CROSS COUNTRY District meets at Malone, Bazetta

McDonald and Maplewood are expected to contend for team championships.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
Area cross country runners will compete in district meets at two sites Saturday.
Division I schools, including Austintown Fitch, Boardman, Canfield and Howland, will compete at Malone College, while Div. II teams will run at the Trumbull County fairgrounds in Bazetta. The area's Div. III schools are split between the two sites.
In Div. I, the top five teams and individuals who finish in the top 20 but aren't part of a qualifying team will advance to the regional meet Oct. 28 at Boardman.
In Div. II, the top seven boys teams and individuals who finish 28th or better, and six girls teams and individuals in the top 24 will qualify.
At both sites in Div. III, the top four teams and individuals in the top 16 will advance.
The boys Div. III race at Bazetta will feature McDonald and Maplewood in a battle for team laurels, but Jackson-Milton's Luke McCluggage, with the area's best time (16 minutes, 5 seconds) is the athlete to beat.
Challengers
He'll be challenged by McDonald's Joe Kunkel (16:22) and Jason Corman (16:35), South Range's Dan Nemergut (16:23) and Maplewood's Chris Rupe (16:49).
In the girls race, South Range's Ann Sanders (20:16), Badger's Samantha Bonar (20:16), Ursuline's Tiffany Walsh, Western Reserve's Michelle Buck and LaBrae's Peggie Nichols will contend.
The race for the Div. II boys title will feature defending champion Cardinal Mooney and Salem in the field of 22 schools.
At last week's Sim Earich Invitational, Salem (108 points) and Mooney (142) finished second and third, respectively.
The Quakers' will have Patrick Gorby (16:57), Aiman Scullion (17:06), Paul Shivers (17:19) and Matt Yanek (17:46) competing against Mooney's Colin Durina (16:49).
What may be the closest girls run of the meet has Poland's Colleen Moran (19:38) and Molly Noll; Salem's Diedre Clary (19:38), Erin Murphy and Kimberly Kenst, and Struthers' Terri George entered in a strong field.
Durkin has best time
Boardman's Brittany Durkin finished ninth (20:25) at the Div. I run at Malone last year and she'll start Saturday with the area's best time (19:36).
In the field of 15 schools will also be the Spartans' Jessica Moore (20:31), Canfield's Hayley Ramunno (21:09) and Regina Bresson (21:29).
Canfield's Andy Fusco, Boardman's Jim Hlebak and Dave Haushalter and Howland's Vinny Freeman will contend in the boys Div. I run.
Columbiana, Lisbon, Leetonia and Southern will be among 18 boys and 17 girls teams in Div. III races, with Lisbon's Lindsay Brickner (20:10) and Leetonia's Melissa DiPanfilo competing in the girls run and Columbiana's Jian Yank, Leetonia's Sean Hulbert and Lisbon's Mark West participating in the boys race.