Sidelines Notebook: Fisher leads Delta boys to title at Tiffin Carnival

9/15/2010

The Delta boys cross country team won a division title Saturday at the prestigious Tiffin Carnival.

The Panthers captured the Division III-A championship at the meet which attracts a field of more than 6,000 runners. Delta senior Collin Fisher was third with a time of 15:39, while junior Kevin Abair was 11th(16:39) and senior Maxx Lackie was 26th (17:07).

“It's the second largest invite in the country. So it's very important,” Delta coach John Wodarski. “The kids finished fourth the last few years, so they were extremely excited they were able to finally win one this year. It's very competitive. We look at it as being one step toward finishing in the top three or four at state.”

There were 42 teams in Delta's division.

“It was a team performance,” Wodarski said. “We had four under 17:30.”

Delta has finished sixth at the D-III state meet the last two years.

Tyler Wise, a senior from Hopewell-Loudon, took 10th(16:35).

In the boys Division I-A race, the top area finisher was St. John's Jesuit senior Greg Turissini who took fifth at 15:41. Northview senior Mike Wallace was seventh (15:48), Maumee senior Ryan Kraus finished ninth (15:54) and his Panther teammate, Willy Fink, (15:57) was 14th.

In the boys Division I-B race, Bowling Green senior Kevin Budge took third with a time of 16:35. His teammate, sophomore Brian Seymour, was ninth (16:49) to help the Bobcats finish third. St. Francis de Sales was fourth.

In the boys D-II race, Napoleon junior Steve Weaver placed second in 15:37.

Ottawa Hills sophomore Brett Hanson finished third in the Division III-B race followed by Gibsonburg's Miguel Flores, a sophomore who took fourth (17:33).

On the girls' side, Notre Dame placed second in the Division I-A race. Northview was fifth andPerrysburg took 11th.

Notre Dame was paced by Lexi Aughenbaugh who took 13th (18:51). Perrysburg senior Kaitlyn Llewellyn finished fourth (18:22). Erin Gyurke, a freshman from Clay, placed eighth (18:30). Northview's top runner was sophomore Abby Master (18th, 19:00).

In the girls Division I-B event, Southview senior Kendra Kezur (19:57) and sophomore LexiLopez (20:01), finished third and fourth respectively. Findlay, who was led by junior Sara Plott (11th, 20:50) was third, and the Cougars were eighth. Whitmer, who was led by freshman Morgan Cukierski (eighth, 20:34), placed fourth.

Maumee senior Brooke Tullis finished fourth in the Division II-A race with a 19:18 and helped the Panthers take third. Napoleon was fifth.

Otsego junior Kylee Bernthisel won the Division II-B event with a time of 19:33. Oak Harbor senior Kia Frank finished second (19:44), while Eastwood freshman Maddie Jackson was fourth (20:17). Otsego senior Leah Wagoner placed sixth (20:18).

The 42nd Tiffin Carnival event had 23 races featuring 183 high school programs.

HALL OF FAME

Rogers inducts 4

They were some of the best athletes in Ohio in their given sports, and Eric Browning, Joe Allen, Kristen Dodd and Diontre Earl were inducted together last week into the Rogers hall of fame.

Browning (Class of 1996), who is now the Rams' track and field coach, was the 1995 Division I state high jump champion. Browning earned All-Mid-American Conference honors four times while competing for Bowling Green State University.

As a coach, Browning worked with Erik Kynard, who was a two-time state champion and one of the top high jumpers in the nation.

Allen (1997) is regarded as one of the top track athletes in City League history. He won six league titles and was named the outstanding male performer of the CL meet as a junior in 1996. That year he was the Division I state runner-up in the long jump, and in 1997 was state champion when he was also accorded All-America honors.

Allen later was a two-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion in the long jump and triple jump, and was ACC MVP in 2001 while at Florida State. Allen also received All-America honor, and competed professionally. He was U.S. long jump runner-up in 2006 and 2008, and twice reached the U.S. Olympic trials, placing ninth in 2004 and seventh in 2008.

Dodd (2000) won both City League and Division I district titles in the 100-meter dash four straight years. She was also a four-time state qualifier in the 400, placing second in the state in 1999 and third as a senior in 2000. She was also fifth at state in the 100 as a junior.

Still the holder of school records in the 200, 400, and triple jump, Dodd was twice named the outstanding female performer at the CL track meet. In college, she earned All-America honors in 2002 as a member of Notre Dame's 1600 relay team.

Earl (2001) was a football standout for three seasons (1998-2000), and earned Division II All-Ohio first team at linebacker as a junior and senior when he averaged 15 tackles per game each year.

As a senior, Earl led Rogers to a 9-1 regular-season finish, its only City championship, and the Rams' first state playoff berth. He was named CL player of the year and was on the All-Blade team. He played at the University of Akron, where he was the Zips' freshman of the year and sophomore of the year.

Wauseon to induct 7

Wauseon has announced its 2010 athletic hall of fame class which features seven members.

The class includes Larry Bennett (class of 1962), Mark Warfield (1975), Joe Ramos Jr., (1978), Todd Myers (1979), Jenny (Meyer) Crooks (1989), and Tyson Langenderfer (1994).

Also inducted as a contributor will be Joseph Sevenich, a teacher, coach, and principal (1979-2008).

The induction ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 11 prior to the varsity basketball game with Fairview.

Bennett earned seven letters in football, baseball, and track. He held five school track and field records in the hurdles, pole vault and mile relay.

Warfield won nine letters in cross country, wrestling, and track and field. He set records in the 880 yards, mile and two-mile run, and won the league titles in those events, and was the champion in cross country.

Ramos won five letters in wrestling and cross country. He won four league titles in wrestling. As a senior, he posted a 30-0 record and won the state championship in the 105-pound weight class. His career record was 86-9-2.

Myers won eight varsity letters in track, football, and basketball. He set the school 100-meter dash record with a time of 11.05 and was league champion. He also earned a league title in the long jump. In football, Myers rushed for 1,232 yards as a senior (a record at that time), and scored a school-record 21 touchdowns.

Crooks earned six varsity letters in volleyball and softball. In volleyball, she led Wauseon to its first league championship. A standout pitcher, Crooks earned All-Ohio honors in 1979 with a 1.40 ERA.

Langenderfer won 10 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. In football, he earned All-Ohio second team for the 14-0 state champions in 1993. He scored 126 points including 20 touchdowns. In basketball, he led the Indians to a 26-2 state runner-up finish. He pitched two no-hitters and is first on the school's career wins list with 24.

Sevenich graduated from Heidelberg College and was captain of the football team. He served as principal at Wauseon for 19 years. He received the service award from the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in March of 2010.

Ohio coaches hall selects Gilbert

Steve Gilbert, a 1968 graduate of St. Francis de Sales who once coached at St. Patrick ofHeatherdowns, will be inducted into the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in July.

Gilbert, best known in northwest Ohio for his tenure at Tiffin Columbian, posted a 189-72 record over 25 seasons spent at Ashland Crestview, Mansfield Senior and Columbian. He retired as Tornadoes coach following the 2009 season when his final team finished 7-3. Gilbert guided Columbian to eight state playoff appearances.