Running down a state dream

McDonald, Maplewood and Salem are headed to Columbus next Saturday.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- Sloppy, slimy, muddy and grimy, South Range runners Dan Nemergut and Doug Miller trudged through the rain, up the hills, over the muck and into Columbus.
How was it?
"It was fun," Nemergut said.
Well, not all of it. Fifteen minutes later, Nemergut and Miller stood next to their teammates at Saturday's regional meet at Boardman High School as the Division III team results were written on a board, in descending order.
The top three teams would advance to Columbus. Middlefield Cardinal took third. Everyone knew McDonald would be first.
That left one spot.
Suddenly, the Maplewood crowd erupted into a huddle of hugs, shouts, tears and smiles. For the 15th straight year, the Rockets were going to the state meet.
And the Raiders were on the outside looking in.
"I felt so bad for South Range," said Maplewood coach Ted Rupe. "It's a shame that only three get there, but I'm happy to be one of the three."
Maplewood, the two-time defending state champions, lost its two top runners in midseason after they violated team rules, putting their state streak in jeopardy.
"We've been there 15 years and this was maybe the toughest," Rupe said. "It was just a team effort. They made it as a team. They cared about each other. They kept our tradition going."
Headed to Columbus
Nemergut, who finished second at last year's state meet, placed second behind Mogadore senior Kevin Somerville. Badger senior Aaron Titus took seventh, Miller was eighth and Lordstown senior Tom Andriko placed ninth. The top 12 not on a qualifying team advanced to the state meet as individuals.
"It's so much more fun to run when the stakes are higher," said Miller. "You get a chance to run against the best and see how good you really are."
McDonald, the state's top-ranked team, has finished as state runners-up the past two years. They lost several top runners to graduation, but the younger runners have filled the gap. Sophomores Joe Copploe (11th) and Taylor Sowers (14th) were the Blue Devils' top two runners on Saturday.
"We've been living by the pack," said McDonald coach Chris Rupe. "You never know the order we're going to be in, but we seem OK with that. They're just running well as a team right now."
Moving on
Salem placed second in Div. II behind Walsh Jesuit (108-116), but it wasn't enough to satisfy coach Mike Almond.
"We made it out and that was the important thing," Almond said. "We just need to learn from our mistakes today. Our goal is to win it next week. I think we're capable of doing that."
Junior Aiman Scullion placed 17th and sophomore Patrick Gorby was 21st to lead Salem, which was ranked first in the latest state poll.
"These guys are psycho," Almond said, smiling. "We run 340 days a year, through rain, snow, 90 degree weather, anything. They're totally committed."
Mooney junior Colin Durina placed sixth to earn an individual spot -- the only area runner in Div. II to do so.
Boardman sophomore Rick Lape placed 18th in Div. I to just miss qualifying by two spots. His brother, Jake, placed 24th.
scalzo@vindy.com