McDonald's 'fifth man' aids state relay title

The Blue Devils' 4x800-meter boys relay team won the Division III state championship.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
COLUMBUS -- Forget what you may have heard. There aren't four members of McDonald's 4x800-meter boys relay team.
There's five.
"We had five guys who have been competing for these spots all year," senior Jason Corman said. "It made us a better team."
On Friday, it made them a championship team.
With Aaron Thornton watching from the stands, McDonald's team of Tyler Lunn, Joe Kunkel, Anthony Puntel and Corman ran 7:59.11 to place first in the event at the Division III state meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
"It's an amazing feeling," Kunkel said. "I haven't experienced this since I was a sophomore in cross country. There's really nothing like it. It's crazy."
The Blue Devils, who won the event in 1999 and 2000, finished in the top three the past three years. Maplewood won the event the past three years and also has finished ahead of McDonald at the state cross country meet the past two years after the Blue Devils won the title in 2001.
Lunn's first gold
The gold medal was a first for Lunn, who missed the 2001 state cross country meet because of bronchitis.
"I was psyched about this year," Lunn said. "We knew we'd have the four fastest guys on the track and we ran the best we could."
McDonald entered the meet with the best qualifying time and were favored to win.
"This was what we worked for all year," Kunkel said. "[But] qualifying times don't mean anything."
The first handoff wasn't perfect, but the Blue Devils slowly pulled in front. By the time Corman got the handoff, McDonald was in first and the title was in reach.
Down the stretch
Did he feel confident coming down the stretch?
"To tell you the truth, I was running scared," he said. "I knew there were some fast guys behind me."
Lordstown placed 12th in the event. Maplewood did not advance out of the regional meet, but the Rockets did factor into the result.
"[Over the years], Maplewood made us better and I think we made them better," McDonald coach Lou Domitrovich said. "If they wouldn't have been that good last year, we wouldn't be this good this year."
But graduation eventually took its toll on the Rockets and the Blue Devils finally had their chance.
On Friday, they took advantage of it.
"These guys have given so much to the program," said Domitrovich. "They're a credit to the community, to the county and to their families."
scalzo@vindy.com