Buckeye boys place fourth at Newton Falls invitational behind trio of first-place finishes

Buckeye turned in an impressive showing Saturday at the Newton Falls multiple-team invitational, finishing fourth overall with 89 points while competing shorthanded during spring break. Against a 13-team field, the Bucks still delivered a strong mix of event wins, runner-up finishes and relay success that kept them near the top of the standings throughout the afternoon.

The biggest highlights came from a group of Buckeye athletes who reached the top of the podium. Brady Salazar won the 800-meter run in 2:04.09, and Dimitry Pshonyak claimed first in the 1600 in 4:40.09. Buckeye also closed with a winning effort in the 4x400 relay, where Pshonyak, Nolan Rieth, Gavin Waibel and Salazar teamed up for a first-place time of 3:36.94. Those performances gave the Bucks a strong distance foundation and showed off the team’s depth even without a full lineup.

Buckeye also piled up important points in the sprints. Eddie Hondroudakis placed second in the 100 meters with a time of 11.85, giving the Bucks another high finish on the track. The 4x100 relay team of Lucas Balaban, Salazar, Denis Shevchenko and Hondroudakis added to the total with a runner-up finish in 46.05. The relay group’s speed helped Buckeye stay competitive against a deep field and added another standout moment to an already productive day.

In the field events, Jacob Bally Freiberg delivered another key scoring performance by taking second in discus with a throw of 131 feet, 7 inches. That result rounded out a balanced team effort, with Buckeye getting production from distance races, relays, sprinting and the throws. For a team not at full strength, that kind of across-the-board contribution stood out.

More than anything, Saturday’s meet gave Buckeye plenty to celebrate. The Bucks showed resilience, depth and competitive energy while facing 12 other opponents, and the first-place finishes from Salazar, Pshonyak and the 4x400 relay set the tone. A fourth-place team finish under those circumstances was a strong result, and Buckeye left Newton Falls with momentum built on fast times, big points and a confident all-around performance.