Poland girls capture own invitational crown

Warren Harding easily won the boys team title.
POLAND -- The Poland High girls track and field team swept four relays Saturday to capture the Poland Invitational.
The Bulldogs took first place in the 4x100 (52.24), 4x200 (1:49.57), 4x400 (4:12.65) and 4x800 (9:53.37) relays en route to 110 points.
Also winning events for Poland were Amber Ferraro in the 100 hurdles (15.88) and Cassey Turic in the 800 (2:29.07).
Warren Harding won the boys meet convincingly, scoring 89 points to runner-up Lakeview's 581/2.
Jay Provitt won the 100 in 11.37 seconds for the Raiders, who also captured the 4x100 (43.77) and 4x200 (1:31.38) relays. The latter mark set a meet record, besting the Raiders' 2003 time of 1:31.57.
Lakeview's Justin Rush was named the running events MVP. He won the 110 hurdles (15.17) and 300 hurdles (40.67).
Springfield's Nick Panezich was at his best again. He set a meet record in the discus with a throw of 182-4, besting the previous mark of 173-0, held by Burton Berkshire's Dan Taylor in 2000.
Panezich also won the shot put (58-91/2) to capture field events MVP.
Chaney had a strong performance. Latalia Jones won the 100 (13.04) and 200 (26.95), while Clarence Howell set a meet record in the long jump (21-01/2). His mark topped the 20-113/4 that Massillon Jackson's Justin Campbell set in 2002.
Liberty Invitational
LIBERTY -- James Rook and Andra Sanders stole the individual spotlight. Liberty had the final say in the team competition.
Rook of Lordstown and Sanders of South Range were named MVPs of the Liberty Invitational, but the host school swept the boys and girls meets.
Rook won the 800 (2:08.4), 1600 (4:47.8) and 3200 (10:23.2) to lead the Lordstown boys to a runner-up finish with 101 points.
Liberty won the boys competition with 154 points and benefited from first-place finishes in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays.
Sanders swept the same events as Rook, winning the 800 (2:33.4), 1600 (5:35.6) and 3200 (12:00.36) as the South Range girls finished fifth in the team standings.
The Liberty girls scored 119 points for the victory. The Leopards won the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. In addition, Jasmine Smith was a double winner, finishing first in the 100 (12.02) and 200 (26.9).
Warrior Invitational
BELOIT -- Vallie Scott won two events and placed second in another to lead the West Branch High girls to victory.
Scott, who was named the running events MVP, won the 200 (26.40) and 400 (1:01.4), and finished second in the 100 as the host Warriors scored 155.33 points.
Danielle Cofojohn of Southeast swept the shot put (35-9) and discus (122-2) to earn field events MVP.
In the boys meet, Salem edged Howland, 96-95, for the title.
Three athletes -- Howland's Brandon Alexander, Champion's Steve Burkholder and Southeast's Sean Cornell -- shared the field events MVP.
Southeast's Pat Divoky was the running events MVP. He won the 400 (51.80), finished second in the 200 and fourth in the 100.
Hermitage Invitational
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Host Hickory swept meet titles in convincing fashion as the boys scored 117 points and the girls 143.
Ben Woods keyed the boys scoring by winning the shot put (50-1) and discus (144-7). The Hornets' 4x400 relay also prevailed in a meet-record 3:35.31.
Finishing first for the Hornet girls were Kara Morris in the 800 (2:28.59), Lauren Baldarelli in the 1600 (5:40.38), Mandy Carine in the pole vault (meet-record 10-0), Jessica Pissini in the shot put (37-21/2) and the 4x800 relay (meet-record 10:06.81).
Eastlake North Ranger Relays
EASTLAKE -- The Boardman girls scored 43 points to finish sixth in the meet won by Cleveland Collinwood with 144.
The Spartans' best finish was a third-place by Jessica Moore in the 1600 (5:25.22).