Sunday, May 26, 2002
The boys and girls track teams finished first in the Division I meet, complementing baseball and softball.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AUSTINTOWN -- These are high times at Boardman High.
For the second straight year, the Spartans have won four district titles -- softball, baseball and boys and girls track.
"It's pretty amazing," Boardman athletic director Jim Fox said.
The Spartans completed the double dip by cruising to team titles at Saturday's Division I district track and field meet at Fitch High School. The Boardman girls won their second straight district title with a 1611/2 to 75 edge over Fitch and the boys held a 1191/4 to 97 edge over Warren Harding.
Best ever
"This is the best team I've ever had," Spartan girls coach Denise Gorski said. "They love to work, they love to practice and they want to get better and better. They're an inspiration to me and the whole coaching staff."
Amber Bland, who won the high jump on Thursday, won the 100, 200 and was part of the winning 4x400 relay with Brittany Durkin, Monica Cuevas and Liz Yazbek. Durkin also won the 1600 and finished second to Cuevas in the 800.
The top four in each event advance to Thursday's regional at Fitch High.
The Spartans are sending a school-record 14 girls to regionals and have qualified in 12 events, one of the two best showings in school history.
Has the Spartan success started to snowball?
"I think so," Durkin said. "Amber won the high jump and our 4x800 relay team won on Thursday. It was kind of like a good start for everyone."
Boardman junior Allison Brager set a school and district record in the pole vault with a jump of 9 feet, 3 inches. It was the first year for the girls pole vault. Ashley Kohler took second in the shot.
For Fitch, senior Marian Steele, who finished second in the shot on Thursday, won the discus, and the Falcon relay of Sarah Baker, Lavonda Mayes, Stephanie Davis and Sarah Tate took first in the 4x100.
District dominance
Boardman senior Tom Albani won the 3200 and took second in the 1600 to lead the Spartan boys. Russ Waller, who was battling illness, also qualified in the two distance events.
Evan Beard and Steve Vallos finished 1-2 in the shot put and Mark Lipinsky finished second in the 110 hurdles.
Boardman has won six of the last seven boys titles.
"I think when anyone wins a team district title that's a testimony to a lot of quality people involved with program," Boardman boys coach Dave Pavlansky. "It's a lot of fun and I feel really blessed to be a part of it."
Treymayne Warfield was the first victim of the area's hammy triple whammy. He was also the luckiest. It happened early.
The Warren Harding senior pulled his hamstring at the Cope Invitational in April. Since then, Ursuline hurdler Tim Videl and Boardman hurdler Rich Lepore have tore their hamstrings. Both will miss the rest of the season.
Warfield was out for a month and he's still not in peak form.
"I'm still getting back into it. I'm still a little nervous," he said. "But it's just a matter of time. I'm getting close."
Warfield, the nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Paul Warfield, ran the area's fastest time (48.86) this season to win the 400-meter.
"I feel a lot better," he said. "My major goal is just to get to state," he said.
Harding junior Tjawonkher Davis shook off a poor showing at Fitch's Optimist meet from a few weeks ago to finish first in the 100 and 200.
Raider junior Antwaun Molden won the 110 and 300 hurdles to cap a big day for the Raiders, who were .01 off the district record in the 4x100 relay.
"I just kept pushing myself," Molden said. "I don't expect nothing, and nothing comes easy. You gotta work for it. I'm looking forward to doing the same thing I did here [at regionals]."
Niles junior Nathan Wilson jumped 6-2 to win the high jump.
scalzo@vindy.com