The proof of progress made here by the Fulton Hornets and Lady Hornets track and field teams was plain to see in the medal count.
Senior Sam Christensen prevailed in both the boys' high jump and 110-meter hurdles, and was part of Fulton's winning 400 relay to help steer the Hornets to a second-place team finish at the Bowling Green Mini Medal meet Tuesday night.
In the girls' division, junior Madi Tobias and freshman Kate Pani were victorious in the high jump and 100, respectively, and were members of the first-place 400 relay as the Lady Hornets came in fourth as a team.
After managing to bring home just one medal from Bowling Green two years ago, the two Fulton squads combined to produce 38 medal finishes Tuesday night.
"A lot of people marked their personal bests, not only this season but for their career," Fulton head coach Jim Menderski said. "The fact that we're doing this so early in the season leaves us with so much room for improvement."
Christensen triumphed in the 100 hurdles with a time of 16.22 seconds and won the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 2 inches. He teamed with freshman Ammod Davis, senior Noah Given and junior Travis Dean to finish first in the 400 relay in :46.72.
Also winning events for the Hornets - who accumulated 152 points - were sophomore Jared Eliuk in the 400 (:53.91) and senior Noah Braun in the pole vault (10-6).
Second-place finishers for Fulton included Dean in the long jump (19-10), senior Greg Nevins in the 400 (:55.63), freshman Mason Gaines in the 3,200 (10:40), the 1,600 relay (3:45.8) of Davis, Eliuk, sophomore Tanner Steffen and Nevins, and the 3,200 relay (9:21) of sophomore Brandon Dews, senior Grant Gaines, Mason Gaines and freshman Gabe Luebbert.
Taking third place for the Hornets were Davis in the 100 (:11.38), Steffen in the 300 hurdles (:47.47), Grant Gaines in the 800 (2:13), sophomore Chaz Ballard in the 3,200 (11:23), Givens in the long jump (19-6), and the 800 relay (1:41) of Dean, Given, sophomore Martin Morard and freshman Gabe Luebbert.
Meanwhile, Tobias triumphed in the high jump at 5-0 and Pani won the 100 in :12.94 as the Lady Hornets compiled 83 points. The pair also teamed with junior Rachel Guse and freshman Adrea Shadbolt to take first in the 400 relay in :55.03.
Third-place finishers for Fulton included Guse in the 1,600 (6:12), junior Michaela Huff in the pole vault (7-0), and sophomore Allison Cerda in the discus (100-2).
Host Bowling Green held off the Hornets to lock up the boys' team title with 162 points, while Montgomery County also tallied 162 points to secure the girls' team championship.
Fulton competes in the Blair Oaks Invitational at 10 a.m. Saturday.