SPORTSINK.COM PHOTO
Distance coaches listen to the response from officials about the lap count error in the girls 3,200-meter run at the Ravenna Div. II Regional track meet. As a result, the race will need to be re-run on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Ravenna High School.
Lexington Div. II Story, Click Here
RAVENNA, Ohio – Charge the officials at the Ravenna Division II Regional track & field meet with a false start – or rather a false finish.
With two laps remaining in the girls 3,200-meter race the lap official fired his pistol, signaling the last lap was beginning.
What was the result after the lead runners walked off the track, thinking they had completed the race, but had only run seven laps? Acting commissioner Dale Gabor informed coaches by telephone that the race would need to be re-run later on Saturday.
After significant protests about the extra demand on their runners by the affected coaches, it was agreed that the race would be re-run Tuesday afternoon – approximately 72 hours before the 3,200-meter preliminaries at the state meet.
“The same mistake was made last week at Lakeside,” Chardon Notre Dame Cathedral Latin distance coach Karl Weinfurtner said. “Corrective action needs to take place so lap count mistakes don’t continue to happen.
“Officials seem to think they can take a half hour break just because the 3,200 is coming up.”
FOR A RAVENNA DIV. II REGIONAL PHOTO GALLERY, Click on PHOTOS ICON ABOVE
NDCL seniors Liz Weiler and Erin Vanek were at the front of the pack when the mistake was made, costing them a sure-fire opportunity at the state meet.
The duo was not the only ones negatively affected by the mistake and the resulting decision. Crestwood senior Sammi Vaughan kept her wits about her and continued the race to its full completion to unofficially win the flawed race, but that of course was thrown out.
“This is asking too much of distance runners,” Crestwood assistant coach Rosalie Franek said.
Crestwood head coach Bernice Usher was confused as to why the state wouldn’t accept to a coaches’ agreed upon resolution of allowing all the runners to advance to state due to the official’s error.
“I don’t understand why the state can’t take more than four runners,” Usher said. “Everyone else agreed that would be the best option, but the state refused. I’m not sure this is correct, especially when it’s an official’s fault.
“I feel they should recognize the first four and then the next four and allow all to advance to state.”
Despite the foul up in the 3,200, the rest of the meet went off without a significant hitch and numerous local athletes punched their ticket to next week’s state meet in Columbus.
FOR COMPLETE RAVENNA DIV. II RESULTS, CLICK HERE
In fact, Vaughan was only stopped from becoming a four-event qualifier by the quick gun. The distance ace advanced in the 1,600 (fourth, 5:15.36) and the 4x400 and 4x800 relays. Vaughan was edged in the 1,600 by 0.1 of a second by Waterloo senior Annie Wise, who placed third. Wise also advanced as a part of the Vikings’ 4x800 team that took third place with a time of 9:47.
“I definitely want to be on the podium,” Wise said. “It’s a great experience to run at state.
“I have a winning time in me for the mile.”
Joining Wise on the 4x8 team are sophomore Emily Luli, freshman Tabetha Moore and junior Camille Robb.
Crestwood sophomore Tori Chiller and junior Karlie Lieberth are joining Vaughan on both relay teams in Columbus. Lieberth also punched her ticket by winning the 800 meters with a time of 2:17. Rounding out the Red Devil qualifiers are freshman Abby Soltisz (4x800) and senior Tyler Mae Hunter (4x400). Both Crestwood relay teams took second place.
“I am very proud of my team today,” Usher said. “Our team is a real family. We have one senior on the 4x8 team and the girls were running to get her to state.”
The final local qualifier on the girls’ side was Streetsboro junior thrower Mercedes Oliver in both the shot put (third, 38-7.5) and discus (third, 119 feet)
On the boys’ side of the Ravenna regional, Southeast was the big winner among local schools, taking four competitors to Columbus. The Pirates' 4x100 relay team of sophomore Mikey Coontz and seniors Garrett Lavigna, Ravonne Lawrence and Damian Pennington will all make the trip, thanks to their second place finish in a time of 43.20.
Lawrence also punched his ticket in both the 300 (first, 39.11) and 110 (second, 15.23) hurdles, and Pennington’s leap of 21-2 in the long jump has him competing in the state capital next weekend in individual events.
Field senior Billy Darmon (second, 1:57) will be competing in the last meet of the year in the 800 meters, as will Hoban’s Evan Luse (third, 22.55) in the 200.