Central boys edge Whitmer; Clay girls champs

Scott's Romen Walton speeds to a win in the 400 meters.

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League newcomer Clay, paced by senior Kate Achter, won the girls team title with 98.5 points, beating out runner-up Bowsher (95) and third-place Notre Dame Academy (89).

That meet came down to the final stretch of the final event, the 1600 relay, with Achter on the anchor leg of the meet-clinching first-place finish.

Bowsher, which led 89-88.5 going into the last race, had a chance to win. But 1600 relay anchor Michelle Bell failed in a valiant bid to catch Achter.

“There s not another girl in northwest Ohio I d rather have had the baton in her hand in the last lap to win the first City League championship in the school s history,” Clay coach Scott Wamer said of Achter.

Scott's Romen Walton speeds to a win in the 400 meters.

“She s an unbelievable team player, and those other three girls [Deedra Fillion, Meredith Melecosky and Brittney Saull] really stepped up.

“We broke our school record with that run.”

Central didn t come away empty-handed. The Irish boys posted 99 points to capture a team title also decided in the last event. Whitmer was second (97) and St. John s Jesuit third (96).

The Irish and St. John s were tied at 93 and Whitmer had 92 entering the 1600 relay. Central took third in that race (3:26.5), Whitmer fourth (3:27.0) and St. John s sixth (3:30.7).

“We had a little dead time [last four years] with our sprinters and now we have a balanced team,” said 19th-year coach Jim Petiniot of Central s first boys title since 1999. “We won on balance today. We didn t have too many first places.”

Central s Andrew Link took the 1600 title (4:38.8), joining teammate Tim Duncan, who won the pole vault (13-3) on Wednesday.

The girls meet was a coronation for the CL s new sprint queen, as Libbey sophomore Danyelle McGary swept the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes.

She ran the 100 in 12.62, edging defending senior league 100 and 200 champ Andrea Bryson (12.64) of Central. McGary also caught Bryson at the wire in the 200 (25.44 to 25.46), and coasted to victory in the 400 (56.40).

During Wednesday s preliminaries here, McGary ran a 55.23 in the 400 to break the CL record of Central s Erika Haney (55.90, 1998). Libbey also got a first from freshman Peggy Moore in the high jump (5-1). McGary was named the meet s outstanding female runner.

Libbey sophomore Danyelle McGary, center, swept the girls sprint events in the City League track championships last night at Start.

Achter, who also won the 100 high hurdles (15.32) and long jump (17-01/2), placed third in the 100.

Achter s freshman teammate, Saull, won the 300 hurdles, and her freshman sister, Susan Achter, was second in the shot.

“We ran three great legs,” Kate Achter said, “and then, when I got to the last turn, I could hear [Bell] coming. I said to myself, You ve got to kick it in. You re not going to let anyone take this away from you. ”

Rogers senior Olivia Griswold repeated her discus (122-4) and shot put (37-0) titles, and was named the outstanding female field event specialist.

Scott s girls won the 400 and 800 relays.

On the boys side, Start senior Roland Quinn had four first-place finishes. He swept the 100 (11.14) and 200 (22.15) dashes, and anchored the 400 and 800 relay teams that each included senior Asante White and juniors Javon Haythorne and Jordy Franklin.

Quinn was the meet s outstanding male runner. Start s Saliyl Cunningham added a win in the long jump (20-41/4).

Rogers Darryl Elston was edged in a 110 hurdles photo finish by Whitmer senior Edwin Hood (15.09 to 15.10), but won the 300 hurdles in 38.72.

St. John s got titles from Nate Niese in the 800 (1:57.83) and Marcus Waugh in the discus (166-0), adding to the Titans win in the 3200 relay Wednesday, a race anchored by Niese.

Scott s Romen Walton won the 400 (49.63) and Robert Scarborough of St. Francis, who captured the shot put (51-71/4) on Wednesday, placed second in the high jump last night. He was voted outstanding male field events athlete.

Other girls winners were Notre Dame s Amanda Graham in the 800 (2:23.04), and teammate Alli McMaster, who won the 1600 (5:23.98) after anchoring the Eagles first-place 3200 relay squad on Wednesday.

St. Ursula s Colleen Krout easily won the 3200 (11:45.31) despite a torrential downpour that began midway through the race. That rain caused an 80-minute delay in the meet.