TRACK AND FIELD A need for speed in area league meets

Area athletes will use this week as a tune-up for district competition.
This week's conference track and field meets will give athletes a final tune-up before district competition.
Bragging rights start Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Champion High with eight schools competing in the Trumbull Athletic Conference meet.
Some of the league's outstanding performers to watch are Liberty's Donovan Fletcher, the defending champion in the high jump (6 feet, 4 inches) and Marcellus Bowman (50 seconds) in the 400 meters. Three of the area's best will be in the throws, including defending champions Sarroyo Townsend of Girard in the shot put and Jackie Clonch of Newton Falls in the discus. Girard's Cachet Murray will defend her titles in the 100, 200 and long jump.
ICL
Springfield's Nick Panezich, perhaps the state's best thrower in any division, will defend his shot put (60-7) and discus (190-0) titles, and Mineral Ridge's Levi Leigh will be featured in the 100 and 300 hurdles at Wednesday's Inter-County League meet, hosted by Springfield at 4:30 p.m.
Lowellville's Rachel Mariotti will be the athlete to beat in the 100 (16.1) and 300 (47.8) hurdles.
TCL/SVC
The Tri-County League meet is Thursday at 4 p.m. at East Palestine.
That same day, Chaney, Rayen, Wilson, Mooney, Ursuline, Warren Harding, Warren JFK and Beaver Local will compete in the Steel Valley Conference meet at Chaney at 4:30 p.m.
Warren Harding's Benja'Lan (10.5 seconds) and J'Abneb (10.9) Provitt, Mooney's Mike Mazerik (10.6), Chaney's Michael Gibson (10.8) and Clarence Howell (11.0) will be featured in the 100.
Warren JFK's Angelene Cicero is the defending 300 hurdles champ, while Ursuline's Tiffani Miller will defend her titles in the 800 and 1600 runs.
MAC, Federal, NBC
Friday, Poland will host the Metro Athletic Conference meet at 4 p.m., Boardman and Fitch will compete in the Federal League meet at North Canton Hoover High, and West Branch will be host for the Northeastern Buckeye Conference meet at 2 p.m.
Salem's boys and Poland's girls are defending MAC champs.
The top five 3200 runners return, including defending champ Aiman Scullion (10:11.1) of Salem. Colleen Moran of Poland will be the athlete to beat in the girls 1600. The Bulldogs' Amber Ferraro is the defending 300 hurdle champ.
Adam Kagarise of Fitch will take the area's best 400 time (49.5) to North Canton Hoover for the Federal meet. Sam Cassano of the Falcons (170-4) will contend in the discus. Carrie Zorman, Jenna Agnew, Jessica Moore, Autumn Parrish, Lauren Fithian and Brooke Katzman make Boardman a threat for team honors.
The NBC meet at West Branch will feature the Warriors' Eric Baltputnis and Scot Thomas in the dashes and McKenzie Wallace will be the athlete to beat in the girls 800.