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Versailles
will look to add another state championship but be the first
team in the
history of the MAC in boys track. CNO photos by Dylan Knoop
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Versailles track looks to become the first
in the MAC
By George Starks
VERSAILLES- The Midwest Athletic Conference has long been revered as
one of the best in the state.
With domination in football and more recently, volleyball and
basketball, the MAC owns 102 state titles over its 40 years of
existence.
With some of the best athletes in Ohio, the conference has never taken
a state title in track.
The Tigers will looks to add that championship in track this year.
Versailles enters Friday and Saturday’s Ohio High School Athletic
Association state championships with a shot at the Division II state
title, having already won conference, district and regional
championships this season.
Leading the way for the Tigers will be senior Sam Prakel. The
Versailles distance runner has won several state titles over his high
school career and would love nothing more than to bring a track title
home to Versailles.
“It’s definitely inspiring,” senior Sam Prakel said. “We could go down
as a team that can be remembered for a long time, going through winning
MAC, winning districts, co-champs at regionals (with Dunbar), basically
winning regionals, and hopefully the trend continues and we go for that
four-peat that our girls team has done in the past, but it would be
nice to get the guys team to that level, too.”
The best a MAC school has done at the state level in track and field
happened just a year ago by Versailles with a third place finish. New
Breman and Minster have matched that feat but never better than third.
Versailles edged Minster, who also won a regional championship and is
contending for a state title in Division III, by one point at the MAC
meet three weeks ago.
Last week at regionals, the Tigers and Dunbar tied for first, sharing
the regional title, gaining that tie with a second place finish 4x400
relay.
A year ago, Prakel, who is heading to Oregon in the fall, will look to
repeat as state champion in the 1600 meters, winning the event a year
ago in a time of last year with a time of 4:10.33.
He will also look to bring home the state in the 800 meter run as well.
Chad Winner, Richie Ware, Sam Subler and Prakel will attempt to win
state in the 4x800 relay.
Last year, the Tigers were runners-up in the event with Michael Wirrig
having graduated from that team with Ware being his replacement.
The Tigers’ 4x800 relay won a regional championship this year with a
time of 8:02.91. Five of the state qualifying teams enter the state
meet with better times, although the Tigers did record a time of
7:55.31 at the MAC meet, which is better than any of the state
qualifying times. rela
The Tigers will also be looking for gold in the 4x400 relay.
Another event that Prakel will compete in along with Subler, Craig
Pothast and Winner.
The foursome was second in regional action while setting a school
record of 3:21.49.
Pothast also will compete in the high jump alongside fellow senior Clay
Wilker.
Last year Pothast tied for sixth in the state with a jump of 6 feet 4
inches. This year he hopes to set a personal best and at least make the
podium, hopefully matching or beating his sixth place finish from a
year ago.
Wilker, who finished fifth last year in the regional to miss qualifying
for state by one position, was happy to finish second in the region
this year and qualify for state.
Winner will also compete in the 400 meter dash. His 49:78 in the
regionals was good enough for second.
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