Area's best begin quest for Columbus

Salem will try to successfully defend its district titles.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
The Salem High cross country teams swept last year's Division II district meets.
On Saturday, they'll try to do it again.
Deirdre Clary, last year's district champion, will join Liz Shivers, who placed fourth at last week's Sim Earich meet, as the Quakers defend the girls title against 19 other schools at Trumbull County Fairgrounds.
Salem has already won Metro Athletic Conference, Columbiana County and Sim Earich titles.
Poland, which placed second at last year's district meet, and West Branch (fifth last year) will challenge the Quakers.
Poland senior Colleen Moran, who holds the area's best time (18:57), and teammate Lauren Fithian will lead the Bulldogs.
Salem, which has four athletes among the area's best 14 times, will battle Mooney for the boys title. Colin Durina (15:59) leads the Cardinals, who placed second at last year's state meet.
Poland's Jimmy Ramson (16:03) will compete for the individual title.
Division III
Maplewood's Ro Rupe, Krista Humphrey and Nikki Grant will lead the Rockets, who will defend their girls district title against 22 schools.
Pymatuning Valley junior Tracee Gruskiewicz (19:47.1) will compete for the individual title.
McDonald, the state's top-ranked team in Div. III, will try to defend its district crown against Maplewood, South Range and Lordstown in the 18-team field. Those four teams finished first through fourth last year.
South Range's Dan Nemergut and Doug Miller, McDonald's Andy Thornton and Joe Copploe and Lordstown's Tom Andriko will compete for the individual title.
Malone district
Boardman, Canfield, Fitch and Howland will compete in the 15-team Div. I field at Malone College on Saturday.
Boardman's Michelle Bistrica and Lauren Blase and Canfield's Lauren Escaro will look to advance to next week's regional at Boardman.
Twin brothers Jake and Rick Lape of Boardman, Ross Lenehan of Fitch and Vinny Freedman and Chad Holly of Howland are entered in the boys race, which has 16 schools competing.
Columbiana, Leetonia, Lisbon and Southern will compete in a field of 19 girls and 18 boys teams in the Div. III race.
Leetonia's Melissa DiPanfilo (19:58) will contend for the individual title.