Raiders, Rams rule ICL

Mineral Ridge freshman Nicole Honsaker won four events.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NEW MIDDLETOWN -- Mineral Ridge senior Levi Leigh walked over to South Range senior Justin Carolyne after Wednesday's 300-meter hurdles and said, "Don't worry, you've still got two on me."
After three straight losses to Carolyne, Leigh ran a 39.1 in the event to set an Inter-County League meet record on Wednesday. Carolyne finished in the top three in four events to help the Raiders win the team title.
Not a bad day for either one.
"I think it's a friendly rivalry," Carolyne said. "He's a tremendous athlete and it helps to have that competition."
And when it comes to league meets, it helps to have depth.
South Range finished in the top four in all but two events to become the first team other than McDonald to win the boys ICL title this century, edging Springfield 135-102. McDonald was third with 98 points.
"We definitely stepped up," said Carolyne, a state qualifier in the 300 hurdles last year. "This is one of the best teams we've ever had."
Carolyne anchored the winning 4x400 relay -- he edged Leigh in that race -- to put an exclamation point on the victory.
"I'm tired," he said.
"I think this is the hardest day of track I've ever had in my life."
Leigh also won the long jump and set a meet record in the 110 hurdles with a personal-best time of 14.4. (To put that in perspective, he won last year's Division III state championship in 14.67.)
Springfield senior Nick Panezich broke his own meet record in the discus with a throw of 183 feet, 7 inches. He also won the shot put.
Other double winners included South Range's Dan Nemergut (1600, 3200) and Springfield's Matt Morell (100, 200, 4x100 relay).
Girls
On the girls side, Mineral Ridge freshman Nicole Honsaker won three individual events and was a member of a winning relay as the Rams edged defending champ Lowellville for the team title, 130-91.
"I'm excited, but I'm sore," she said, smiling.
Honsaker shook off a sore hamstring and a sore knee to win the 100, 200, 400 and 4x200 relay. And, unlike most sprinters, she actually likes the longer distances.
"Oh, I love the 400," she said. "I love everything about it. It's not too short, it's not too long. It's perfect."
Lowellville's Rachel Mariotti won both hurdling events, set a meet record in the 300 hurdles (46.6) and helped the Rockets win the 4x400 relay. Her teammate, Rachel Nentwick, won the high jump and long jump.
Western Reserve sophomore Alex Rathburn missed setting a league record in the shot put by 1/4 of an inch, throwing 39-0.
"Yeah, it's not fair," she said, laughing. "But that's all right. I am definitely going to get that next year."
Rathburn placed fifth in the event at last year's state meet, continuing the Blue Devils' tradition of good throwers. The most recent was Amanda Barbone, who was a state qualifier in both throwing events last year.
Is it the coaches or is it the athletes?
"It's the coaches," she said. "Definitely the coaches."
Rathburn works with her school coach, Lew Speece, during the season and her Junior Olympic coach, Ed Wilson, in the summer. Wilson works with a lot of area throwers, which is one reason why there are so many good area throwers.
"Everyone's technique is different, but they're all strong," she said.
Rathburn is improving in the discus, but she's still better in the shot. And she's hoping to build on what she started last year.
"I want to throw 125 in the discus and 42 in the shot," she said. "Hopefully, that will get me to state and I can finish in the top three.
"That's my goal this year."
scalzo@vindy.com