THE WESTERN BUCKEYE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

In the year 1969 the Western Buckeye League held its first League Meet.  The meet was for boys only and was called the W.B.L. Invitational.  It was not a W.B.L. Championship Competition.  Beginning in 1970 the League began hosting an Official W.B.L. Championship Meet, again for boys only.  In 1983 the league added a girls race, although it was not Championship Competition.  The first Official W.B.L. Championship Meet for the ladies was held in 1985.  From 1970 to 1975 the W.B.L. Champion was determined solely by the Championship Meet.  From 1976 to 1988 the League combined a Dual Meet record with the Championship Meet results to come up with the league champ, thus Co-Champs a couple of times.  In 1989 the league went back to the Championship Meet for determining the W.B.L. Champion, which is the present format.  Defiance leads the league in boys’ championships with 16 solo titles and 1 co-title.  Van Wert has the most girls’ titles with 7. W.B.L. Cross-Country Champions!         
BOYS                                                   GIRLS
1969    Ottawa-Glandorf (unofficial)     1983     Shawnee (unofficial)
1970        Celina                                      1984     Shawnee (unofficial)
1971        Celina                                      1985     Shawnee
1972        Coldwater                                1986     Shawnee
1973        Defiance                                   1987     Celina 
1974        Elida                                         1988     Celina 
1975        Elida                                         1989     Celina             
1976        Defiance                                   1990     Celina 
1977        Defiance                                   1991     Celina 
1978        Defiance                                   1992     St Marys
1979        Defiance                                   1993     Defiance
1980        Defiance / Elida                         1994     Van Wert
1981        Van Wert                                  1995     Van Wert
1982        Van Wert                                  1996     Van Wert