PREP TRACK Top teams vie for title at Poland
South Range and Liberty will look to repeat at the Liberty Invitational.
The ninth Poland Invitational track and field meet Saturday has 22 boys and 20 girls teams entered.
Warren Harding's boys and the Poland girls are returning to defend titles.
Some of the area's best athletes featured in the boys sprints will be Poland's Scott Streiner, Girard's Kevin Hetrick, Campbell Memorial's Darren Johnson, Warren Harding's Richard Davis and Warren Kennedy's Shane Golden.
Jackson-Milton's Luke McCluggage, Fitch's Ross Lenehan and Andrew Fontanarosa and South Range's Dan Nemergut will be among the contenders in the distance runs.
Sophomore Nick Panezich of Springfield will be the field athlete to beat, having the area's top marks in both the shot put (59 feet, 6 inches) and discus (185-9). Warren Harding's Anthony Hoke and Leetonia's Aaron Merrill will contend in the throws.
Jennifer Grayson of Maplewood, Jenna Higbee of Boardman, Tiffany Betras of Canfield, Casey Tunic of Poland and Angeline Cicero of Warren JFK should make the 300 hurdles competitive.
Chaney's Latalia Jones (12.6 seconds), Girard's Cachet Murray, Canfield's Emily Wollet, Lakeview's Katie Betts, Boardman's Jenna Agnew, Poland's Ellen Midgley and Campbell's Dominque Clark will be featured in the dashes.
10 schools entered
Ten schools will compete in the Liberty Invitational meet Saturday.
Field events will start at 10 a.m., with hurdle and spring semifinals and the girls 4x800 relay final to follow starting at 10:30. The boys 4x800 relay will get the rest of the finals underway after the semifinals are completed.
South Range returns to defend the boys' title. The Raiders' Dan Nemergut and Lordstown's James Rook will be featured in the distance runs. Liberty will be favored in the 4x200 and 4x100 relays.
Liberty is the returning girls' champion, with Jasmine Smith and Brittny Humphrey, two of the area's best sprinters, entered in the dashes and relays.
South Range's Andra Sanders (5:11) and (11:59.3) is the athlete to beat in the 1600 and 3200.
Seven schools will compete in the Warrior Invitational Saturday at West Branch's Clinton Heacock Stadium at 10 a.m.
Howland is the defending boys' champ and West Branch the defending girls' champ.