Findlay - The Columbian girls track and field team put together a balanced, high-energy performance at the Cooper Tire Invitational at Findlay High School on Friday night, battling their way to a fourth-place team finish in a competitive 10-school field. The Tornadoes finished with 84.5 points, trailing only Fremont Ross, Anthony Wayne, and host Findlay.

The highlight of the evening came from Caroline Newlove, who dominated the 300m hurdles to take first place with a time of 49.30. Newlove was a focal point for Columbian all night, also securing a sixth-place finish in the 200m dash and contributing to two high-placing relay teams.

The Tornadoes’ distance runners and relay squads proved to be a significant source of points. Carmen Lewis delivered a stellar individual double, taking second place in the 3200m (12:15.94) and third in the 1600m (5:33.50). Maddie Kelley joined Lewis on the podium in the 3200m with a sixth-place finish. In the relay events, the 4x800m team (Emma Musgrave, Lily Allen, Genna Cleveland, and Leah Weingart) and the 4x100m team (Josie Kancler, Abby Lewis, Morgan Roach, and Ava Newman) both secured impressive third-place finishes.

Columbian’s depth was also on display in the hurdles and field events. Izzy Thompson earned a third-place finish in the 100m hurdles and added a sixth-place finish in the 300m hurdles. In the field, Abby Lewis claimed third in the high jump clearing 4-8, while Tara Duffy bolstered the team score with a fourth-place finish in the discus (105-9) and fifth in the shot put (31-4).

The middle-distance and jumping events rounded out the scoring, with Emma Musgrave taking fifth in the 800m and Erica Raubenolt placing sixth in the long jump. The 4x400m relay team finished fourth, and the 4x200m squad took sixth, capping off a night where nearly every discipline contributed to the Tornadoes' top-five team standing.

The girls now enter the postseason with next weeks SBC Championships