Sweet repeat for Ricciardi

By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
DAYTON -- Western Reserve senior Anna Marie Ricciardi had trouble sleeping Thursday night, but it wasn't because of nerves. Congestion maybe (she was battling the sniffles), but not nerves.
You see, Ricciardi doesn't get nervous before the state meet. She does get scared, however. (Apparently there's a difference.)
Ricciardi entered Friday's Division III as the defending state high jump champion and the overall Division III state record holder (5 feet, 9 inches), but she didn't enter with the best qualifying jump from last week's regional meets.
That belonged to Lancaster Fisher Catholic's Melissa Gressick, who jumped 5 feet, 7 1/4 inch -- just a half-inch off the state meet record.
Did she notice?
"Yeah," she said, laughing. "It scared me a little bit. I hadn't cleared 5-7 since I broke the record, but I knew I could do it."
She knew. And that's what separates her from everyone else.
"She's very poised," Western Reserve coach Marge Topoleski said. "Nothing seems to affect her. She takes everything in stride."
Everything, that is, except state titles.
Sweet repeat
Ricciardi jumped 5-7 Friday to repeat as the state champion, and immediately jumped into her coach's arms and smiled widely. It was slightly more subdued than last year's celebration -- she hugged everyone in sight -- but she spent the rest of the day in what could best be described as a very good mood.
"It felt like a big weight had been lifted off my shoulders," she said. "It feels great."
Last year, Ricciardi became the first girl in school history to win a state title. Now she's the first to win two.
"We finally got our name out there," Topoleski said. "It's nice for to be the one to do it. She's such a great girl and she's great to coach."
Just short of record
After clinching the title, Ricciardi missed three attempts at 5-7 3/4, falling just short of the state meet record.
"I really thought I was gonna get it," she said.
Although her high school career is over, her athletic career is not. Ricciardi -- who also holds the school scoring record in basketball -- will play basketball at Wilmington College next year.
She doesn't plan on running track, but she could change her mind.
"I'm just gonna wait and see," she said.
scalzo@vindy.com