Spartan meet pits area’s best

The field includes 4,512
runners from middle school through high school.

BOARDMAN — Jackson-Milton’s Samantha Hamilton brings the area’s best time (19 minutes, 20 seconds) into Saturday’s Spartan Invitational cross country meet at Boardman High School.

The meet, in its 22nd year, will have a record 4,512 athletes from 176 boys teams and 180 girls teams, ranging from middle school through high school.

Warren JFK’s Audrey Maheu, Columbiana’s Stephanie Case and McDonald’s Callie Garland are some of the area athletes that will contend in the girls varsity Division III run at 9:30 a.m.

The event begins with the boys Div. III run at 9 a.m. followed by boys Div. II JV, 10 a.m.; boys Div. II varsity, 10:30; girls Div. II JV, 11 a.m.; girls Div. II varsity, 11:30; boys Div. I JV, 12 p.m.; boys Div. I varsity, 12:30; girls Div. I JV, 1 p.m.; girls Div. I varsity, 1:30; boys middle school team race, 2 p.m.; girls middle school team race, 2:25; boys middle school open race, 2:50; and girls middle school open race, 3:15.

Last year, 3,700 boys and girls competed. Boardman High finished second in the boys Div. I run and the Spartans’ Sam Deskin (16:58), Matt More (17:09) and Fitch’s Josh McHenry (17:49) should contend.

Visitors

The strong field will include Cleveland St. Ignatius, Hudson, the Federal League’s Canton GlenOak, North Canton Hoover, Perry, Jackson and Lake; Pittsburgh Gateway; and Morgantown, W.Va.

The Div. II boys run will have Struthers’ Robert Zanni (17:18) and Lakeview’s Tyler Ames (17:12) entered in a strong field of runners.

Area schools in the boys Div. III run are McDonald, which finished second last year, Badger, Columbiana, East Palestine, Lisbon, Mineral Ridge, Lordstown, Maplewood and Warren JFK.

Eric Rupe (17:42) of Maplewood and T.J. Holland and Mitchell Thornton of McDonald will contend.

Lauren Agnew (20:27) of Boardman will compete in the girls Div. I run, while Christine Oles (20:44) of Mooney and Katelyn Ardale (20:56) of Struthers will compete in the Div. II race.

Oles, who placed 16th and West Branch’s Nicole Culler, 18th, are the only area girls returning that finished in the top 50 last year.