SALEM Skating Vipers set to open season

Nearly 100 speedskaters from around the region will compete Sunday.
By MARK W. MILLER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
SALEM -- The Salem Vipers speed skating team will host the season-opening Ohio Buckeye Speed Skating League meet Sunday at the Salem Fast Break Family Entertainment and Skating Center.
Richard Juillerat, Salem's coach, expects 95 skaters from Mansfield, Lorain, Newark, Marion, Tallmadge, Salem and Wisconsin and Michigan to participate.
Excell of Michigan has 30 skaters, some from Ohio and Wisconsin, that won high points in the league last year.
Salem players
Competing for Salem will be Megan Ash, Derek Anderson, Jarrod Badget, John Cannon, Andrew and Ben Graber, Shyla Hively, Clay and Chase Hoperich and Allison and Alysha Jones.
"This team is new. Its our second year and we are coming along well with are progress and effort. They are bunch of good kids." said Juillerat.
Juillerat has been coaching for 30 years and he said Chase Hoperich (7-years-old) should be one of the individuals to watch in the primary class and that he is going to be an outstanding skater.
"You are going to see some of Ohio's finest speedskaters, some are national champs and there is the possibility that few that will compete are with the World Team," said Juillerat.
He said that some skaters will be older then 45, with few in the 60-year-old range.
The senior men (18-15), with two heats, will get competition underway at 6 a.m. and Juillerat said times as fast as 9.2 seconds could be recorded for the 500-meter races.
"We hold the first league meet every year," said Juillerat, "usually the second week in November and it's something we can handle with ease."
Tickets for the event will cost $3. The league will also hold meets Dec. 14 in Mansfield, Jan. 25 (2004) in Marion, Feb. 29 in Tallmadge, March 28 in Michigan and April 25 in Newark.
Schedule
The race schedule: Senior men (2 qualifying 500 meters), 6 a.m. Following will be (novice short events) tiny tot boys, primary girls and boys, juvenile girls and boys, elementary girls and boys, freshman girls and boys, sophomore men, junior ladies and men, senior ladies and men, classic men, master ladies and men and veteran ladies and men, (novice division long races) senior men (two heats), tiny tot boys, primary girls and boys, juvenile girls and boys, elementary girls and boys, freshman girls and boys, sophomore men, junior ladies and men, senior men (two heats 1000 meter), primary boys (300 meter), elementary girls and boys (500 meter), sophomore ladies and men (1000 meter), senior ladies (1000), men (1500), master ladies (700), master men (1000), esquire men (500), Juvenile girls and boys (300), freshman girls and boys (500), junior ladies and men (1000), classic men (1000), veteran ladies and men (700). Elementary 2 girls and 2 boys relays, sophomore lady and man relays, senior lady and man relays and veteran man relay.