Salem senior Maddy Andres is one of the leaders of the Quakers girls track team that is looking for a ninth straight county title Thursday. (Salem News/Gary Leininger)

SALEM — The 122nd Columbiana County Track and Field Meet will feature some of the top athletes in the state, but the Salem Quakers are favored to rule the day again.

The Salem boys have won 15 of the last 16 team titles, while the Salem girls have eight straight county titles.

“We’re putting our best lineup together and hopefully come out on top,” Salem boys coach Austin Noel said.

The county meet will be held Thursday at Sebo Stadium. Action starts at 4:30 p.m. with the boys discus and high jump, girls shot put and long jump and the finals in the girls and boys 3200-meter relay. The rest of the running events will follow at 5:15 p.m.

“I’m just looking for them to compete at a high level,” Noel said. “Some young guys are going to have to step up in the relays and hopefully they will do well.”

The Salem boys expect to take an early lead with the field events and are tough to catch after that.

“Our strengths, as they have been over the last couple of years, our field events have come on strong,” Noel said.

Salem senior long jumper Lucas Adams and senior Hunter Owen shot putter are returning county champions.

“It’s always great to start with those guys,” Noel said.

Adams is the indoor state champion and will have another showdown with Beaver Local’s Landon Wheatley, the indoor state champion in high jump and the defending county champion.

Another indoor state champion, East Liverpool senior Maddox Roach, is one of the top milers in the state. He has posted the top Division III time in the 800-meter run (1:54.97) and one of the best in the 1600 run (4:23.58). He set the county meet record in the 1600 last year (4:19.96).

Other boys county champions returning are Salem’s Luke Stephens in the 3200 run and Beaver Local’s Cole Long in the 110 hurdles.

The Beaver Local boys look like the only team with a chance to challenge Salem, but the Quakers have more depth.

Salem’s fastest runner, Josh Mayhew, has been out after suffering a hamstring injury against Alliance two weeks ago.

“He’s our top sprinter and we’ve made adjustments,” Noel said. “Guys have stepped up and roles have changed. Our focus has been to have him back for the postseason.”

The Quakers were taking a full team to Marlington for a dual meet on Tuesday.

“Wednesday will be a light day and we’ll get ready for Thursday,” Noel said.

The girls meet is not expected to be as close with the Salem girls going for a ninth straight county title. The Quakers are scored at least 174 points in each of the past five seasons.

The Quakers have won the F.E. Cope Invitational, the East Palestine Girls Invitational and Poland Invitational. They also finished third at the Optimist on Saturday while only sending six girls in the four field events.

Salem junior Madolyn Gorby has won the county high jump the past two years, while Abby Knickerbocker also raced to the county title in the 400 run last year.

Other returning girls county champions from last year are Southern Local senior Maddy Jones in the discus and shot put, Beaver Local junior Mallory Miller in the 100 and 200 dashes and Beaver Local junior Ralyn Gilson in the 300 hurdles.

Meet notes

• Heartland Christian senior Rebecca Geiss is expected back after missing last year’s county meet with a stress fracture in her foot. Despite missing most of her junior track season, she came back late still finished fifth in the Division III 3200-meter run in June.

Geiss has been the cross country state runner-up the last two seasons after being state champion as a sophomore.

• Southern Local standout Kiah Sloan is sitting out the season after suffering a knee injury during volleyball season.

As a sophomore last year, she won the long jump and finished second in the 100 and 200 dashes.

• The county meet is being held on a Thursday, not the usual Tuesday because of a scheduling conflict with officials.

• The county meet has been held every year since 1904, except for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The current seniors were in the sixth grade that season.