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Boardman High boys get running start
Sam Deskin, Joe Sazak, Ryan Westfall, Seth Westfall, Brandon Pasvanis and Eddie Adu-Poku are contributing.
BOARDMAN — The veteran Boardman High boys cross country team is off to a running start, having won two Suburban League runs and the Salem Early Bird Invitational meet.
Junior Sam Deskin has placed first in three runs and has the area’s best time (16 minutes, 21 seconds).
But the Spartans also have seniors Joe Sazak and twins Ryan and Seth Westfall, who are contributing to the team’s success as are junior Brandon Pasvanis and sophomore Eddie Adu-Poku.
“Every day this summer, we worked hard and it looks promising,” Deskin said. “You have to shoot for the stars and see where it goes.
“Our goal as a team is to make it to state or individually to reach the top 16 to get out of regionals,” Deskin said. “We encourage anyone younger to come out for cross country, it keeps you busy and involved.
“Joe and the twins are pretty much the leadership for the young guys coming up,” Deskin said. “Ryan Dunn, who always runs solid, all the guy look up to him.
“We all get along together, go out after meets and eat and pretty much pal around after school, after our assignments are done,” Deskin said.
Deskin is involved in spring track where he competes in mile and two-mile runs. He has a 3.5 grade-point average and plans to go to college. He also plays in the Boardman High orchestra with a double stand-up base.
“Coach [Dave] Pavlansky is really nice,” Deskin said. “We wouldn’t be half the runners [and] men that we are if it wasn’t for him.
“He motivates and keeps us on track and we all have to thank him for that,” Deskin said.
Pavlansky said, “The guys are aware of the running tradition at Boardman and every year the group that comes through makes the program a little bit better and they achieve a little bit more.
“Even though Sam is a junior, the real strength of our team are the seniors,” Pavlansky said. “Sazak [and] the twins Ryan and Seth lead a class of seniors that is full of leadership potential. We have 10 seniors and they do a great job.”
Ryan Westfall said that Seth has been running since the seventh grade and that he started running his freshman year.
“We always encourage each other and have friendly competition,” Ryan said.
The brothers plan on going to college. Ryan, who carries a 3.5 GPA, is looking at Cincinnati and Seth, who has a 3.7 GPA, is looking at Case-Western Reserve.
Both are members of the National Honor Society and Boardman Student Council where Seth is president and Ryan is vice president of communications.
“The four of us usually lead the workouts and provide the leadership,” Ryan said. “Generally, we do stretching and warm-ups and mobilities for strength and a lot of running, five to six miles when we aren’t in a meet and other times six to seven miles.
“When the four of us run we try to build on the strength of each other and try for faster times.”
“Right now we aren’t at state times where we would like to be, so we have to continue to work hard so that we can peak at the right time because our goal is to make it to state,” Stazak said.
Stazak plans to attend college and carries a 3.5 GPA. He’s a member of the Boardman varsity track and field team and races in 800, mile and two mile events.
“Coach Pavlanksy keeps us in line with a fun-like atmosphere, but when we need to work on something, he pushes us and makes sure we get that done,” Stazak said.