Fitch to host county track meet

Staff report

Austintown

Hopefully, the weather for the 99th annual Mahoning County Track and Field Meet at Fitch High on Saturday will be better than it was for the 98th.

If Mother Nature was in a bad mood on April 17, 2010, it may have been because of the tax deadline.

But, this year, the tax-filing deadline is extended, so she has no good reason to share her misery.

Despite rain, sleet, hail and some snow flurries last spring, the competition among 16 teams was brisk and several records were broken.

Although rain is part of the forecast this time, the potential for more records exists.

Fitch seems to be the team to beat among Division I boys teams, while the girls championship may come down to a battle between Fitch and Boardman.

In Div. III, the South Range girls have the inside track, while the Div. III outcome is a toss-up. Ditto for Div. II schools, both boys and girls.

Other Div. I teams are Boardman, Canfield, Poland, Chaney and East. The Div. II field comprises Campbell, West Branch, Mooney, Struthers and Ursuline.

Along with South Range, Div. III talent will also be supplied by Jackson-Milton, Lowellville, Springfield and Western Reserve.

Field events are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. followed by running events at 9:15.

The defending champions are: (boys) Div. I (Fitch); Div. II (West Branch) and Div. III (South Range) and girls: Div. II (Boardman), Div. II (Mooney) and Div. III (South Range).

Among the most recent record-setters in 2010 were West Branch’s Joey Schlueter (9:57.11 in the 3200) and East High’s 4x100 relay of TreVaughn Thomas, Alexander Pettway, Michael Thomas and Leon Edwards in 44.85.

Who can forget Canfield’s Dustin Brode and his record-setting shot put and discus throws of 66-5 and 184-6, respectively.

Among some of the MVPs in 2010 were Boardman’s Doriyon Glass and Lowellville’s Monica Ciarniello.

The meet has the distinction of oldest record in the county: 1926, when North Lima’s Ed Entriken won the 200 dash in 22.2. Although the distance was yards for many years, the difference at that distance (3 feet, 4 inches) is considered negligible.

“That’s one-tenth of a second,” said meet official Ken Jakubec.

A more recent longtime record is the 3:25 of the 1974 Boardman High 1600 quartet of Scott Agnew, Jim Pollifrone, Mark Anderson and John Cappy.