Dunlap aims for state gold

By Joe Scalzo | June 2, 2011 at 12:01a.m.

Maybe the best way to start a Miles Dunlap story is to go back three months to the University of Akron, where he won a state indoor long jump title, besting a former outdoor state champion in Mineral Ridge senior Dan Skiba.

Dunlap then decided he wouldn’t compete in the event in the outdoor season.

(This, as you probably guessed, is unusual.)

“For some reason, I’m better at the long jump when I don’t do it for awhile,” he said with a shrug. “It was kind of an easy choice.”

The hard choice was deciding which events he would run in the outdoor season. Over the last few months, Dunlap has competed in eight different events, finally settling on the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, the 200 and the 4x100 relay.

He won regional titles in all three individual events — the 4x100 failed to finish the race — and would have been added to the Blue Devils’ 4x400 relay had they qualified for the state meet.

“Miles is superhuman,” said McDonald coach Lou Domotrivich.

And super-versatile.

Entering this week’s Division III state meet, Dunlap has the second-fastest time in the 110-meter hurdles (he trails by one-hundredth of a second), the third-fastest time in the 300 hurdles and the fourth-fastest time in the 200.

He’s already got silver and bronze medals from the outdoor state meet. He’d like at least one gold.

“My ultimate goal is to win,” he said. “Every senior, this is your last shebang and you want to go out there and win.

“If things don’t go that way, there’s nothing you can do about it. You’ve just got to have fun.”

Dunlap placed third in the 110 hurdles at last year’s state meet and was part of the second-place 4x400 relay two years ago. He thinks his state experience will prove valuable this weekend.

“You’ve been there, you know what it’s like and what you have to do,” he said. “Now it’s time to get down to business.”

STATE TRACK | Area qualifiers

When: Friday-Saturday

Where: Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Columbus

AREA QUALIFIERS

DIVISION I

BOYS

Boardman: Nathan Jones (100)

Fitch: Waylan Andrews (400), Billy Price (discus), 4x200 relay (Ty’Reese Anderson, Rob Venters, Tarise Wolfe, Andrews)

Warren Harding: 4x100 relay (Jalyn Powell, Domonic Davis, Mardel Manningham, Dalyn Gattison)

GIRLS

Canfield: Jillian Smith (Canfield)

Chaney: Shatasia Walker (300 hurdles)

Fitch: Jen Shiley (300 hurdles), Ali Tolich (discus, shot)

Warren Harding: Ja’Quana Threats (400, long jump), 4x100 relay (Alexandra Allen, Alexis Simpson, Aminah Wesley, Diamonn Hymes), 4x200 relay (Emily Stevens, Threats, Simpson, Wesley), 4x400 relay (Wesley, Simpson, Threats, Stevens)

DIVISION II

BOYS

Beaver Local: James Palmer (3200)

Girard: Jamal McClendon (110 hurdles), Nate Bucci (high jump)

LaBrae: Andre Elkins (long jump)

Lakeview: Eric Harris (1600), Toma Leveto (long jump), Cameron Beebe (pole vault), 4x800 relay (Aaron Jesse, Nick Tripi, Daniel Marhulik, Harris)

Mooney: 4x100 relay (Carmen Leonelli, Roosevelt Griffin, Kareem Ellis, Marcus McWilson)

Newton Falls: Ryan Buchanan (high jump)

Niles: Christian Brown (200), 4x100 relay (Dillon Palmer, Darius Harris, Brown, Blake Robinson), 4x200 relay (Palmer, C.J. Cicero, Brown, Harris

Salem: Mike King (shot put, discus)

Struthers: Jermayne Brooks (100), Ryan Kish (300 hurdles), Kodie Fennell (800), Keary Iarussi (shot, discus), Arnaldo Morales (high jump)

GIRLS

Girard: Ashley Wagner (high jump)

Lakeview: Lauren Schattinger (100, 200)

Liberty: Kia Butler (100), 4x100 relay (Keasia Bell, Vakeyla Merriweather, Kayla Coward, Butler)

Mooney: Chyna Davis (100 hurdles)

Newton Falls: Jennifer Bjelac (long jump), Destiny Prusky (high jump), Shannon Montgomery (discus)

Struthers: Nadiya Morgan (400)

Ursuline: Courtney Powell (shot put)

West Branch: Taylor Metzgar (400), 4x200 relay (Erin Carver, Metzgar, Meagan Pace, Alexandria Tubbs)

DIVISION III

BOYS

Columbiana: Brandon Cross (shot)

Crestview: Nick Blower (100), 4x100 relay (Blower, Jacob Mellinger, Kody Simpson, Kris Simpson), 4x200 relay (Mellinger, Kris Simpson, Blower, Kody Simpson)

East Palestine: Jacob Dicello (100)

Lordstown: Mark Bahrey (discus)

Maplewood: Wyatt Hartman (800), 4x400 relay (Solomon Yoder, Hartman, Jesse Kiselka, Morgan Hake)

McDonald: Miles Dunlap (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 200), Kyle Joynes (3200), Matthias Tayala (shot, discus), 4x800 relay (Joynes, Jeff Kunkel, Jerry Dugan, Patrick Kunkel)

Mineral Ridge: Dan Skiba (long jump)

South Range: Andrew O’Leary (400), Ryan Roush (3200), Tim Nichols (3200), 4x400 relay (Cole Krumpak, Floyd Kenney, Ethan Witmer, O’Leary),

Springfield: Stephen Lyons (discus, shot put)

Warren JFK: Pat Hull (400), 4x200 relay (Rob Seger, Carl Broadbent, Hull, Evan McBride)

GIRLS

Badger: Taylor Baumiller (high jump)

East Palestine: Chloe Snyder (high jump),

LaBrae: Megan Gunther (100 hurdles)

Leetonia: Clarissa Perkins (discus, shot)

Lowellville: Natalie Frank (800), 4x800 relay (Frank, Ashley Moore, Rachel Durbin, Emily Carlson)

Maplewood: Alanna Shamrock (1600), Krystal Williams (3200), Jordan Moxley (high jump)

McDonald: Jai’lyn Mosley (discus)

United: Emily Bokanovich (400), Allison Parks (1600), Sierra Parks (300 hurdles), 4x400 relay (Bokanovich, A. Parks, Kayla Potts, S. Parks)

Warren JFK: Kelsie Massacci (100, 200)

Wellsville: Shawntae Dilliard (long jump)