Optimist notebook | More from Austintown Fitch High School

Panther power: Youngstown East continued its strong track season by picking up three individual victories. Senior Valentino Sewell won the 110 hurdles, senior DeShawn Burley won the 400 and sophomore Terrell McClain. Burley, who ran for Chaney last season, also ran on the third-place 4x200 relay and joined Sewell on the fifth-place 4x400 relay. Sewell, who also ran for Chaney, was fifth in the 300 hurdles. “[The 400 win] means a lot to me,” said Burley. “I knew what I had to do. I got to the last 200 and I just had to give it my all.” Burley failed to make it out of the district meet in the 400 over the past two years, something he said is driving him this season. “It just pushes me to go harder,” he said. “This is my last year. My coaches have been helping me out since my sophomore year and I know what I have to do.”

Youth is served: McClain’s victory was more impressive considering he didn’t run track last season, opting to focus on basketball instead. “I’m still getting the feel for everything but I’m doing fine for this being my first time running track in high school,” said McClain, whose winning jump of 20 feet, 73⁄4 inches was far behind his career-best of 21-11. “In the eighth grade I long-jumped and I was good, so my friends kind of pressured me to come out this year. I was like, ‘OK, I’ll come.’” He said he’s hoping to pass 24 feet by the time he graduates. “I’ll be working hard all summer and doing my thing,” he said.

Oh, so close: Boardman’s Mark Hadley had one of the day’s best performances in the 1600, shattering the 18-year-old meet record of 4:20.32 with a time of 4:16.87. Alas, Twinsburg’s Garrett Crichlow did him one better, finishing just ahead of him in 4:16.64. Aquinas’ Cory Glines was third in 4:16.95.

This and that: No area girls won on Saturday, but there were three second-place finishers: Boardman’s 4x800 relay, Newton Falls’ Shannon Montgomery (discus) and East Palestine’s Chloe Snyder (high jump). Boardman’s relay qualified for the National Scholastic Outdoor Championship in June in North Carolina. The team, which finished in 9:47.66, consists of senior Tori Moore, sophomore Emma Schwendeman, and freshmen Regan O’Hara and Heaton O’Hara.

Meet awards: Fitch senior Jay Jakovina was given the top field event performance award for breaking the school record in the high jump. Crichlow was honored with the top running performance. Lakewood St. Edward’s Anthony Young (who tied the meet record in the 200 and won the 100) was named the overall top performer. On the girls side, Green’s Morgan Estes earned the’ top field performance after breaking the meet’s pole vault record with a vault of 12 feet. The top running performance was by Lorain’s Alicia Arnold, who won the 100 and 200. The overall outstanding performer was Stow’s Melanie Winters (second place in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles and first in the long jump).

Joe Scalzo