By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

RUSHVILE — Going to the state meet is as easy as one, two, three for the Coal Grove Hornets.

Coal Grove will send three different events to Friday and Saturday’s Division III state track and field meet at Ohio State University.

Leading the way are senior Greg Bender who won the shot put and the Lady Hornets’ 4×100-meter relay team of Kim Short, Jacy Jones, Bailey Harrison and Leslie Mulkey who won the event with a 52.51 time.

Bender — who qualified for the state meet last year — threw the shot put 50-9.

Also advancing is Bryan Steele who leaped 6-2 to place third in the high jump.

The top four finishers in each event at Friday’s regional track meet qualified for the state meet.

The Hornets and Lady Hornets had other athletes who placed in the meet.

Darrien Hankins was fifth in the girls’ discus with a toss of 110-4. Also finishing fifth was the 4×200 relay team of Haley Johnson, Bailey Johnson, Short and Jones, who had a 1:51.45 time.

In sixth place was the Hornets 4×200 relay team of Mason Nance, Aaron Wilson, Alex Bare and Steele who had a 1:33.59 clocking.

Finishing seventh were Bailey Harrison in the 300 hurdles at 17.03 seconds while Mulkey ran a 2:34.71 in the 800 meters.

Jacob Pauley was eighth in the 800 meters with a 2:01.80 time.

The boys’ shot put and high jump are at 1 p.m. Friday. The 4×100 preliminaries are 10:50 a.m. Friday.