Runners set for district meets
By JOHN VARGO Tribune ChronicleArticle Photos
Fact Box
Saturday's district cross country sites
Division III
at Trumbull County Fairgrounds
BOYS: 1 p.m. TEAMS: Badger, Brookfield, Grand Valley, Jackson-Milton, Lordstown, Lowellville, Maplewood, McDonald, Mineral Ridge, Pymatuning Valley,
Rootstown, South Range, Springfield, SS. John and Paul, Ursuline, John F. Kennedy, Western Reserve
GIRLS: 11:30 a.m. TEAMS: Badger, Bristol, Brookfield, Champion, Grand Valley, Jackson-Milton, LaBrae, Lordstown, Lowellville, Maplewood, McDonald, Mineral Ridge, Pymatuning Valley, Rootstown, South Range, Springfield, Ursuline, John F. Kennedy, Western Reserve, Wickliffe.
Division II
at Trumbull County Fairgrounds
BOYS: 1:40 p.m. TEAMS: Cardinal Mooney, Champion, Conneaut, Crestwood, Edgewood, Garfield, Girard, Hubbard, Jefferson, LaBrae, Lakeview, Liberty, Niles, Poland, Ravenna, Southeast, Struthers, Wickliffe
GIRLS: 12:15 p.m. TEAMS: Cardinal Mooney, Conneaut,
Crestwood, Edgewood, Garfield, Girard, Hubbard, Jefferson, Lakeview, Liberty, Niles, Poland, Ravenna,
Southeast,
Struthers.
Division I
at Malone College
BOYS: 1:55 p.m. TEAMS: Austintown Fitch, Barberton, Boardman, Canfield, Canton McKinley, Akron Garfield,
GlenOak, Green, Hoover, Howland, Massillon Jackson, Lake, Louisville, Massillon Perry, Timken, Warren G. Harding, Washington (Massillon).
GIRLS: 12:10 p.m. TEAMS: Austintown Fitch, Barberton, Boardman, Canfield, Canton McKinley, GlenOak, Green, Hoover, Massillon Jackson, Lake, Louisville, Massillon Perry, Timken, Howland, Warren G. Harding, Washington (Massillon).
Sean Voorhies knew there was something special with the trio of Sam Jenkins, Heath Harris and Tyler Ames. Now that the three have graduated, it seemed like 2009 would be a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs' boys cross country team.
Not the case.
Lakeview has remained competitive and seems poised to make a run at a fourth straight bid for regionals in Division II.
The Bulldogs are paced by senior Butchy Brannan, who is in his first year of cross country.
"He has a natural talent. He's mostly a sprinter," said Voorhies, Lakeview's coach. "Finally his senior year he decided I want to become a distance runner. He has a natural talent for speed.
"I wish he had two years left."
Lo and behold, the Bulldogs have finished second to Crestwood the past three seasons at districts.
Lakeview takes aim at the Red Devils and the rest of the field at the Division II boys district race Saturday at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds, beginning at 1:40 p.m.
The Red Devils are led by senior Brandon McGee, who ran a best 16 minutes, 1.08 seconds at this year's Spartan Invitational in Boardman.
"It is Crestwood every single year. We're closer to them this year, but they're a great program," Lakeview boys coach Sean Voorhies said.
Poland senior Sean Murphy is one of the area's best runners, along with Girard junior Ryan DelBene. Look for those two to be among the individuals to make it out.
The top four teams and 16 runners - both Division II boys and girls - advance to the Oct. 31 regional at Boardman.
Runners from Poland, Cardinal Mooney and Crestwood should be among the leaders, but don't look for Salem. The Quakers will be running at Canton districts, leaving some room open for other area girls to qualify at this race which begins at 12:15 p.m. - like Poland's Anna Pompeo and Struthers' Alana Smith.
Speaking of female runners, the Division III girls race, which starts at 11:30 a.m., should be quite competitive.
Maplewood and McDonald are the odds-on favorites to claim the district title. It has been stated Maplewood's top four is as good as any team in Division III.
"I think their top four girls can get in the top seven or eight," said McDonald coach Mike Richards, a 1992 Maplewood graduate. "Maplewood girls are more talented that I've ever seen."
McDonald has a quite talent group as well - paced by freshman Sarah Jones, who has been in the top five of most races.
"She's kind of a surprise," Richards said. "We knew she would be good, but not as good as she's been doing."
As for the rest of the team, McDonald has quite a deep team.
"Coming into this season, we weren't sure we'd be better," Richards said. "I think it's the deepest team the McDonald girls have ever had. We'd have six or seven girls running in the 22s (minutes). I have 13 girls which have run under 23 at some point.
I think we'll do OK, especially at districts. We have a lot of girls that will step up for us."
As for other runners who will excel at districts, look no further than Brookfield's Angie Kirila, Lowellville's Monica Ciarniello and Badger's Sarah Bonar.
The top four teams and 16 runners advance to the Boardman regional on Oct. 31.
Maplewood's Eric Rupe, Tom Bottorff, Aaron Harrison, McDonald's Jerry Dugan and Patrick Kunkel are some of the favorites in the Division III boys race, which begins at 1 p.m.
McDonald and Maplewood will battle for the boys title in Division III. Both teams are ranked in the top three in the state and will vie for the state title in Columbus.
The top five boys teams and top 20 individuals move on to the Boardman regional.
In Division I, Howland, Boardman, Canfield, Austintown Fitch and Warren G. Harding will compete at Malone College.
The top five boys teams and top 20 individuals and the top six girls teams and top 24 go to the Boardman regional.
The Division I girls begin at 12:10 p.m., while the Division I boys start at 1:55 p.m.
Boardman's Sam Deskin and Louisville's Curtis Hanle will compete for the Division I individual title. Boardman's team has a good chance of advancing, as does Howland's Aaron Sutton and Warren G. Harding's Marteze Roper.
