LaVille’s Boys Track Team started the season with an impressive 4th place at the Goshen Relays. They continued with a perfect season in regular meets, and Championship titles at Lancer Relays, Dennis Rippey Invite, and the Hoosier North Athletic Conference. On Thursday night, the Lancers started their state run at the Penn Sectional. Despite being eclipsed in size in comparison to the Kingsmen and Goliaths of South Bend and Mishawaka LaVille started the night with a few top seeded athletes. The Lancers showed that they could hang with bigger schools, finishing in 5th place and advancing six to the second round of the state tournament. Five of the six advancing came from field events, the team’s strength. Senior sprinter, Owen Smith, was the lone runner to advance making his third regional appearance, this time in an event new to him, the 300M Hurdles. His second place finish clocked in at 40:32, a new school record. The 4x800M Realy team of Ashton Artrip, Sam Sherk, Langsont Artrip, and Colin Christy brought their season to an end but not before putting points on the board with their seventh place finish, these would be the only running points scored for the night. In the shot put ring, Noah Richhart’s 49’5.5” heave earned him a second place finish and a spot as a regional qualifier. He will be joined by senior discus thrower, AJ Bedock, whose 148’4” throw secured second place. Junior, Erik Bedock added a personal best throw of 149 feet even, earning him the top discus spot, but his night was not done. Erik went on to finish 3rd in shot put (49’ 4.75”) advancing to next week’s contest in both shot and discus. The Lancers didn’t just bring the braun the vaulters brought the hops. Matthew Schaffer cleared 12’, which would be good for a second place tie and a chance to continue his season. Lincoln Hulsey, won the event with a vault of 14’ and a return trip to regionals. In the long jump pit, Cole Stafford’s preliminary jump of 19’7” was good enough to make the finals, but left him a few inches short of scoring. Both Bedocks, Smith, Richhart, Hulsey, and Schafer will return to action in next Thursday’s Regional match up at Warsaw High School at 6pm. IHSAA BOYS TRACK AND FIELD Penn Sectional Team Scores 1. Penn 171, 2. Mishawaka 108, South Bend Saint Joseph 88, South Bend Riley 79, LaVille 59, Trinity Greenlawn 33, South Bend Adams 32, South Bend Washington 27, John Glenn 12, South Bend Clay 7, Mishawaka Marian 5, Career Academy South Bend 1