All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Taiwo Thropp wins high point, track Bucs finish second at Big 10 Championships

Taiwo Thropp (File photo by Brian Bergstrom)

BUCKHANNON – Buckhannon-Upshur High School senior Taiwo Thropp won two gold and two silver medals at the Big 10 Conference Track and Field Championships last Friday to pace the Bucs to a second-place overall finish.

Thropp earned high point honors – given to the athlete who scores the most points – for his efforts on the track. The senior won the 400-meter dash by nearly a second, recording a 49.61 to finish ahead of teammate Shawn Blandino, who nabbed second place with a time of 50.56.

Thropp claimed second-place finishes in the 100-meter dash (11.02) and 200-meter dash (22.25). B-U sophomore Landon Marple also scored in both those events, finishing fourth in the 200 (23.27) and seventh in the 100 (11.85), while Timothy Snyder also nabbed a point for Buckhannon with an eighth place run in the 200 (24.23).

Bridgeport’s Lucas Anderson set conference records in both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash, winning the 100 in 10.68 and 200 in 21.37.

In the 800-meter run, B-U teammates Jordan Gillum and Reis Leonard finished neck-and-neck. Gillum finished second in 2:01.21 while Leonard crossed the line just behind in 2:01.38 for third. Slate Swiger of Lewis County won the conference title in the 800 with a time of 1:58.07.

Chase Hackett and Carter Zuliani rounded out the B-U scoring in the individual track events, with Hackett finishing fifth in the 300-meter hurdles (43.85) and Zuliani placing seventh in the 100 hurdles (17.77).

The Bucs had a stellar showing in the relays, winning three of the five events.

The 4×200 quartet of Blandino, Marple, Bryson Johnston and Snyder won that even in 1:32.79, while Thropp anchored the gold medal 4×400 team, where he was joined by Gillum, Leonard and Blandino. Their time of 3:31.18 gave them the win by more than 10 seconds.

Rounding out the B-U relay wins was the 4×800 squad of Gillum, Leonard, Randy Beckner and Jack Waggy, which turned in a time of 8:36.23.

The Bucs also finished second in the 4×100 (Blandino, Johnston, Marple and Savion Farmer, 44.63) and fourth in the shuttle hurdles (Hackett, Zade Woody, Zuliani and Devin Phillips, 1:04.45).

Coach Patty Wager’s squad also had a banner day in the field events. Ely Cain finished second in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, with Malaki Williams finishing fourth after clearing 5-10. Farmer leapt 19-4 in the long jump for a fifth-place finish, while both Owen Caynor and Landen Zirkle scored points in the pole vault. Caynor cleaned 9 feet to place seventh, while Zirkle was eighth with a vault of 8-6.

In the throws, Dirk Riley claimed silver in the discus with a toss of 131-5. Jesse Hackett also placed in the discus, finishing fifth with a throw of 114-0. Zuliani finishing fourth in the shot put with a heave of 41-6.75, and Jesse Hackett rounded out the B-U scoring with a seven-place finish in that event, throwing the shot 39-5.75.

Overall, the Bucs amassed 144 points, finishing just behind Bridgeport, which finished with 157 to claim the Big 10 title. East Fairmont (69), Fairmont Senior (58.5), Ohilip Barbour (52), Grafton (49), Robert C. Byrd (48), Lewis County (47), Lincoln (34.5), Preston (17), Elkins (12), North Marion (8) and Liberty (6) rounded out the team scoring.

The Bucs will return to action Wednesday in the year’s penultimate meet, the Region I Championships at John Marshall.

Share this story:

RECENT Stories

WVWC’s Navalgund, Elmer earn All-MEC Lacrosse honors

West Virginia Wesleyan’s Raveena Navalgund received MEC honorable mention while Nyah Elmer was named to the All-Freshman Team as the Mountain East Conference announced its 2025 women’s lacrosse all-conference honorees.

Wesleyan misses out on MEC Softball Tournament as seeds and pairings announced

Wesleyan failed to qualify for the 2025 Mountain East Conference Softball Tournament, as the seeds and first-round matchups were announced for the championship beginning this week in Salem, Virginia.
WVWC Track - Wesleyan Sports

Wesleyan softball ends year with doubleheader loss to Glenville State

West Virginia Wesleyan softball ended its season with a pair of road losses to Glenville State, struggling offensively against standout pitching by Kylie Burdick, who threw two complete games including a shutout.

Wesleyan men and women both draw Fairmont State in opening round of MEC Tennis Tournament

Both the West Virginia Wesleyan men’s and women’s tennis teams will face Fairmont State in the semifinals of the Mountain East Conference Tournament this weekend.
WVWC Tennis

Wesleyan tennis teams sweep West Virginia State

West Virginia Wesleyan’s men’s and women’s tennis teams wrapped up their regular seasons with victories over West Virginia State, winning 4-2 and 4-3 respectively on Sunday.

Baseball Bobcats manage just one run as they get swept by Pioneers in doubleheader

Glenville State swept West Virginia Wesleyan in a doubleheader, winning 2-0 behind Grant Landis’s shutout and 8-1 in the second game, as Wesleyan managed only one run on limited hitting.

Lady Buc netters gain wins over Robert C. Byrd and Liberty

Despite missing two starters, the Buckhannon-Upshur Lady Bucs tennis team finished their regular season with a 2-1 week, earning victories over Robert C. Byrd and Liberty and closing with a 9-8 record.

Tennis Bucs pick up wins against Grafton and Liberty

The Buckhannon-Upshur tennis team ended its regular season with conference wins over Grafton and Liberty after a narrow loss to Robert C. Byrd, finishing 7-10 overall and 4-7 in the Big 10.

Lacrosse Bucs win thriller over Wheeling Park, 10-9, for fourth straight victory

Braylon Oldaker scored four goals and an assist as the Buckhannon-Upshur lacrosse team edged Wheeling Park 10-9, earning their fourth consecutive win and improving their season record to 6-3.

Delmar Light

Delmar Light, a 97-year-old World War II Navy veteran, farmer, businessman, and devoted family man, passed away April 25, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of service, entrepreneurship, and faith.

On the City of Buckhannon Calendar: Week of April 28, 2025

The City of Buckhannon announced a Reger Avenue paving project, arts events including the Vandalia Arts Journal Exhibition and Alice in Wonderland, upcoming council meetings, and street closures for WVWC graduation, while reminding residents of online services and reporting tools.

Buckhannon City Council Agenda: May 1, 2025

The Buckhannon City Council released the agenda for its upcoming May 1, 2025 meeting.