Poland Invitational to attract 59 teams

The meet director expects the strongest field ever.
By MARK W. MILLER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
POLAND -- With the track and field season approaching the halfway point, 29 boys and 30 girls teams will compete Saturday in the 12th Poland Invitational at Poland High's stadium.
Preliminaries and finals in field events will start at 9:15 a.m., along with the sprint and hurdle preliminaries and semifinals, and the girls and boys 3200 run finals. After a short break the rest of the running finals will be held.
"We'll have several of last year's state qualifiers coming which makes this one of the strongest field of teams we have ever had," meet director John Jeren said.
Twenty of the schools competing will be represented by some athletes who are listed in the area's top track marks.
Warren JFK's Aubrey Maheu (2 minutes, 19 seconds) and Michelle Chaves (2:27) and Poland's Lauren Fithian (2:26.6) will contend.
3200 run
In the 3200 run, Lauren Esarco of Canfield, sisters Lauren and Liz Shivers and Erin Murphy of Salem and Kayla Witmer of South Range have times this season of 11:23, 11:35, 11:41 and 11:45 respectively.
Junior Audra Frimpong of Canfield is the defending champ in the long jump. She has the area's best jump (17 feet, 6 inches) this season.
In the high jump, Struthers' Ashley Galbraith is back to defend her 2006 record effort (5-6).
Howland's Garren Byrant (11.0), South Range's David Maxwell (11.0), Liberty's Fitzgerald Edwards (11.0) and Warren JFK's Jared Province (11.0) will be featured in a fast field of 100-meter sprinters.
Antoine Rucker (50.1) of Warren Harding, Daniel Hull (50.3) of Warren JFK, David Rach (50.5) of South Range, John Lee (50.7) and Matt Moffet (50.9) of Salem are entered in the 400.
Jeremiah Folger (55-9) of Salem is the athlete to beat in the shot put, while Christopher Anzevino (53-3) of Warren Harding will be featured in the discus (161-7).
Area schools entered in the meet are Alliance (boys), Campbell, Canfield, Chaney, Fitch (boys), Girard, Howland, Hubbard, LaBrae, Lakeview, Liberty, Maplewood, Newton Falls, Poland, Salem, South Range, Struthers (girls), Warren JFK, Warren Harding and Wilson.