PREP TRACK & amp; FIELD Howland boys look to finish job

Eight Trumbull County meet girls records fell.
By DOUG CHAPIN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CORTLAND -- Howland High, considered a pre-meet favorite in the boys competition, took control of the Trumbull County Track and Field Meet Tuesday while record performances were out of control on the girls side with eight county meet standards bested.
Three events were finalized in both boys and girls competition and preliminary qualifying was held to narrow the field in each event to eight for Thursday's finals. Competition begins Thursday at 5 p.m.
Howland scored 37 points in the events completed Tuesday, outdistancing two-time defending champion Harding High and host Lakeview High with 12 points each.
"We've done a little better than we expected in some events and not quite as good in some others," Howland coach Jack Tominey said about the Tigers' performance.
"We got a 1-2 finish in the high jump, which is better than we figured, and George Fetchko, who is primarily a discus guy, threw 50-11 in the shot put," Tominey said. "He's never thrown over 50 feet before."
Key points
Fetchko finished second in the shot put to Lakeview's George Washko, while Howland's Dusty Rose added important points with a fourth-place finish. The Tiger tandem of Brandon Alexander and Scott Day were first and second in the high jump.
"It helps to rack up points early, and hopefully we'll have a big enough lead for Thursday," Tominey said. "But we still have to do the job on Thursday. If we don't, then it doesn't matter how many points you have the first day."
Tominey listed Harding and Warren Kennedy as challengers along with distance-running powers Maplewood and McDonald.
Howland picked up some key points with a third-place finish in the 3200-meter relay. Maplewood's team of Derek Armstrong, Paul Moser, John Palmer and Craig Rupe outdueled McDonald to win the race.
Good shape
Howland is in good shape for Thursday with two qualifiers in five individual events, and one each in the other two races. The Tigers also have the best qualifying time in three events, including the 400-meter relay in which Howland tied the meet record with a time of 43.0.
Speaking of meet records, all three girls events finished Tuesday were won with record performances, and five others were set in qualifying.
Girard girls standout Cachet Murray broke three records. She won the long jump with a leap of 17-10 (the previous mark was 16-2) and posted meet-record qualifying times in the 100 (11.9) and 200 (24.7).
The other events finished Tuesday also saw meet records fall. Champion's Nicole Okerlund, Danielle Bafunno, Jenna Rose and Marlena Wolfe set a mark of 10:08.7 in winning the 3200-meter relay, while Kennedy's Michelle Rossio uncorked a record 140-7 toss to win the discus.
Jennifer Grayson of Maplewood bettered two meet records, but will get credit for setting just one. She is the record-holder in the 300-meter hurdles with her 46.0 effort, but though her 15.4 time in the 100-meter hurdles is better than the previous mark of 15.6, LaBrae's Laura Kreft stands as the record-holder with a 15.3 qualifying time.
Liberty's 400-meter relay team set the other record Tuesday with a 50.1 mark.
Current standings have Kennedy and Girard with 17 points each and Champion with 16.