Staff photo / Dan Hiner Grand Valley’s Lily Ross runs the second heat of the 200-meter dash during the NAC championships on Monday in Andover.

ANDOVER — Maplewood boys track and field led with just the 4×400 remaining. Badger was half a point behind, and Grand Valley was eight points back.

But the combination of Micah Sparks, Brody Orr, Andrew Donaldson and Tyler McPeak won the event by more than four seconds to clinch the NAC championship on Monday at Pymatuning Valley High School.

The Rockets won with 121.5 points. The Braves were second with 117, the Mustangs were third with 106.4, Cardinal was fourth with 85.7 and Chalker came in fifth with 74.

“It was fun to watch,” Maplewood head coach David Deeter said. “It’s fun to compete, and they enjoyed competing. Badger and Grand Valley had great days, also. They had many guys who had competed fantastically, so hats off to them as well.”

Maplewood boys, Badger and GV vied for the top spot with five events left to go. The Rockets trailed Grand Valley by three points, but Donaldson (2:01.89) and Sparks (2:02.59) were the first two runners to cross in the 800. The performance in the 800 allowed the Rockets to launch past Badger and Grand Valley for an 11-point lead.

Then the Badger combination of Tristan Sawtelle (23.65) and Dax Harnett (24.09) finished second and third, respectively, in the boys 200. Then Trevor Frantz posted a 138-04 as the runner-up in the discus. It vaulted the Braves ahead of the Rockets by 4.6 points.

But Ethan Nevinski (10:29.85) and Nick Blair (10:30.12) went third and fourth in the 3200 to put the Rockets back on top, and the relay team led the 4×400 for most of the race to take home the trophy with a 3:34.18.

“They’re really coming together at the right time right now,” Deeter said of his 4×400 team. ” They really enjoy racing together, racing great competition. So it was a challenge for them. They love a challenge.”

Sparks and Donaldson teamed up again for the top two spots in the 1600. This time, Sparks won with a 4:34.90 and Donaldson ran a 4:36.99.

Maplewood’s other relay win came when Nevinski, Orr, McPeak and Donaldson started the day with a 8:57.14 in the 4×800.

OTHER BOYS PERFORMANCES

Chalker’s Ethan Bosch got an early win by running 11.42 in the 100. A little later, Leland Bosch registered a 52.98 as the victor in the 400 for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats also picked up another win after Colton Levensky, Tanner Kelson, Tegun Noble and Ethan Bosch ran a 44.82 in the 4×100 relay.

Grand Valley’s Sam Steimle dominated the 3200. He ran 10:03.55, winning the race by more than 22 seconds.

William Baugher got a first-place finish for Pymatuning Valley after recording a 16.58 to take the 110 hurdles. Baugher followed it up with a 41.12 for first in the 300 hurdles.

In the field for the host Lakers, Stuart Jenick threw 141-09 for first in the discus.

Badger’s Winston Smith, Silas Harnett, Harnett and Sawtelle took the 4×200 by combining for a 1:34.52. Ernie Cunningham leaped 5-10.00 to win the high jump, and Frantz won the shot put with a toss of 45-02.50.

Bristol got a first-place result as Jared Miller was measured at 19-03.00 in the long jump.

MIGHTY MUSTANGS

The girls’ end of the conference championships wasn’t nearly as in doubt as the boys. Grand Valley won its first league crown since 2017 in a run-away fashion.

Grand Valley posted 127 points. Maplewood was the runner-up with 104, Cardinal was third with 91, St. John came in fourth with 70 and Badger rounded out the top-five teams with 68.

“(A conference championship) was on our list of things we were focusing on all year,” Grand Valley girls coach Kurtis Fisher said. “Taking it as it goes, improving on where we thought we could be in each and every event.

“The girls went out, they fought for each other all day long. It’s just what they’ve been doing all year long.”

The field events were where the Mustangs created some early space.

The Mustangs finished first and second in the long jump, with Jocelyn Cozad (15-01.75) winning and Brooke Tolla (14-08.00) coming in second. Cozad also won the pole vault with a 8-00.00, and Kylee Portzer was the runner-up with a 7-06.00.

Grand Valley’s Rylee Rogers, Riley Rowland, Tolla and Lily Ross teamed up to run 1:54.61 and won the 4×200 relay.

Torri Shipman ran 1:03.25 as the Maplewood product took the 400. The Rockets closed their day as the winner in the 4×400 after Melody Richards, Rainee Stafford, Reagan Mahan and Shipman finished with a 4:34.62.

Chalker’s team of Kelsey Brown, Riley Ashcraft, Aubree Grimm and Abby Grimm concluded with a 52.67 as the winner of the 4×100.

Mathews’ Kaitlyn Ecker posted a 17.96 to win the 100 hurdles.

Bristol’s Lauren Church was clocked at 49.24 as the winner of the 300 hurdles.

Abba Kibler picked a Lordstown win with a 4-10.00 in the high jump.