Mooney, Harding top two finishers

Ursuline's Nick Szugye (2:05.8) edged Colin Durina (2:05.9) in the 800.
By MARK W. MILLER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mooney distance runners Colin Durina and Sean Finnerty finished one-two in the 1600-meter race at the 2005 Steel Valley Conference track and field meet.
Thursday, the two distance runners defended those two places at the meet at Mooney High School.
Durina ran it in 4:41.7 and Finnerty in 4:46.4. as the Cardinals won their first boys SVC title with 1681/2 points.
Warren Harding took second with 151 points.
Christine Oles won the 1600 (5 minutes, 41.5 seconds) and the 3200 (12:24.9) to lead Mooney to the girls championship with 1361/2 points.
Ursuline finished second with 85.
Year's thinking
"Our team has been thinking about winning this meet since last year and we really wanted to win it," Durina said.
"They canceled the long jump early today because of rain and we were concerned that that might hurt our point total, said Finnerty, who also won the 3200 (10:33).
Mooney's Ken Coleman (21 feet, 1/4 inch) was favored to win the long jump.
Durina said that Finnerty always pressures him in the 1600 and that they practice together and that makes it a little easier when they run at meets."
In the closest race, Ursuline's Nick Szugye (2:05.8) edged Durina (2:05.9) at the tape to win the 800.
"I knew it was going to be either me or Durina during the last 100 meters and I tried my best not to let him get by me," Szugye said.
J'Abneb Provitt of Warren Harding took first place in the 100 (10.6 seconds), the 200 (21.7) and he was a member of the Raiders' winning 4x200 (1:30.1) and 4x100 (42.9) relays.
Lee wins 300 hurdles
Darren Lee of the Raiders (41.5) took the 300 hurdles.
"I am coming off a heel injury and was pushing myself," Lee said. "I wasn't overly concerned about the weather, I like running in the rain and was just trying to run the hurdles smooth and did that."
For the second straight year, Chaney High's Latalia Jones (12.2, 24.4) and Antoinette Smith (12.6, 26.4) finished one-two in the 100 and 200 dashes and were members of the winning 4x200 relay.
"We used this as a tuneup to get ready for the big meets," Jones said. "I got good starts in both races and the wet weather didn't affect either one of us."
Jennifer Natale, a senior at Warren JFK, won the 400 in 62.3, edging Mooney's Dayna Daltorio (62.4).
"I came in here with the fast time and knew it would be a dog fight, Natale said. "Daltorio pushed me and I am happy with my performance."
Allison wins high jump
Sophomore Darcy Allison of Beaver Local took the high jump (5-0).
"I've been stuck on five foot for the past three weeks and it will take (5-3) to get out of district next week," Allison said. "Hopefully, I can do that."
Mooney's Kelley Kait (31-11) and Gretchen Haug (31-4) finished one-two in the shot put. Haug (106-1) won the discus.