By KARL PEARSON

and BOB ETTINGER

Staff Writers

BOARDMAN — Jillian Walters could stop coaching this year and still would feel she had been part of something truly special.

The former Jillian Headley, a 2003 Jefferson High School graduate and cross country runner, watched her Maplewood Rockets girls team edge Berkshire, 71-72, to claim the Division III regional championship Saturday at Boardman High School. And it’s all been done in her first year of coaching at the school, where she is employed as a Spanish teacher.

“I’m so thrilled and proud of these girls,” the daughter of Ron and Shelia Headley, who still reside in Jefferson, said. “I love working with these girls.”

Walters has another Jefferson connection. Her husband, Rickey Walters, to whom she has been married for two years, is an assistant football coach at Jefferson High School.

Apparently, Walters is gifted with a sense of good timing.

“I was teaching out in Lima last year,” the 2007 Mount Vernon Nazarene graduate said. “When I got the job here, the (Maplewood girls coach) was looking to move into administration, so I got this job.”

Her background as a runner for current Jefferson girls coach Gary Thaxton apparently paid dividends. In her senior cross country season of 2002, she was a part of Thaxton’s squad that qualified for the regional meet.

Maplewood has always been blessed with tremendous cross country tradition, so there might have been some doubts when Walters took over the job with the Rockets, moreso on her part. But she feels she has been embraced by the school and the team.

“I love it at Maplewood,” she said. “I love the school and I love the kids. They’re just great.

“I’ve been with them since June. They have a big family atmosphere there. I love the bond that the team has there.”

Walters has even affectionately been dubbed “El Coche” by the team. She had that moniker emblazoned on the back of the sweatshirt she wore Saturday.

The Rockets ran away with the district championship at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds. Thanks to placing Krystal Williams, Haley Gatrell and Erin Pavich in fourth through sixth, Alanna Shamrock in ninth and Christine Drawl in 44th overall, they were able to win for the second straight week.

“I’m so excited,” Walters said.



Out of commission

After practicing all week in preparation for the Division II regional meet, Perry’s Dean Light was notified on Friday that he was unable to run on Saturday.

“My doctor called me and told me I couldn’t run,” Light said. “I have mono and my spleen and liver are swollen. He said that if I ran I could cause damage that might remain for the rest of my life.”

He still attended the meet to support teammate Brien Croff and the Pirates’ girls team.

“I kind of came because I like to run,” Light said. “I like the sport and I showed up for what I love.

“It’s pretty hard (to be here) knowing I can’t race. But I’m here to support my teammate.”



Fanatics

Emily Brainard, Jackie Tenney and Mary Wills of the Perry varsity team and Carly Dees of the Pirates’ junior varsity team showed up for the girls Division II regional with so much team spirit it was written all over their bodies. Literally.

Brainard, Tenney and Wills wore their team jerseys and Dees a team T-shirt. All the girls rolled the bottoms of their shirts up to show their midriffs, which, when standing together and in the right order, spelled out “Go Perry.”

It was quite hysterical to watch the group try and find their right spot in line in order for the crowd to read them.

“We got confused,” Brainard joked.

With temperatures in the low to mid 50s and a strong wind, the girls didn’t last too long before scurrying to find sweatshirts and jackets. They at least made it through the Pirates’ race before finding warmer clothing.



Selfless

Brainard and Tenney had a bit more than a passing interest in how the Pirates performed in the regional meet. The duo was, in part, responsible for the Perry team advancing out of the district meet at Lakeland Community College last weekend.

They ran in place of teammates Rachael Greuber and Angelica Zampini, who were out because of the flu and a back injury, respectively, at the district meet.

They helped the Pirates to a fourth-place finish at the district meet. However, they were relegated to fan status in Boardman when Greuber and Zampini returned to the lineup once again healthy.

The pair happily stepped back to allow their teammates to return to action for the regional.

“We know the team wasn’t as strong (as it could be) last week,” Tenney, a sophomore, said. “This week, it’s so much stronger.”

They know how important it was to run well at the district meet.

“It showed how important it was (for us to do well),” Brainard, a junior, said. “We could be at regional and state (with the others in the lineup). It was really important (for us not to let them down).”

Greuber and Zampini appreciated that Brainard and Tenney ran so well at the district meet.

“I’m so thankful,” Greuber said. “The girls stepped up. They did a great job. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to run today. I’m really proud of them.”

“They are so selfless,” Zampini said. “We care about each other so much. We’ve been working for this since last year.”

And after having played roles in the Pirates qualifying for the regional meet, they, as much as any of the other runners, wanted the Pirates to claim one of the four qualifying positions for Columbus — even if they weren’t running at Boardman.

“After being part of it last week, I want to see the team do great,” Tenney said. “To me, I don’t see this as an individual thing.”

“It sucks not being in the same position,” Brainard said. “But we’re a junior and a sophomore and the others worked so hard to earn those spots.

“I’d rather go with the team than as an individual.”

Brainard and Tenney were listed along with Wills as alternates for the regional race.

Wills was one injury or illness away from running at Lakeland last weekend, as well.

“I’m an alternate, too,” she joked. “But nobody died so I didn’t have to run.”



Badgers have bite

Speaking of Berkshire, the Badger machine still rolls on. Coach Julie Cole’s girls team heads back to state after its second place among the Division III girls.

Senior Alex Bowers led the Badgers back to Columbus with a second-place finish. Allie Noble was 17th overall, Noelle Jurcak was 18th, Sara Patterson finished 20th and Erica Dingman was 23rd.

Cole’s Badger boys were edged out of team qualification in Division III to state by finishing fifth. However, Johnny Honkala and Matt Pelletier advanced individually by finishing 15th and 16th, respectively.

The Chardon girls team finished 12th in the Division I team race with 286 points. Hanna Theis led the Hilltoppers in 33rd place overall.



Old reliable

The familiar figure of retired Pymatuning Valley athletic director Ron Weaver was seen sloshing around the course at Boardman.

Asked how long he has worked the regional cross country meet, the veteran of more than 30 years of officiating at the state track and field championships could only shrug.

“I guess I’ve been here as long as they’ve had the meet here,” he said.



Switching over

Jefferson assistant coach T.J. Furman was coaching football this time three years ago. Saturday, he was assisting Thaxton.

“I was (leery) getting into it,” Furman said. “I’d done football since I was 8 years old. I just had a great group of kids that were into running and they got me into it. I’m glad they did.

“I love it.”

That doesn’t mean Furman is cured of the football bug.

“I still miss football with a passion,” he said. “But this has been something new and refreshing and the kids have been great.”

The tightness of a cross country team is impressive to Furman.

“I’m totally amazed at the family like atmosphere,” he said. “Each of them push each other. I’m amazed at how much they push and encourage each other. That’s just amazing.”

The work ethic of his runners also has caught Furman’s eye.

“You don’t realize the work that runners do,” he said. “It’s impressive how hard they work. I don’t think runners get enough credit for what they do.”