West Liberty-Salem’s boys track and field team continued its dominance of the Ohio Heritage Conference, claiming its sixth consecutive league championship and 20th overall title with a commanding performance.

The Tigers totaled 178 points to comfortably distance themselves from runner-up Fairbanks (108) and West Jefferson (98). Mechanicsburg finished fourth with 81.5 points, followed by Triad (39) and Northeastern (18.5).

West Liberty-Salem’s victory was fueled by standout performances across sprints, relays, and distance events, highlighted by a record-breaking day from Sam Kidd. The junior sprinter won the 100 meters in 10.99 seconds, setting a new school record while tying the OHC meet record.

Kidd followed with another historic run in the 200, winning in 22.19 seconds to break both the school and conference records. Making it a memorable day across OHC history for the Junior sprinter.

The Tigers also dominated the relays. The 4x800 relay team of Zeke Longshore, Caleb Larson, Brayan Gullett, and Asher Cole set an OHC record with a time of 8:01.19. West Liberty-Salem won all four relays, including the 4x400 (3:27.91), 4x200 (1:34.05) and 4x100 (44.15).

Individually, Jake Lauck captured the 400 title in 52.76 seconds, while Taryn Bradley won the 300 hurdles in 40.11. The Tigers added valuable points with several runner-up finishes, including Cole in the 1600m (4:23.51), Longshore in the 800m (2:04.21), and Larson in the 3200m (9:32.73).

Field event contributions included second-place finishes from Casey Boyer in the high jump (6 feet) and Lucas Merriman in the pole vault (12-6).

Depth proved critical as West Liberty-Salem piled up points throughout the meet. Third-place finishes came from Carson Poppe (shot put), Gullett (1600m), Brevin Louden (400m), Dylan King (800m), Jackson Henry (200m), and Sullivan Foster (discus). Additional scoring efforts included Garrett Wallen’s fourth-place finish in the 3200m and several fifth-place performances.

With the conference title secured, West Liberty-Salem now turns its focus to the postseason. The Tigers will compete in the Division IV district meet at Troy next Wednesday and Friday, aiming to build on their strong momentum.

The latest championship reinforces West Liberty-Salem’s position as the gold standard of track and field programs in the conference, combining top-end talent with depth across nearly every event.