Columbiana’s Carter Johnson breaks out of the blocks in the 400-meter dash on Tuesday. (Photo by Gary Leininger)

EAST PALESTINE — East Liverpool has some of the top middle-distance runners in Ohio, but the Salem boys still have the better team.

“That brings in the team aspect of track,” Salem boys coach Austin Noel said. “We showed our depth. It was a team effort.”

Salem won six events at the 121st Columbiana County Track and Field Meet on Tuesday to give the Quakers 15 of the last 16 team titles.

“It was close. Events can go any way,” Noel said. “We were fortunate most of them went our way.”

Salem totaled 147 points to outdistance second-place East Liverpool with 135. It was East Liverpool’s highest finish since their last county title in 2003.

“(The county meet) is always a big deal,” Noel said. “Once we took the loss to United two years ago, it reignited our fire.”

The Quakers finished the deal in the 3200-meter run, the next-to-last event at Reid Stadium, as sophomore Luke Stephens was first (10:14.01) and junior Aiden Wright was second.

Salem’s sprinters put the Quakers in winning position.

“Our sprinters had the most potential to step up and steal some points,” Noel said. “If they did, it would be more comfortable. They did.”

“Coach said the sprinters would surprise us,” said Salem senior Parker Warren, who had a strong stretch run to win the 300 hurdles (42.14 seconds). “I feel like they really surprised us.”

Junior Josh Mayhew drew praise from his team.

“Josh Mayhew is the one who stepped up big for us.” Noel said. “He ran in the second (slowest) heat in the 100 and finished second overall. He PR’d in the 100 and 200, where he finished third. The 4×1 and 4×2 did very well.”

Mayhew also ran on the winning 400 relay team, joining Will Harmon, Ben Severe and Marcus Phillips (44.06).

Harmon, Severe, Phillips and Lucas Adams won the 800 relay (1:32.28).

Salem junior Hunter Owen repeated in the shot put (50-4 1/4) and junior Lucas Adams won the long jump (20-11 1/4).

“We’re a very well-rounded team,” Noel said. “We’re getting there. We’re young and just need experience. We’re hitting our stride.”

Warren said he was most impressed by “Luke Stephens in the 3200 and Alex Rea in the 1600. And of course Josh Mayhew.”

The turning point came in the 800 relay when East Liverpool dropped the baton and did not finish and Gavin Wright pulled a hamstring.

“That was a big one,” Noel said.

East Liverpool junior Maddox Roach set a pair of county meet records, winning the 1600 (4:19.96) and joining Meshach Harris, Quintin Conrad and Julius Jones on the winning 1600 relay (3:25.84).

Jones –the top-ranked half-miler in Ohio Division II — also won the 800 (1:55.64) and joined Isaac Christian, Brody Vulgamore and Zayvier Jones on the first-place 3200 relay (8:34.09).

“It was good to see those guys run and see them run well,” Noel said.

In the end, nothing could stop the Quakers’ run.

“I always say iron sharpens iron,” Noel said. “We celebrate everybody’s success.”

Meet notes

¯ United senior Danny Milburn ran away with high-point honors in the running events with 26 3/4 points. Milburn repeated as county champion in the 100 dash (11.29) and 200 dash (22.63), was third in the 400 dash and ran on the sixth-place 1600 relay team.

The United boys have everyone back from last year’s Division III state championship 400 relay team, including Milburn, but the Eagles didn’t field a team Tuesday.

The other three members — Kollyn Wells, Mason Laibe and Cayden Pitts — all have been injured, putting another postseason run in jeopardy.

¯ United senior Trent Ellyson took high-point honors in the field events for a second straight year with 15 points.

He repeated as the discus champion (a personal-best 161-9) and was fourth in the shot put.

Ellyson ranks fourth on the United all-time list, trailing only state discus champion Brian Hall (171-2), Lucas Cooper (169-9) and Chad Stoffer (164-10).

¯ Southern freshman Braxton Sloan won the 400 dash in 49.96 seconds, breaking the school record of 50.5 set by Jim Williams in 1972.

Sloan topped a tough field that included East Liverpool senior Quintin Conrad, a two-time county champion, and Milburn.

¯ Beaver Local had two county champions — sophomore Landon Wheatley in the high jump (6-1) and sophomore Cole Long in the 110 hurdles (16.70).

¯ Roach and Moore both broke the county meet record of 4:25.7 set by Salem’s Mike Rea in 1992.

Finishing third was Salem freshman Alex Rea, Mike’s son, in a personal-best 4:48.27.

Mike was most proud to watch his son run his best race at the county meet and thought his county record would get beat five years ago by Salem’s Hunter Christopher, but his senior season in 2020 was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

¯ Warren said he ran hurdles in junior high and his freshman season.

“I wasn’t that good in them,” he said. “Coach put me in them last year and we found out something. I found a hidden talent.”

¯ Salem will host the always-tough Eastern Buckeye Conference Meet on May 16.

“I’m excited to compete with Minerva and Marlington,” Noel said. “Those are two good programs.”

“We’re looking forward to it,” Warren said. “We always have some good teams there.”