An award for a guy named Joe

McDonald senior Joe Kunkel spent much of this spring joking with me about (pick one): giving last year's "Best Hair" award to Jackson-Milton senior Luke McCluggage; not interviewing teammate Jason Corman ("It's all he talks about," Kunkel said); and teammate Anthony Puntel's vomiting habit. ("That's leaving it all on the track.")
Kunkel then trimmed his trademark 'fro before the state meet, severely hurting his chances to win a "Best Hair" award. After helping the Blue Devils win a state title in the 4x800-meter relay, I told him as much.
"I don't care," he said. "I've finally got a real one."
Still, I feel bad.
So, in honor of Kunkel, I've decided to award this year's "Best Hair" award to ... Boardman high jumper George Jonda.
But I wouldn't want Kunkel to go home empty-handed, so I've decided to give him an award after all: "Best first name."
Congratulations, Joe. You've earned it.
More pointless awards
Favorite athletes to watch: Girard junior Cachet Murray (who is almost hilariously athletic), Mark Lipinsky (who runs best in big meets), Ursuline junior Derrick Stewart (his anchor leg on the 4x400 relay that gave the Irish a district title was probably my favorite race of the season), Springfield junior Nick Panezich ("Panezich" just sounds like a thrower's name) and Cleveland Glenville senior Ted Ginn (who is not from the area, but he's amazing to watch).
Favorite athletes to interview: Warren JFK senior Shane Golden (some athletes hate to be in the spotlight; I think Golden hates to be out of it), Mineral Ridge junior Levi Leigh (you never know what he's going to say), Maplewood junior Jen Grayson (who also gets points for supplying me with gum), Boardman senior Brittany Durkin (who I've interviewed more than any other athlete over the last three years) and Girard senior Gary Chaney (who I've never technically interviewed; Gary's just a cool guy).
Best place to watch a meet: Fitch Stadium, which, in addition to being a nice venue, also holds two-thirds of the world's supply of wind.
Worst place to watch a meet: Surprisingly, Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus. Not enough parking. Not enough seating. Bad podium location. (Hey, move it to the infield like everyone else.) Bad prices. (Almost $4 for Powerade? Are you kidding me?)
They should call it "Not as good as Welcome Stadium" Stadium.
Oh, and one more thing: People with back hair should not be allowed to wear tank tops. Ever.
Best P.A. announcement: At the Optimist meet: "A retainer has been found. Please check your mouth."
Five quotes I loved the most
*Levi Leigh ran with a stress fracture in his ankle this season, prompting his doctor to suggest he not run.
"That's what my doctor says," he said. "But what my doctor doesn't know, doesn't hurt [him]."
Leigh went on to win a state title in the 110-meter hurdles.
*Boardman's Jenna Agnew, on running the 800: "You just tell yourself to go out fast and it'll be OK. You think you're going to die, but you won't."
*Murray, when she was told that lightning had canceled the final event of the Trumbull Athletic Conference meet: "My girls said we're going home! No four-by-four, baby!"
Murray, by the way, dislikes running the 400.
*McDonald sophomore Ashleigh Tondo, when asked if she felt good after anchoring the winning 4x800 relay at the Trumbull County meet: "Well, not physically."
*At the Trumbull County meet, I asked Jen Grayson if she was sad that Western Reserve's two-time state high jump champion Anna Marie Ricciardi had graduated. "Last season, she asked me what I was going to do when she's gone," Grayson said. "I told her I would cry a lot ... with tears of victory."
Grayson went on to win a state title in the high jump. She did not cry.
XJoe Scalzo is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write him at scalzo@vindy.com.