Monday, February 23, 2004
Stacey Havaich is one of the best distance runners in the OAC.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BEREA -- Stacey Havaich, a senior middle-distance runner for the Baldwin-Wallace College indoor track meet from Austintown Fitch High, is enjoying a strong start this season.
Competing in her second year of track at B-W after transferring from South Florida after her sophomore year, Havaich posted four wins in the Yellow Jackets' first five meets, entering this weekend's schedule.
She opened the season by winning the 1,000-meter run in 3 minutes, 11.38 seconds at the B-W Mid-January Meet.
Then, after contributing to the winning 4x800 relay (9:56) at the Ohio Athletic Conference Relays held at B-W, Havaich won the 880 (2:23.09) at the Case Western Reserve Meet to help the Yellow Jackets win the nine-school competition.
Last Friday, she won the 1,500 in 4:55.86 at the Paul "Sparky" Adams Meet held at B-W, to lead the Yellow Jackets to their second straight title.
Provisional qualifier
Last year, Havaich won a track letter and was a provisional NCAA Division III indoor national qualifier in the 800, although she failed to make the final cut.
She also had the team's top times for the season in the 800 (2:14.07) and 1,000 (3:07.12).
Then, in the 2003 outdoor campaign, Havaich had the team's best 1,500 time (4:46.06) at the Emory (Ga.) University Spring Break Invitational.
But she was injured most of the spring and did not compete at the OAC Championships.
Cross country, too
Havaich also ran her second season of cross country at B-W in 2003, and earned her second letter.
She had top times of 19:34 for 5 kilometers at the Otterbein Invitational, and 25:03 for 6 kilometers at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Invitational.
As a junior in 2002, her best 5-kilometer time was 20:28 which she achieved twice, first at the Bowling Green State University Mel Brodt Invitational, and then at the All-Ohio Intercollegiate Cross Country Championship Meet.
The daughter of Robert and Marcey Havaich, Stacey is majoring in fitness management and is planning to become a college coach.
While at Fitch, she was a five-time state qualifier, twice in cross county and three times in track. She had a career-best time of 5:11 in the 1600.
kovach@vindy.com