VJHS thinclads heading to state

Four days after winning their second consecutive conference championship, the Vandalia Junior High School boys track team advanced to state by winning a sectional championship.

The VJHS squad won the 13-team Springfield sectional on Saturday with 80 points, three more than Chatham.

Those qualifying for the state tournament included sectional champions Blake Swofford and Ryan Ambuel. Swofford won the long jump title at 18 feet, 11 inches, and Ambuel won the 110-hurdles with a time of 16.4 seconds.

Swofford and Ambuehl also earned the right to compete in the 400-meter and 200-meter runs at state with second-place finishes.

Swofford broke a 45-year-old school record in the 200-meter run with a time of 24.5 seconds, and Ambuehl took second in the 400-meter run with a time of 56.5 seconds.

Also advancing to the state meeting is the 4×200-meter relay team of Leyton Godoyo, Michael Wells, Logan Rogers and Kabe Smith, who placed second with a time of 1:49.0, and the 4×100 relay team of Wade Cowger, Aaron Harter, Ambuel and Swofford, who tied their own school record of 49.4.

Two eighth-grade girls also placed first at the sectional and advanced to state. Katie Koonce won the discus competition with a toss of 80 feet, one-half inch, and Sierah Ruffner won the high jump at 5 feet.

Seventh-grader Megan Godoyo placed first in the 100-yard hurdles with a time of 17.7 seconds to advance to the state meet.

Other sectional results:

Eighth-Grade Boys

• Third place – Ambuehl, long jump,17 feet; and Swofford, 100-meter dash, 12.3 seconds.

• Fourth place – Cowger, high jump, 5 feet, 2 inches; and 4×400 relay team of Harter, Wells, Rogers and Smith, 4:12.0.

• Fifth place – Smith, 110 hurdles, 18 seconds; Rogers, shot put, 35 feet; Godoyo, 800-meter run, 2:23.6; and Harter, 400-meter run, 59.5 seconds.

• Sixth place – Cowger, 800-meter run, 2:23.7.

Seventh-Grade Boys

Team finished with 10 points.

• Third place – Dalton Smith, 200-meter run, 26.1 seconds.

• Fifth place – Smith, long jump.

• Sixth place – Smith, 100-meter run, 13.2 seconds; and Ben Strobel, 1,600-meter run, 5:38.4.

Eighth-Grade Girls

• Fourth place – Amber Bruno, 100-yard hurdles; and 4×200 relay team of Bruno, Haley Cothern, Macey Dokey and Sierah Ruffner.

• Fifth place – Sydnie Nestleroad, 400-meter run.

• Sixth place – Bruno, long jump; and Shelby Foster, discus.

Seventh-Grade Girls

• Third place – 4×200 relay team of Alexandria Holtmann, Iris Daiber, Randi Evans and Megan Godoyo.