Trevon Keely at Greene County Early Bird Meet (Photo courtesy of Sue Rieder)

Friday’s weather provided a window without rain and a dozen girls and boys high school track & field teams took advantage of dry weather in Jefferson during the Greene County Early Bird Meet at Linduska Field. Coach Derek Merk’s Rams won the girls’ team title with 95 points, just ahead of Forest City with 92. Paton-Churdan’s girls scored one point. There were 13 girls’ teams. The boys’ title went to Southeast Valley (Gowrie) with 120 points while Forest City at 89.5 and Earlham with 88.5 had a close battle for second. Manson-Northwest Webster was fourth with 69 points, followed by 60 for Ogden and 52 for the Rams. There were 12 boys’ teams.

Paton-Churdan junior Trevon Keely, the 2025 Class 1A State Champion in the boys’ high jump, won on Friday by clearing the bar at six feet, six inches, tying the meet record and all but insuring a spot in the Drake Relays high jump field of 24 later this month. The Blue Standard automatic qualifying height is 6′ 7″. Keely was also second in the 100 meter dash in 11.41 seconds, and fifth in the 200 meter dash in :23.78. Junior Blaise Schilling ran the 200 in :23.45, good for third place, and Schilling placed second in the long jump with a season best leap of 20′ 9-1/2″. Sophomore Damen Rice finished second in the 400 meter dash in 54.49 seconds.

Greene County won five girls’ events, three individual events and two relays. Senior sprinter Becca Anderson won the 100 meter dash in 13.15 seconds and was clocked in :26.94 to win the 200. Senior Kaycee Pittman won the 800 meter run in 2:26.96. The relays that finished first were the distance medley in 4:31.64 with freshman Macy Bills, sophomores Alaina Gettler and Ashlynn Ball, with Pittman on the anchor, and the 4 x 400 in 4:21.42 with Pittman, senior Addison Gannon, sophomore Hanna Fouch, and Anderson.

Second place was the highest finish for the Greene County boys. The Rams were second in the sprint medley relay in 1:38.02 with juniors Jaron Jacobs, Lincoln Schwander, and Zack Stalder, along with senior Drew Wonterman. The 4 x 100 also was second in :44.59 with Jaron Jacobs, Schwander, senior Aden Bardole, and Stalder.

The Rams are scheduled to take part in a coed meet on Monday at Carroll.