The Columbus Wildcat boys’ track and field team came out on top again yesterday at the WACO Relays at Roth Field in Wayland. Columbus’ team score of 143 was almost 50 points more than second-place Van Buren County.

Among the Wildcats’ individual victories was senior Ty Muniz running the top time of nine minutes 57 seconds in the 3,200-meter run. Sophomore teammate Lamar Ceant would be the champion in the 110-meter hurdles by clocking in at 14.94 seconds, with junior Alexander Rees only one spot and three-tenths of a second behind him.

Senior Itai Zapiensz would bring home gold for Columbus in the shot put with a top toss of 40 feet 11 inches. Sophomore teammate Fritz Figaro would finish second to Zapiensz but would claim a win in the discus with a best throw of 124 feet nine inches.

The ‘Cats would also dominate in the relay races, winning the 4-by-100-meters in just under 44 seconds and posting a first-place time of 9:21 in the 4-by-800. In addition to a winning time of 1:04 in the shuttle hurdles, Columbus finished second in the 4-by-200.

Other Wildcats with silver medals included Ceant in the 100 meters, Rees in the 200 and Muniz in the 800, while senior Riley Kaalberg would finish third in the 100.

On their home track, the WACO Warriors finished fourth in the boys’ team scoring behind two individual winners. Sophomore Hayden Shelman had the top long jump of an even 21 feet, while senior Louden Huisenga was the lone competitor to clear five feet 10 inches and thus claim the crown in the high jump.

Sophomore Sam Meyer was second in the discus for WACO, while Shelman won bronze in the 200, as did senior teammate Gage Samo in the 400 and Warriors sophomore Owen Lord in the high jump.

On the girls’ side, the Lone Tree Lions were once again led by their relay teams. The 4-by-100 had the top time of 52.63 seconds, while the sprint medley team also earned gold in a tick under 1:56. The 4-by-200 relay also finished second and the distance medley took third.

Senior Rylee Shield would give Lone Tree a victory in the 400 with a time of 1:02, while junior teammate Ava Christofferson leaped 16 feet one inch to win the long jump. Christofferson would also win silver in the 100, as would senior Hayden Yoder in the discus, while Yoder added a third-place finish for the Lions in the shot put.

Sophomore Carlee Lunsford had the top performance for WACO on their home track, running the best time of just over two-and-a-half minutes in the 800. The Warriors also picked up a win in the 4-by-400 in 4:37 and would tie for first in the shuttle hurdles in 1:14.

Bren Graber would be second in the 400 hurdles, as would fellow sophomore Madelyn Farmer in the long jump and both of WACO’s medley relays. Graber was also third in the high jump, while freshman Josie Dykstra did the same in the 400 hurdles.

Columbus was led by sophomore Kymila Bacon’s silver medal in the open 100, while senior Ariana Vergara claimed bronze in the 100 hurdles. Junior Naveiah Garza would also finish third in the high jump, and the Wildcats’ 4-by-200 relay would also take third.