By KARL E. PEARSON - kpearson@starbeacon.com
Staff Writer
—
Nov. 6 could be a red-letter day at Scioto Downs in Columbus. That would be particularly appropriate for the Perry Pirates girls cross country team.
In the past couple of years, the real excitement at the state meet has been provided by area girls teams and individuals. No team has provided more of that excitement than coach Bill Sarvis’ Pirates. They finished fifth as a team at the 2008 state meet, then followed a fourth-place finish at the Division II regional meet with another fourth the following week at Scioto Downs in 2009.
True, the Pirates have lost two valuable runners to graduation in Marissa Baranauskas, who finished 14th individually to earn All-Ohio honors, and Rachael Greuber, who was Perry’s third finisher at the state meet in 64th place. But the Pirates also possess plenty of veteran experience at that level to compensate.
The biggest asset they possess is senior Abbie Clifford, who should be a prime contender for championship honors individually after three previous years of running at the state meet. Clifford should present a challenge to Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy’s Christina Blair in her defense of the Division II individual state title, if Clifford can stay healthy.
Three returning letterwinners from last year’s team return to join Clifford. One more who ran well enough to advance the team from the regional meet, but didn’t get to run in Columbus, also returns. So if all those elements remain healthy, Perry could make some real noise at the state meet.
For his money, Sarvis is not counting his chickens before they’re hatched. He believes the Pirates will again have their work cut out just to get back to Columbus.
“We’re not anywhere close,” he said. “First things first, we have to worry about finishing in the top four at Boardman (High School, site of the regional meet).
“You have great teams there like CVCA (led by Blair) and Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary for starters. Woodridge should have another fine team, NDCL will be very tough and Chagrin Falls has an excellent team this year. We’re going to have to fight to get back to Columbus, but our goal is to get there.”
If they can reach Columbus, Sarvis likes his team’s record of performance at the state meet.
“If we get to Columbus, we’ll let the chips fall where they may,” he said. “The girls always seem to have risen to the occasion there. I know they want to move up again this year.”
Clifford’s health is a concern as she continues to fight recurring mononucleosis. But Sarvis said she is doing her best to fight through that issue and challenge for the individual state championship in Division II.
“Abbie has put in an unbelievable amount of work this summer,” Sarvis said. “She really wants (the state title). She’s going to be competing for it with the same three or four girls, but she’s absolutely going for it.”
Clifford is determined not to let anything become an obstacle to her goals.
“I’m hoping to win it,” she said. “This is my last year, so it’s like now or never.
“I’ve always been competitive. I’m hoping all my training pays off.”
She’d like her team to go along for the ride in Columbus this year.
“We lost a lot of good people, but we have a lot of good people coming back, too,” Clifford said. “We all have a common goal.”
To be sure, some of the competitors who made girls cross country one of the biggest attention grabbers on the area sports scene the past couple years have moved on. Chief among those is Edgewood graduate Mallory Kreider, who is running at Ohio State this year.
There are some intriguing individual performers, though. Most likely to succeed Kreider in that regard is her old Edgewood teammate, junior Juliana Simmons, who learned her work ethic from Kreider and is trying to build off that.
Other capable individuals from the area include Conneaut junior Jennifer Oxley, Geneva junior Alyssa Nieset, Jefferson senior Brooke Orvos and junior Summer Pacholke, Madison sophomore Erin Hord, Pymatuning Valley senior Ami Turner and Riverside’s Annie Nelson, a junior, and Cierra Hungerford, a senior. Hungerford nearly made the state meet as a sophomore.
The quest for the best team in Ashtabula County is very much in debate. In fact, it appears Grand Valley will be unable to put a full team of five runners on the course. That may be an issue for Geneva, too.
Conneaut
In his 10th season with the Conneaut girls team, coach Jim Rehmer probably has perhaps his biggest team ever. What has to be equally exciting is that all seven of his runners this year are underclassmen.
Leading the way is Oxley, a returning regional qualifier. She is joined by three other experienced runners — fellow junior Charaea Sayles and sophomores Hannah Lower and Maria Perkio.
Rounding out the squad for the Spartans are junior Samantha Lane and freshmen Jessica Lynch and Mackenzie Wheeler.
Rehmer realizes the potential for his team. He’s hoping the Spartans make the most of it.
“Staying healthy (is the key),” the Indiana University graduate said. “The development of our fifth, sixth and seventh runners throughout the course of the season (is also important).”
Edgewood
The burden of leadership for coach Steve Hill’s team in his fourth year as the Warriors’ girls coach rests on the shoulder of Simmons, the only returning letterwinner on the entire team.
“With only one returning runner in Juliana Simmons, we will try and rally some experience with our new group,” the Muskingum University graduate said.
Hill is choosing to look on that as a positive. He is definitely pleased to have some depth this year after not being able to put a full team on the course much of last year.
“On the bright side, we do not have one senior this year, so the future looks good,” Hill said.
Providing that outlook are juniors Raina Bunnell, Julianne Newsome, Kris Sharp and Corinne Spring, sophomores Allee Coates, Desiree Rodriguez and Katherine West and freshmen Jillian Jafarace and Sage Verdi.”
Hill holds out high hopes for the group.
“We hope to make a run at going back to regionals (the last time was in 2008) as a team and to see if Juliana can improve on her 24th-place finish at regionals,” he said.
The Warriors are also hoping to make a defense of the All-Ashtabula County meet title they won at their course last year. This year’s meet is Sept. 29 at Lake Shore Park.
“We will look to try and win the All-County, which is our conference meet,” Hill, whose team will function as an independent again this year, said.
Geneva
For the second straight year, there will be no margin for error for Walt Lininger as he enters his third year as coach of the Geneva girls.
“We only have five runners again this year, so health will be a big factor for us,” the Kent State University and Edinboro University graduate said. “We should be competitive if we stay healthy.”
The Eagles have only one returning letterwinner in Nieset, but she is a good one as a regional qualifier. It will be left to her to lead the way for junior Ursula Wilkinson and freshmen Emily Gruber, Hailey Van Hoy and Abby Williams. But the issue of competing with a full team has already had an effect for Geneva as it did not have one at the opening War on the Shore at Lake Shore Park or the Rebel Invitational at South.
Lininger said the PAC race is still a mystery in Geneva’s second year in it. He just hopes his girls can be a bit of a factor in it.
“Again, the PAC is too competitive to give a definitive champion now,” he said. “We need to stay healthy in order for us to compete as a team this year.”
Grand Valley
Anything the Mustangs are able to do in Kurtis Fisher’s fifth year as the girls coach will have to be done individually since they have only four runners, insufficient for a sport that requires at least five to be an official team entry.
Fisher likes the material he does have. There is a bit of experience with letterwinners in senior Melissa Prax and junior Katherine Carlson. They are joined by newcomers Ashley Dillon, a junior, and Tylor Whitely, a freshman.
“For the girls, the experience that we have coming back is a huge key,” Fisher, a Methodist University graduate, said. “They have taken the new runners and have brought them along quickly. Everyone has come into the season in shape and is ready to compete.”
He believes his girls can have an impact on the Northeastern Athletic Conference picture.
“I feel that we can compete this year,” Fisher said. “We know the favorites are Maplewood, to be followed by strong programs such as PV, Badger, Bristol and Lordstown.
“We look to finish middle to upper part of the pack. I am looking for great things this year out of Melissa Prax and Katherine Carlson.”
Jefferson
In his 25th season as the girls head coach at Jefferson, Gary Thaxton is hoping the Falcons can maintain the momentum they built off of last year’s team qualification to the Division II regional meet.
There will need to be adjustments made off the losses to graduation of Hannah Francis and Clara Hawkins. But Orvos and Pacholke are back from that team and are joined by senior letterwinners Taylor Franklin and Brittany Hurst and sophomore veteran Caitlyn Sukalac.
What gives Thaxton reason for more optimism is the prospect of greater depth. That will come from seniors Annalysse Aultman and Brittani Lowe, juniors Elise Musacchio and Melissa Nowack and sophomore Mollie Ballew.
“We have a mixture of girls who are seasoned veterans and young runners,” Thaxton, a Malone College graduate, said. “They’re going to have to combine together, help each other out and stay healthy.”
Lakeside
The numbers are good for coach Bob Josson as he takes over the girls program at Lakeside. Now, the learning process begins, which is what he is stressing.
“We have not learned the price it takes to run a fast 5K,” the California University of Pennsylvania graduate said. “We have to learn to pay the price every practice day.
“This takes a ‘dream’ transformed into a ‘desire’ which manifests itself as dedication, determination and toughness. We don’t have these things right now.”
Josson has five experienced runners with which to work. They are seniors Brittany Barchanowicz and Kathryn Eurich and sophomores Jennifer Schwentker, Alissa Simmons and Chelsea Wheeler.
A positive sign in the Dragons’ ranks is a host of new runners. They include seniors Sarah Harris, Ana Rocha and Haley Wrightnour, juniors Brittany Modic and Amber Sturgill, sophomores Cassie Bessant, Heather Fernberg, Faithe Grippe, DeAndrea Kvitko and Laura Snyder and freshman Gabrielle Mollick.
As a new kid on the block among PAC coaches, Josson isn’t sure what to expect. He’s just hoping Lakeside can become a factor.
“Chardon, South and Madison should be in the mix for the league title unless things have changed,” he said.
Madison
Like Josson, Kelly Chandler is in her first year in the PAC coaching fraternity after a productive competitive career at Perry High School and serving as Sarvis’ apprentice with the Pirates.
She finds a lot of promising material with which to work, including six returning letterwinners, several that have plenty of potential for the future, too. Leading the way is senior veteran Jillanne Mackey, but the ring leader for the Blue Streaks is sophomore Erin Hord. Other key veterans are juniors Laura Bruening, India Kijauskas and Allison Rothlisburger and sophomore Annette Brickman.
“The team was very young last year, with most of the top seven freshmen or sophomores,” Chandler, a Mount Union College graduate, said. “They’ve put in a lot of good summer miles and should look to get out of the Lakeland district as a team to the (Division I) regionals.”
Madison will be blessed with depth this year, including some promising newcomers. Other seniors are Amy Nelson, Cindy O’Brien, Sky Robinson and Courtney Smith. Expected to provide plenty of help are juniors Cassie Kahr, Emily Schiemann and Amber Shannon, sophomores Katarina Funk and Katy Karlson and freshmen Lydia Cassidy and Kanisha Santana-Davirro.
Chandler believes her team will take a serious run at trying to improve on its second place in the PAC last year.
“I think the girls will contend for the title,” she said. “There’s a great deal of optimism and the workouts have reflected that.
“Chardon will be tough again, but I think we have a great top five runners. If they can stay healthy and come together, I think we have a good chance.”
Perry
In the past, Clifford’s health would have been the major concern for Sarvis, who is in his 10th season as Perry’s girls coach. But that has to be trumped this year by an injury to junior Ally Nelson, who was the fourth finisher for the Pirates at last year’s state meet in 71st place. Nelson has a stress fracture in one of the non-weightbearing bones in her ankle.
“She’s in a cast right now,” Sarvis said. “She’s going back Thursday to get it re-evaluated. We’re hoping to get her back for the last third of the season.”
Baranauskas and Greuber were savvy runners who will also be missed. But, if Saturday’s victory at the Salem Early Bird Invitational, which was led by Clifford’s individual championship, is any indication, there are other girls ready to step up.
The biggest among them is senior Angelica Zampini, who helped the Pirates qualify to state last year with her performance at the regional meet, then didn’t run in Columbus. Zampini was Perry’s second finisher at Salem.
Sarvis is counting on his veterans, which also includes senior Mary Wills, and juniors Jackie Tenney, who was the Pirates’ fifth finisher in 115th place at the state meet, and Michaela Garden to pick up the slack.
“We have a very close team,” the Ohio State University graduate said. “The girls have a tremendous work ethic and team chemistry. Previous state-meet experience will benefit the team during the postseason.”
Having some other underclassmen step up would make Sarvis feel a lot better. He’s hoping some depth comes from sophomores Elise Clark and Emily Maffit or freshmen Emilee Chadwick, Diana Drain, Lilly Hedrich and Sara Kerestman.
“Depth could be a negative factor, but I believe the work ethic and the desire to excel the ladies demonstrate will make up for this as the season progresses,” Sarvis said.
There is also the matter for the Pirates to try and defend their Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division championship as well. Sarvis said that will not be an easy task, either.
“Chagrin Falls should be the team to beat as it brings back a very tough regional-qualifying team,” he said. “Hopefully, we will make a strong push for the league title. Kenston, Aurora and West Geauga have had traditionally solid programs, making the Chagrin Division very competitive again this season.”
But it’s clear the Pirates have even bigger objectives.
“We’ll all come together and try to make things happen,” Clifford said.
Pymatuning Valley
Tony Noxon is hoping the Lakers have enough material to be a legitimate challenger in the NAC. A good mix of experience and a larger squad overall could provide the elements to make that happen.
Noxon, a Kent State University graduate, is concerned that two things happen with the PV girls.
“We need to stay healthy and develop a team concept,” he said. “Everyone has to contribute to pack running.”
Providing the veteran leadership for the Lakers are regional qualifier Turner and fellow senior Colleen Wonderling, along with junior letterwinners Lexis Cunningham and Gabrielle Lipinsky. Additional depth is sought from senior Nikki Gale, junior Shauna Soderstrom and sophomores Courtney Brown, Kayla Hanneman and Abbey Pike.
The usual suspects in the NAC are the favorites again in Noxon’s estimate, but he believes the Lakers will get into the fight.
“Maplewood will be strong,” he said. “Badger and Lordstown should be good. We want to be in the thick of it and we will be.”
Riverside
In her second season with the Riverside girls, coach Robyn Selent is hoping they can improve upon last year’s third-place finish in the PAC.
“We have a young team this year,” the University of Vermont graduate said. “We only have one senior who is one of Riverside’s top runners.”
That is Hungerford. The good news for the Beavers is that there is a group of promising young veterans in juniors Hailey Holke, Annie Nelson and Shannon Sullivan and sophomores Danielle Kokal and Taylor Strauss.
There is also the possibility of developing some real depth. That will come from junior Beth DellaDonna and Jennifer Waters, sophomores Amanda Arko, Anna Crouser, Jennifer Stubler and Michaella Williamson and freshmen Julia Krauss, Kristen Mackey and Melissa Rodewald.
“We have some strong juniors, sophomores and some up-and-coming freshmen,” Selent said.
She is hoping the Beavers can put up a strong challenge in the PAC.
“The key to this year’s success at conference will be a strong senior leader, Cierra Hungerford, and a strong group of underclassmen, including Annie Nelson, who came in the fifth at PAC last year,” Selent said.
