Faith helps Warren JFK place with record time

The girls 4x800 relay team finished sixth at the state meet.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
COLUMBUS -- Warren JFK coach Tim McNeil saw something in his 4x800-meter girls relay team this season that a few of his athletes didn't see.
Potential.
"We didn't think we could do it, but Coach McNeil had faith in us," freshman Michelle Chaves said.
But, as everyone knows, faith without work is dead.
So when McNeil put Chaves together with juniors Lauren Broadbent and Chelsey Morganstern and sophomore Jenn Natale, he wanted more than just faith in return. He wanted effort.
And he got it.
Finding their place
The Eagles broke their school record with a time of 9:44.17 -- more than eight seconds lower than their previous record -- to finish sixth in the event at Friday's Division III track and field meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
"We knew we couldn't do it alone," Chaves said. "It had to be a team effort."
They were the first girls from Warren JFK to place in a running event at the state meet.
"I don't think anyone expected this," Broadbent said.
Ursuline placed ninth in the event and McDonald was 13th.
In Div. II, Beaver Local senior Paula Ferry placed fifth in the long jump and Champion senior Maren Kemp took eighth. Salem senior Aubree Horning finished 15th in the shot put.
In Div. I, Boardman's 4x800 relay team placed 13th.