North Adams boys win SHAC title, Helser sets two records
Beau Helser won four events and broke two SHAC records as North Adams repeated as boys track champion at Manchester High School.
North Adams turned a strong conference meet into a repeat championship, finishing first in the boys standings with 138 points and backing up the title with one of the day’s most complete individual efforts from senior Beau Helser.
At the Southern Hills Athletic Conference meet Tuesday, May 12, at Manchester High School, Helser was named Runner of the Year after winning four events. He broke the SHAC records in the 100 meters, clocked in 10.89 seconds, and the 200 meters, where he finished in 22.43. He also won the 400 meters and 800 meters, making him the meet’s most decorated athlete and giving North Adams a scorer who could swing multiple parts of the team standings.
The Green Devils’ title was built on more than one standout. Coach Jeff Raines guided a roster that scored across sprints, middle distance and relays, a balance that separated North Adams from a tight boys field. Peebles finished second with 99 points and Manchester was third with 89, while the North Adams girls also added to Adams County’s showing by placing third with 98 points. Fairfield won the girls title with 128, and West Union was second with 110.
The meet itself produced a high level of competition across the board. Six conference records fell on the day, a sign that the championship race in Manchester was driven as much by speed and depth as by one-off wins. Hayden Rideout of Manchester added a local highlight on the girls side, winning the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 2.5 inches.
North Adams’ boys title also points to something larger than one afternoon. The Green Devils won the SHAC crown in 2025 as well, and Helser was already a three-event champion then, taking the 100, 200 and 400. He went into the 2026 meet with a resume that already included an Ohio Division III state championship in the 800-meter run in 2025, and his four-win performance showed how much that experience has raised the program’s ceiling.
For Adams County track, the result was clear: North Adams remains the standard on the boys side, and the mix of Helser’s front-line scoring, Raines’ coaching and countywide depth gives the Green Devils a real chance to carry this momentum into district and regional competition.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
