Buckeye edges Lakewood 68-65 behind strong all-around meet at Lakewood

Buckeye’s boys track and field team pulled out a narrow 68-65 win over Lakewood on Wednesday in a chilly meet at Lakewood, using balance across the track and field events to secure the team result. The Bucks piled up victories in the sprints, distance races, jumps, throws and a relay, with several of the decisive points coming from strong finishes behind event winners.

Among the top performances on the track, Brayden Bonnett won the 100-meter dash in 10.93 seconds, while Eddie Hondroudakis added a runner-up finish in 11.58. Dimitry Pshonyak took first in the 1,600 in 4:32.65, followed by Joe Stahl in second at 4:39.24. Paul Abbott won the 400 in 58.10, and Brady Salazar claimed the 800 in 2:01.06, with Nolan Rieth placing third in 2:07.55. Rhys Cielma also contributed points in the 110 hurdles, finishing third in 19.07, and Milo Cox placed third in the 200 in 25.47.

Buckeye also delivered in the relay, where Alex Marconi, Brayden Russo, Joey Adams and Stahl won the 4x400 in 3:54.12. That performance added to a productive day for Stahl, who scored in multiple events with his second-place finish in the 1,600, his leg on the winning 4x400 team and a runner-up finish in the pole vault at 9 feet, 6 inches.

In the field events, Buckeye’s depth proved especially important. Lucas Vasel won the pole vault by clearing 10 feet, 6 inches. Bonnett added another first-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 9.25 inches, while Alex Plisko was third at 16 feet, 9.5 inches. Salazar also won the high jump at 5 feet, 2 inches.

The Bucks were particularly strong in the throws. Denis Shevchenko won the shot put with a mark of 44 feet, 4 inches, and Jake Bally-Freiberg placed second at 38 feet, 8 inches, with Kyle Landes third at 36 feet, 5 inches. In discus, Bally-Freiberg took first with a throw of 131 feet, 3 inches, Shevchenko was second at 123 feet, 5 inches, and Ashton McClellan finished third at 108 feet, 2 inches.

Those performances were enough for Buckeye to squeak past Lakewood in a meet contested under clear skies. On a day that opened with cool conditions despite a high of 71 degrees, the Bucks found the points they needed across the lineup, turning first-place finishes and valuable supporting placements into a three-point team victory.