NEW CONCORD — The East Liverpool middle-distance crew has higher hopes than just standing on the podium.

Three East Liverpool boys standouts along with a relay team are heading to the state track meet after impressive showings at the Division II regional meet Saturday at Muskingum University.

“We’ve go three really good shots to get on top of the podium,” East Liverpool boys coach Andy Miller said. “We’ll see how it shakes out.”

Senior Julius Jones repeated as the regional champion in the 800-meter run in a time of 1:54.40, breaking his own school record. He enters the state meet with the second-fastest time in Division II after finishing sixth at state last year.

Junior Maddox Roach was second in the 1600 meters in a school-record 4:13.73, the third-best time in the state. Minerva junior Rowen Hoffee finished third in a personal-best 4:17.82.

Senior Quintin Conrad was third in the 400 dash (50.40).

The East Liverpool 1600 relay team of Gavin Wright, Loyd Hendershot, Roach and Conrad was fourth (3:25.17). It was the first race for Wright since suffering a hamstring injury at the Columbiana County Meet on May 6.

“This weekend was my favorite time in high school sports,” Miller said.

Two area girls earned their first state berths — Beaver Local sophomore Mallory Miller was third in the 200 dash (25.96) and East Liverpool senior Makiyah Allgood was fourth in the 110 hurdles (15.46).

The top four finishers in each event advance to the state track meet this Friday and Saturday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University.

The East Liverpool boys 3200 relay team of Brody Vulgamore, Conrad, Roach and Jones posted the top time in the state (7:51.42) in Thursday’s regional final.

“I always thought we could put a team together for a podium finish in the 4×8,” Miller said. “With the time they ran on Thursday, now we’re talking about on top of the podium. Julius has been talking about that for a year (in the 800). Maddox and the relay for a week.”

“As soon as Julius’ 800 last year, that’s been his goal to get back there and higher on the podium. Maddox always want to do his best and compete against the best. The 4:13 is going to be up there. Maddox is more of a recent thing because he just proved he can run that elite time.”

Wright, Roach and Conrad have run on the 1600 relay team at state the past two years along with Jones. Jones may be inserted into the lineup at state depending on how he feels. He tweaked a hamstring days before the district meet and has been careful with it.

“That’s a pretty stacked field and they’re going to have do something special to get to the finals,” Miller said.

The 3200 relay team will be racing for a state tilte at 1:45 p.m. Friday, while the other state finals are Saturday afternoon.

“Its a lot of fun some of them were cross guys coming down (Roach),” Miller said. “Quintin was a great sprinter in early years before coming up and Julius has always been a great 800 guy.

“It’s a blessing to have them all at the same time. It’s once in a lifetime for sure.”

BOYS RESULTS

TEAM STANDINGS (43 teams scored): 1. Fairfield Union (76), 2. Indian Valley (65), 3. Wheelersburg (42), T4. East Liverpool and Fairless (39), 6. Minerva (37), 23. Carrollton (7), T31. Edison (4),

FINALS

(Top four advance to state)

110 HURDLES: 1. Chayse Lipscomb (Fairfield Union) 13.75; 2. Carsen Hostetler (Indian Valley) 15.00; 4. Jake Roush (Alexander) 15.633; 5. Matt Evans (Edison) 15.634.

100 DASH: 1. Aden Zumock (Barnesville) 10.87; 6. Nate Linkous (Minerva) 11.27.

800 RELAY: 1. Indian Valley 1:29.67; 3. Minerva (Owen Shick, Xander Mueller ,Timmothy Kirkpatrick, Nate Linkous) 1:30.22.

1600 RUN: 1. Andrew Walton (Fairfield Union) 4:12.90; 2. Maddox Roach (East Liverpool) 4:13.73; 3. Rowen Hoffee (Minerva) 4:17.82; 14. Jeremiah Moore (Beaver). 4:58.35.

400 RELAY: 1. Indian Valley 42.64.

400 DASH: 1. Abe McElwee (Tuscarawas Valley) 49.52; 3. Quintin Conrad (East Liverpool) 50.48.

300 HURDLES: 1. Chayse Lipscomb (Fairfield Union) 36.68 (meet record); 2. Carsen Hostetler (Indian Valley) 37.47.

800 RUN: 1. Julius Jones (East Liverpool) 1:54.40; 2. Bradlee Keehn (Fairless) 1:54.91; 13. Rowen Hoffee (Minerva) 2:02.71.

200 DASH: 1. Aden Zumock (Barnesville) 22.13; 5. Owen Shick (Minerva) 22.58.

3200 RUN: 1. Brice Fuller (Fairless) 9:17.50 (meet record); 4. Ricky Sibila (Carrollton) 9:32.58; 7. Grasyn Rettig (Minerva) 9:54.33; 9. Ryan Cassidy (Minerva) 10:15.79.

1600 RELAY: 1. Indian Valley (Landon McPeek, Owen Fockler, Kolton Smith, Carsen Hostetler) 3:22.04; 4. East Liverpool (Gavin Wright, Loyd Hendershot, Maddox Roach, Quintin Conrad) 3:25.17; 7. Beaver Local (Zachary Redman, Luke Warrick, Nolan Irving, Jeremiah Moore) 3:28.50.

SHOT PUT: 1. Derrick Taylor (South Point) 65-6 (meet record); 13. Dontay Taylor (East Liverpool) 44-7 1/4.

HIGH JUMP: 1. Michael Hanselman (Philo) 6-3; 2. Wyatt Gonzalez (Minerva) and Kenyon Evans (Wheelersburg) 6-3; 5. Landon Wheatley (Beaver) 6-2; T14. Owen Shick (Minerva) 5-8.

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GIRLS RESULTS

TEAM STANDINGS (36 team scored): 1. Athens (73), 2. South Point (61), 3. Fairfield Union (60), 4. New Concord John Glenn (56), 5. Tuscarawas Valley (38), 7. Minerva (30), 23. Beaver Local (10), T24. Carrollton and Buckeye Local (8), 29. East Liverpool (5).

FINALS

(Top four advance to state)

100 HURDLES: 1. Zoey Caldwell (Cambridge) 14.30 (meet record); 4. Makiyah Allgood (East Liverpool) 15.46.

100 DASH: 1. Emma Layne (South Point) 12.35; 7. Mallory Miller (Beaver) 12.90.

800 RELAY: 1. Fairfield Union 1:45.08.

1600 RUN: 1. Alanna Williams (Martins Ferry) 4:50.96 (meet record); 2. Sophia Szolosi (Athens) 4:52.34; 5. Kayla Crissman (Minerva) 5:14.03; 10. Hannah Ruberto (Beaver) 5:38.31.

400 RELAY: 1. South Point 48.65 (meet record); 3. Carrollton (Marleigh Osolin, Erin Shafer ,Isabella Nuzzolillo, Emma Shafer) 49.86.

400 DASH: 1. Jessica Church (John Glenn) 57.88; 4. Kyleigh Lippincott (Minerva) 60.52.

300 HURDLES: 1. Alexa Reed (Athens) 44.25.

800 RUN: 1. Alanna Williams (Martins Ferry) 2:11.44 (meet record); 2. Tateum Richard (Minerva) 2:14.68.

200 DASH: 1. Emma Layne (South Point) 25. 03; 3. Mallory Miller (Beaver) 25.96.

3200 RUN: 1. Sophia Szolosi (Athens) 11:05.95; 7. Kylie Ujcich (Carrollton) 11:36.85; 9. Gabby Lupshu (Minerva) 11:49.19.

1600 RELAY: 1. Tuscarawas Valley 4:02.69; 4. Minerva (Kayla Crissman, Emma Catlett, Annabelle Crissman, Tateum Richard) 4:04.71.

DISCUS: 1. Bella Van Wey (Maysville) 134-5; 12. Chasity Smith (East Liverpool) 97-5.

LONG JUMP:1. Sydney Lattimer (Circleville) 17-9 1/2.