Strong day in prelims for New Bloomfield

It was a good opening day for the New Bloomfield Wildcats in Friday's preliminary events for the Class 2 state track and field championships at Adkins Stadium.

The New Bloomfield boys finished in the top-eight in five track event preliminaries to qualify for today's finals.

Senior Clayten Walker posted the fastest time in the 200-meter dash and the Wildcats took second in the 4x400-meter relay. New Bloomfield also advanced in the 4x200, giving the Wildcats a chance to medal in all relays but the 4x100.

Walker also posted the fourth-fastest time in the 100-meter dash prelims.

Three area athletes will run in today's finals of the boys 400-meter dash. Tipton junior Kodie Dick, New Bloomfield senior Payton Culwell and Russellville senior Harrison Frank finished fourth through sixth, respectively, in the prelims.

Russellville junior Makenzie Schwartz finished fifth in the girls 300-meter hurdle prelims and took seventh in the 100-meter hurdles Friday. South Callaway senior Adrian Mann also qualified for the finals in the 300 hurdles with a seventh-place finish in the prelims.

Also qualifying for today's finals for Russellville is senior Tristin Little in the boys 110-meter hurdles.

The South Callaway girls finished seventh in the 4x100 to advance to the finals. Belle senior Skylar Smith will join Walker in the boys 200 finals, making the cut by one-hundredth of a second.

Track events begin at 11 a.m. today with the girls 4x800-meter relay and will conclude around 3 p.m. with the 4x400-meter relay finals.