The Wheelersburg Pirates track and field teams have been nothing short of a runaway freight train this season, and that momentum showed no signs of slowing down at the Southern Ohio Conference Track and Field Meet. Held over two days at Minford High School, the 'Burg boys and girls swept both the SOC II and overall championships, proving once again why they're the teams to beat in 2026.
With a combined 16 event wins, Wheelersburg dominated the competition. The Pirates were especially unstoppable in the relays, sweeping the 4x100, 4x200, and 4x400 meter races for both the boys and girls. On the girls side, Callie DeHart anchored all three winning relay teams, while Ryleigh Harness, Addison Kennard, and Natalie Weaver each contributed to two relay titles. For the boys, Logan Whitt and Elijah Brown earned gold in all three relays, with Canaan Arthur and Clark Weller each running on two of the winning squads.
Individually, Ella Hochstetler was a force in the field events for the girls, winning both the discus (144 feet, 6 inches) and shot put (40 feet, 3.5 inches). Jordan Jolly took the pole vault title at eight feet even, and Preslee French claimed the 300 meter hurdles in 50.01 seconds. For the boys, Kenyon Evans was a triple threat, winning the 200 meters (22.39), high jump (6 feet, 2 inches), and long jump (21 feet, 10 inches). In the throws, Cashton Adkins edged teammate Ison Emnett in the discus (155-2 to 152-3), while Emnett bounced back to win the shot put with a massive 60-foot, 2-inch throw. Freshman Logan Whitt also impressed, taking the 400 meters in 51.57 seconds.
Team scores reflected the Pirates' depth, with the girls outpacing Waverly 192 to 132 and the boys topping them 179 to 115—both wins by comfortable 60-plus point margins.
Meanwhile, the Notre Dame girls captured the SOC I championship, finishing fourth overall with 45 points. Their success was powered by standout distance runner Ryan Purcell, who swept the 800 (2:25.68), 1,600 (5:18.93), and 3,200 meters (11:31.8). Teammate Caroline Mauk also put in a gritty performance, finishing fourth in the 800, sixth in the 1,600, and fifth in the 3,200, while also placing sixth in another event. Together, they helped Notre Dame bring home the conference title in style.
Whether it's the Pirates' powerhouse relays or the Titans' distance dominance, this year's SOC track championships showcased the best of Southern Ohio athletics—and left fans excited for what's next.