Saturday, May 26, 2001
Poland's Andrew Frum and Girard's Matt Penza finished 1-2 in the 3200.
By MARK W. MILLER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
KENT -- Nine more area boys and two relays, plus nine more girls and four relays, have earned berths for next week's Division II state track and field meet in Dayton.
The 18 athletes and six relays qualified at Friday's Division II regional meet at Roosevelt High School.
Cleveland Benedictine won the team title with 591/2 points. Orange was second with 40. The top four in each event advanced to state.
At the top: Andrew Frum of Poland High's 2000 state championship squad and Matt Penza of Girard finished 1-2 in the 3200-meter run in 9 minutes, 24.54 seconds and 9:27.14, respectively.
"I set the tempo for the race," Frum said. "It felt awesome and I am going to run faster next week.
"I knew Penza was behind and kept close and that helped me. I knew if I didn't kick the last lap he would catch me."
Penza said, "I stayed right with him. You can't let a guy like Drew go or he'll bury you."
Lloyd Hewlett of Wilson, a senior, placed second in 100 meters in 10.07 seconds, third in the 200 (22.68) and he anchored the 4x100 relay to a second-place finish (43.69).
"I waited four years to go to state," Hewlett said. "In the 100, I maintained my pace all the way. In the 200, I felt tight, but had enough to do it."
Wilson coach Dan DiGiacomo said, "I couldn't be happier for him. He's gotten to the district and regional and now made it to state.
"He's worked so hard for four years and deserves to be there."
Irish qualifier: Ursuline's Adam Chatman earned a berth to state as he placed fourth in the 300 hurdles (39.40).
"I was disappointed I didn't make in the highs, so I decided I had to pick it up in the threes. I wanted to come here and do my best because I placed fifth here last year."
In the 800, John Papis of Cleveland Benedictine set a record in 1 minute, 53.15 seconds. A.J. Satterfield of East Palestine came in fourth in 1:57.6.
"It was fast, very fast," said Satterfield. "I knew I had to keep pushing with them and down the stretch my adrenaline was high and that helped me.
"After three years I finally made it to state and I did it by breaking our school record."
He set the mark at last week's district meet.
St. Thomas Aquinas won the girls team title with 521/4 points. Medina Buckeye was second with 391/4.
One more time: For the second year in a row, Jessica White of Liberty, a sophomore, qualified in three events for state.
Her 12.46 seconds in the 100 edged Salem freshman Lizzie Jesko (12.46) for first place. White was third in the 200 (25.83) and third in the 400 (58.21).
"Last year at state I was seventh in the 100 and 200 and second in the 400," White said. "I am very competitive and hard on myself."
The Quakers' Jesko also was second in the 200 (25.82).
Yvonne Parks, Salem's coach, said, "This was absolutely the right time for Jesko to do this. She is extraordinarily strong, has a wonderful work ethic and is very coachable.
"She asks, 'What do you want me to do and when do you want me to stop?' "
Georgiann Pavlich of Poland placed second in the 100 hurdles (15.23) and third in the 300 hurdles (45.92).
"The first hurdle [in the 100] slowed me up," Pavlich said. "I got my stride back and raced hard to the finish line."