Boardman track team finishes as runners-up

On May 16, the Boardman girls track team went into the Federal League Championship meet in second place with one loss in the dual meet season to league-leading and undefeated Canton GlenOak. Hoover was going into the meet in third place with two season losses to GlenOak and Boardman. When the championship meet was over, GlenOak placed first with 169 points and finished as overall Federal League champions. Hoover scored 140 points to place second, Boardman placed third with 113 points and Massillon Jackson was close behind with 91 points. With Hoover placing above Boardman at the championship meet, both teams tied for runner-up in the overall league standings. This is the third time in the 11 years the Spartans have been in the Federal League that the team has finished as runners-up. Coach Denise Gorski was very excited for the team’s achievement in the final year in the league.

“The Fed is one of the toughest leagues in the state in track. In the 11 years we have been in it, we have never won it but have been runners-up three times. This year that runner-up finish was very special because of how the girls did it. They put on tremendous winning performances at the dual meets with Jackson and Hoover and that’s what put us in the position to even be in the running for first or second in the league. I feel we were underestimated all year long as to how strong we really were. When we beat Hoover, the girls gained the respect they deserved from everyone in the league,” Gorski said.

At the league championship meet, the team also had 11 events out of 17 earn All-Federal League honors, the most the girls have ever earned in the 11 years in the league. The 4x200 meter relay team of seniors Morgan Hambrick, Nikki Hillard, Jada Redd and sophomore Arianna Cuevas placed first running a season best of 1:46.15 and earned first-team league honors. Three girls earned second-team league honors by placing second in their respective events. Junior Hope Landers placed second in the 100 high hurdles running a season best of 16.56, Redd was runner-up in the 400 meter dash running 61.37 and Cuevas was second in the 200 running a season best of 26.69.

The team placed third in eight events to earn honorable mention league honors. The 4x800 meter relay team of seniors Brandi Gatte and Trista Cunningham and juniors Heaton O’Hara and Regan O’Hara ran a season best of 9:55.27 and the 4x100 meter relay team also placed third consisting of Hambrick, Landers, Hillard and Cuevas running 51.64. In the 100-meter dash, Cuevas raced to third in 13.05, Regan O’Hara placed third in the 800 running a career best time of 2:24.31 and senior Emma Schwendeman placed third in the 3200 running a season best time of 11:51.14. In the field events, two girls earned honorable mention league honors. Junior Ka’nisha White placed third in both the shot put and discus throwing 37 feet 9 inches and 105 feet 10 inches and Hambrick placed third in the high jump with a height of 5 feet 2 inches. It was the second year in a row that Hambrick received honorable mention in the high jump.

Coach Gorski was elated for the number of girls who earned League honors. “Morgan Hambrick was the only returning member of the team who earned league honors last year. To have ten other girls join her this year in obtaining league honors, the most ever while in this league is a tribute to how hard they work and to their event coaches who led them to these league honors,” she said.

Placing fourth in the meet was junior Alison Green in the 400-meter dash running a career best time of 62.64 and the 4x400 meter relay team of Heaton O’Hara, Cunningham, Regan O’Hara and Green running 4:19.10. Senior Katelynn Morrell earned fifth place points in the 1600 running a career best time of 5:26.38 and junior Stephanie DeMain took sixth place in the 100-meter hurdles running 17.98. Taking seventh place points were Landers in the 300 hurdles running 52.89; Cunningham in the 800 running a career best of 2:28.56; Morrell in the 3200 running a career best of 12:05.78; freshmen Logan Mitchell in the long jump with a leap of 15 feet 4 1/4 inches and junior Brooke Harsh in the pole vault with a height of 8 feet, tying her season best vault. Taking eighth place was Schwendeman in the 1600 running a season best of 5:31.28; freshmen Jessica Knickerbocker in the 300-meter hurdles running 52.93; and junior Brittany Chamberlain in the pole vault with a height of 7 feet 6 inches.

The team finished the regular season with a 10-1 dual meet record losing only to Canton GlenOak. They were the champions of the Dover and Bedford Relays, finished as runner-up in the Mahoning County meet and now finished as runner-up in the Federal League.

“I can’t say enough about the hard work ethic, dedication and talent of these girls. And I love their will to win, their sportsmanship they show to each other and the other teams and the way they have come together as a team. I also cannot say enough about all of our coaching staff. Their guidance, knowledge and leadership has led these girls to the very successful season they have had. That includes Stacey Hunter, distance coach, John DePietro, hurdle coach, Rick Sypert, sprint coach, Dayna Daltorio, throwing coach, Whitney Resch, long sprint coach, John Phillips Sr, jumps coach, and George Mavrikis and Ashlee Frazzini, our vaulting coaches,” Gorski said.