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Leader of the pack

Howland boys, girls win county meet

Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Howland’s Jacob Williams, center, wins Thursday’s 110-meter hurdles at the Trumbull County Track and Field meet in Cortland. Williams won the 300 hurdles as well, leading the Tigers to back-to-back county team titles. Liberty’s Justin Clark, left, and Lakeview’s Will Danklefsen, right, are also pictured.

CORTLAND — George Beatty-Marsh apologized for not being attentive.

The Howland senior had no reason to be sorry. He exuded himself on the track despite being woozy and fighting flu-like symptoms, taking fifth in the 100-meter dash, anchoring the 4×200 relay (the Tigers barely took second to LaBrae) and finishing third in the 400.

He crossed the line in the 400 with every ounce on strength he could muster, thinking about the words assistant coach Jack Tominey preached to him.

“He always told me you don’t have time to get tired,” Beatty-Marsh said.

It was that kind of effort that allowed Howland’s boys to dominate the field, soundly beating second-place Maplewood, 105 to 77, to win the team’s second-straight Trumbull County Track and Field Meet Championship on Thursday at Don Richards Memorial Stadium.

Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Mathews’ Kenny Wallace celebrates after finishing second in the boys 3,200-meter run. Wallace won the 1,600 and captured overall boys MVP honors.

Howland was up by 30 points heading into the 4×400 relay. No need for Beatty-Marsh to run one time around the track with a baton in his hand.

“I’m lucky enough to compete today,” he said. “I’m glad the way I did, but I wish I did a whole lot better.”

Senior Jacob Williams knew his team put the time in during the offseason to claim another team title.

“I knew we were going to overcome and win it,” he said.

Sophomore distance runner Vinny Mauri won the 3,200, and Williams’ mindset helped push him through the cold, drizzly conditions to capture the 110- and 300-meter championships.

“You got to get yourself in the right mindset before you race,” Williams said. “Kind of not have a cloud over your head, clear sky. Just have the heart to win and stride out.”

The Howland girls didn’t have such an easy road to this year’s title, beating out McDonald, 84.5 to 81. It is the Tigers’ first championship since 2009.

Senior Madison Hurlbut went 4 feet, 8 inches in the long jump, winning the event on zero misses at that height.

“It wasn’t her best, but she did what she had to do to win it,” Howland girls coach Bill Jones said.

Finding a way to win seemed to be the mindset of the Tigers, who trailed McDonald by a half point heading into the final event — the 4×400 relay. All Howland had to do was finish because McDonald did not have a team in that final. That team set a personal best by eight seconds.

“It was a little more than just finishing,” Jones said. “It was good.”

Beatty-Marsh wanted to be more than good Thursday.

“I tried to be a leader today,” Beatty-Marsh said. “I showed even though my body wasn’t with it, my mind was still with it.”

At the end of the day, all he wanted was a big cup of orange juice, a blanket and his bed.

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