Monday, April 27, 1998

Fostoria boys second at Booster Invite

By Jim Fetzer
Sports Writer

FOSTORIA - Three new meet records by the Fostoria Redmen could not completely compensate for the absence of sprinter Orlando Barientes. Bowling Green took advantage, double scoring in the 100 and 200, as well as the 3200, while Fostoria was shut out in all three events.

It proved to be the difference as Bowling Green scored 119 points to Fostoria's 106 to win the Division I-II section of the Ohio Bank Track Invitational. Lakota was third with 71 points, followed by Eastwood (66), Rossford (56), Elmwood (49), Port Clinton (26) and Toledo Libby (3).

Fostoria coach Frank Ferguson estimated that Barientes would be out of action for at least a week with a strained leg tendon.

''We'll bring him back slowly,'' Ferguson said, ''but we achieved most of our goals today,'' Ferguson said. ''We ran our fastest 4 x 100 to date and our 4 x 400 is where it needs to be right now.''

The relay team of Randy Browning, Lamphoun Latta, Mike Burke, and Lerone Martin set a new meet record with a time of 3:31.8. Ferguson says he wants the foursome to lower that time to 3:25, which he estimates would put them in the running for the state tournament.

Cory Echleberry has already represented the Redmen at the state tournament. He is rounding into form by establishing a new meet record in the discus. His throw of 168-7 was more than 30 feet more than the second place finisher. He also won the shot put with a throw of 51-1 3/4.

The third meet record for the Redmen came from Burke, who was named Co-MVP in Division I-II along with Bowling Green's Nolan Fahrer. Besides running in the 4 x 400 relay, Burke won the 110 hurdles in record time (14.8) along with the 300 hurdles.

Charlie Garcia won two events for Lakota, the 200 (22.5) and the 400 (51.7), and finished second in the 100 (11.5). Trent Tucker added a victory in the 800 with a time of 2:01.9.

St. Wendelin coach Brian Rosedale was pleased with his boys team's second place finish in Division III.

''This is better than we've looked all year,'' he said. ''The girls had a great day. We had a lot of personal records.''

Liberty-Benton, behind the three firsts and a third from meet MVP Steve Burgel, finished first with 134 points. St. Wendelin had 89 1/2, followed by Gibsonburg (63. 1/2), Arcadia (59), Old Fort (49), Woodmore (48), Hopewell-Loudon (27) and North Baltimore (26).

The Mohawks only had three first-place finishes, but they double scored in three others. Mike Smith won the 1600 (4:39.5), Jaymes Mennel the 800 (2:01.5), and the 3200 relay (Smith, Jeff Uehlein, Jerod Guillen, and Mennel, 8:19.6).

Hopewell-Loudon's Andy Smith finished first in the 100 (11.5), and Old Fort's Derek Huber won the discus (135-0).

In the Division I-II girls, Fostoria placed fifth with 49 points and Lakota sixth with 37 points.

''Considering how young we are we did pretty good,'' Fostoria coach Larry Topor said. ''We held their own today.''

Topor said the highlight of the day was Sarah Shetter, who established a new meet record in the discus with a throw of 122-3.

Eastwood took home the team crown with 146 points, well ahead of Bowling Green's 104. Elmwood and Rossford finished tied for third with 74.5 points.Port Clinton was seventh with 11 points.

Lakota's Wendy Fraley established a new meet record in the high jump at 5-2. Meet Co-MVP's were Bowling Green's Nicole Avery and Rossford's Tiffani Paige.

Liberty Benton, led by meet MVP Bridget Budd, completed the small school sweep by running away with the Division III girls championship. Their 180 points finished well in front of Woodmore's 115. St. Wendelin was third with 105 points, followed by Aradia (49), Gibsonburg (20), Hopewell-Loudon (15), Old Fort (4) and North Baltimore (3).

Stephanie Doogs swept the discus (105-10) and the shot put (37-4 1/4) for the Mohawks. Natalie Faeth outran the field in the 800 with a time of 2:30.1, and Dawn Kresser sprinted to a win in the 200 (28.5). The 4 x 400 relay team of Beth Zunkeiwicz, Audra Reinhard, Faeth, and Kresser nipped Liberty-Benton with a time of 4:24.3.