LAKEVIEW INVITATIONAL Champion boys, Lakeview girls gain sweet repeats
Champion's Ryan Petrick was in on four victories.
By DOUG CHAPIN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CORTLAND -- The husband-and-wife coaching team of Tom and Diane Neighbarger renewed their vows as it were Saturday at Lakeview High School by repeating the unique double victory they accomplished earlier this season.
The Champion boys -- coached by Tom -- and the Lakeview girls -- coached by Diane -- captured titles Saturday in the sixth annual Lakeview Invitational. In early April their teams also won titles in the Lakeview Relays competition.
Champion won seven events to win the boys competition convincingly over runner-up Ursuline, 115-77. Lakeview's girls posted wins in five events to defeat Champion, 102-88.
"The kids are coming along well; they're right where they should be at this time," Tom Neighbarger said.
"Everything is falling into place; the times are coming down and our distance runners are getting better," Diane said.
The Bulldogs dominated the sprint events getting wins from Katie Betts in the 100 and 200 and wins in both sprint relays. Betts ran with Gabby Stefura, Heidi Neighbarger and Ciera McCoy in the 400 relay and the 800 team included McCoy, Megan McBride, Heather Perkins and Ashley Gaffey. McCoy also was second in the 100. Lakeview's other triumph came from Heather Lewis in the discus.
Champion looks strong
Champion's Ryan Petrick was in on four victories, taking the 800 and 1600 runs and running a leg on the victorious 1600 and 3200 relays. He teamed with Jason Bacher, Mike Chapin and Craig Allen in the 3200 event and with Chapin, Adam Wargo and Zak Elioff in the 1600 relay. Elioff also won the 400 and finished second in both the 100 and 200. Steve Burkholder swept the throwing events for the Flashes.
The Neighbargers are looking ahead to the remainder of the season which includes the Trumbull County meet this week, the Trumbull Athletic Conference meet the following week and the Division II District meet after that.
"We'll take them one meet at a time, one day at a time in the case of the two-day meets," Tom said. "From here on in times don't matter as much as places, especially in the district."
"The district is by far the most important," Diane said. "It's what you run the whole season for. We don't really look at who we'll be running against in the next couple weeks as much as we'll look at getting our kids ready for the district."
Other winners
Saturday's second-place teams both were sparked by double winners. Adam Chatman of Ursuline swept the hurdle events while Marlena Wolfe of Champion won both the 800 and 1600 and teammate Danielle Bafunno won the 3200.
Brookfield's Lou Scudere dominated the boys sprints, winning the 100 and 200 and running the anchor leg on the Warriors‚ winning 400 relay team. He teamed with Joe Poltor, Jake Mortimer and Julian Hayes.
Josh Province of Lakeview won the long jump.
Ursuline's Ciera Bennett got in on two victories on the girls side, winning the 400 and anchoring the Irish 1600 relay team. She ran with Amber Miller, Jessica Kausits and Tiffany Walsh.
Heather Martin of Newton Falls won the long jump and Badger won the 3200 relay with Christine Miller, Tessa Bonar, Ashley Miller and Amanda Myers.