY &emsp;&emsp;1 NAPOLEON – Napoleon's Cal Bickel outlasted Findlay's Brian Guthrie in a Northern Lakes League pitchers duel on Friday when the Wildcats beat the Trojans 3-1. Bickel allowed just two hits, walked four and struck out eight in a complete game win by the junior right-hander. Guthrie, also a junior right-hander, gave up just three hits in 5-1/3 innings. Bickel had one of the three hits off Guthrie. Trey Rubinstein and Devin Dietrich both had a hit and scored a run for the Wildcats (7-7, 4-4 NLL), who broke a 1-1 tie with two runs – one off Guthrie, one off reliever Mason Hall – in the bottom of the sixth inning. Blade Wendt had a hit and scored the lone run for Findlay, also 7-7 overall and 4-5 in the NLL. Findlay is scheduled to face one of Ohio's traditional prep powers today when Cincinnati Elder comes to town for a doubleheader. Elder (11-6) has made 20 trips to the state tournament, reached the final game 16 times and owns 12 state titles. Findlay &emsp;&emsp;100 &emsp;&emsp;000 &emsp;&emsp;0—1 2 &emsp;&emsp;1 Napoleon &emsp;&emsp;100 &emsp;&emsp;002 &emsp;&emsp;x—3 4 &emsp;&emsp;1 WP—Bickel. LP—Hall. TOP HITTERS: (Nap) Shadle 2B, 2 RBI; Gerken 1B, RBI. (Fin) M. Guthrie 2B. SOFTBALL FINDLAY &emsp;&emsp;9 DEFIANCE &emsp;&emsp;3 DEFIANCE – Findlay High's softball team took the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth inning and capped Thursday's 9-3 win over Defiance with a four-run rally in the seventh. Sophomore shortstop Delaney Harris singled, tripled, scored two runs and drove in two as Findlay earned its fourth straight win and improved to 12-3 overall. Lola Spieles (1B, 2B, RBI) and Ryan Boes 2-1B, 2 RBI) had two hits each and Addelyn Sprang and Annabelle Cooper added RBI singles. Due to email reception problems, results of the game were not included in Friday's paper. In other games also effected, Ottawa-Glandorf's Haley Meyer smacked five hits and Abby Giesige had four – including a grand slam – in the Titans' 18-17 win over Kalida, and Columbus Grove's Lauren Fuerst belted three doubles and a home run in the Bulldogs 17-7 Northwest Conferenced win over Spencerville. TENNIS LIMA – Columbus Academy, a traditional Central District power with a 9-2 record and a number of Division I schools on its list of victims, lived up to its billing on Friday, sweeping all five matches in straight sets in a 5-0 win over Findlay. Academy lost just three games in singles. Jacob Khvalsky (No. 1) beat Owen Vick 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, Ian Chang topped Jonathan Wright 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 and Arya Sarthak defeated Eddie Barnett 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3. In doubles, Lucas Xue and Rowan Lo (No. 1) doubled up Sam Swisher and Aaron Mile 6-1, 6-1, and Sujay Billakanty and Jayden Tsao beat Ben Mayle and Owen Metz 6-1, 6-2. Findlay (10-7) returns to the courts today to take part in the Lexington Invitational. LACROSSE FINDLAY 15 LIMA SENIOR 0 LIMA – Nathan Marchal scored three goals and Cam Wight, Jackson Lane and Will Hammer had two each in Findlay's 15-0 boys lacrosse win over Lima Senior. Griffin Lane, Cole Kirian, JP Smith, Hudson Yeager, Evan Hammer and Ben Mueller also scored goals. Marchal, Will Hammer and Lane also had assists for the Trojans, along with Dante Coffman, Evan Hammer and Mueller. Findlay's defense kept Lima Senior in check, with FHS goalie Cashel West needing to make just one save.