GYTOA hands out yearly awards

Staff report

COLUMBIANA

East High School’s Kyndia Matlock and Giovanni Washington were named Mahoning County’s Track and Field Athletes of the Year by the Greater Youngstown Track Officials Association on Tuesday.

The awards were presented at a banquet at the Best Western Plus Dutch Haus Inn and Suites.

The Columbiana County Track and Field Athletes of the Year were Salem’s Caitlyn Marx and Crestview’s Dominic Perry.

For cross country, Boardman’s Sophia McGee and Canfield’s Giovanni Copploe were named Mahoning Runners of the Year. Salem’s Haley Rozeski and United’s Daniel Frase were the Columbiana County runners honored.

Columbiana’s Klara Crisp received the GYTOA’s Sportsmanship Award.

Service awards were presented to Bill Julian (25 years), Pat Julian (25), Robert Topoleski (20), Lou Brown (20), Ted Yuhaniak (15), Todd Smith (15), Tonyea Roberst (15), BJ Duckworth (15) and Josh Bodnar (15).

Matlock and Washington each had a second-place finish in the Division II 100-meter dash during the OHSAA State Track and Field Tournament. Matlock also took fourth in the 200.

Perry won the Division-III shot put title for the second consecutive year. Marx was the runner up in the discus.

Copploe was seventh-place at state in the 3200 during track season and was 19th during the cross country state championship. McGee was a regional qualifier in cross country.

Rozeski was ninth at state in the 800. Frase was 71st at the state cross country tournament.

Crisp was a regional qualifier in track as part of a 4x800 relay with Morgan Dunlap, Destiny Kulka and Emily Starkey.