METRO: Crestwood track navigating flawed postseason
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After unofficially winning the event on Saturday, Sammi Vaughan of Crestwood officially captures the 3,200 on Tuesday in the Ravenna Regional.

 

Crestwood senior track star Sammi Vaughan on Tuesday became one of the last four girls in Division II to qualify for the state meet that begins on Friday.

Vaughan won the re-running of the 3,200-meter, her fourth event, at the Ravenna Regional when the race had to be run again after officials incorrectly counted the laps on Saturday.

For the record, Vaughan never stopped running a lap too early and won the first running of the event as well.

The senior also qualified in the 1,600 and as a member of the 4x400 and 4x800 relays, meaning that from the original regional meet last weekend to this Saturday’s conclusion of the state meet, Vaughan will run roughly 10 miles in a week in competition.

“To have to run three two-mile races within seven days? Physiologically, that’s just not cool,” Crestwood assistant coach Rosalie Franek said.  “This wasn’t the best things for the kids.”

Vaughan will be joined by teammates Karlie Lieberth, Tori Chiller, Tyler Mae Hunter and Abby Soltisz, giving the Red Devils representation in five events. In addition to the two relay teams, Lieberth will run in the 800, while Chiller will also take a leg on both teams.

Hunter will run a leg in the 4x400, while Soltisz rounds out the 4x800.

Crestwood will be the only school representing the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division in Columbus on the girls side.

In a similar situation, the Crestwood boys 4x800 relay team failed to get a chance to qualify for the state meet after another team cut the Red Devils off, causing them to fall on the final exchange.

The Red Devils were running at the front of the pack when the incident happened, and meetofficials failed to notice the interference, according to Franek.

Boys track: Pirates invade state meet

Southeast qualified its 4x100 relay team of Ravonne Lawrence, Damian Pennington, Garrett Lavigna and Mikey Coontz to compete at Jesse Owens Stadium. Lawrence also qualified for both the 110 and 300 hurdles, while Pennington advanced in the long jump to give the Pirates competitors in four events.

The final PTC Metro competitor will be Field senior Billy Darmon in the 800.

Along with Crestwood, all of the competitors from Southeast and Field will compete in Division II at the state meet.

Here are the qualifiers for the PTC Metro Division boys teams at the state meet:

Division II, Southeast – Ravonne Lawrence (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4x100), Damian Pennington (Long Jump, 4x100), Garrett Lavigna (4x100) Mikey Coontz (4x100).

Division II, Field – Billy Darmon (800).

Softball: Spartans back on top

The Springfield softball team became the last baseball or softball squad in the PTC to clinch a division championship when it swept Norton last Wednesday and Thursday,10-2 and 9-1, respectively.

The sweep held off Kent Roosevelt and defending champion Field, which had been charging after the Spartans took the early lead in the division.

Springfield was the original PTC Metro Division softball champion in 2006 and snapped the Falcons' four-year run as division titlist with its win over Norton.