Harding takes boys title

By JOHN VARGO Tribune Chronicle
CORTLAND — Warren G. Harding’s boys track and field team was seeking its fifth straight Trumbull County Track and Field title at Lakeview High School.

The Raiders’ top athlete and hurdler, junior Mitchell Seawood, is nursing a knee injury and was unavailable to run this week.

Thursday, Harding rallied its team and held off the rest of the county field for a fifth straight title — narrowly beating second-place McDonald, 85-81.

“We’ve battled a lot of injuries, but I’m not using it as a crutch or anything like that,” Harding coach Charles Penny said. “Our coaches did a great job in the past three weeks to get our kids in a position to where we’re hopefully battling for the county meet, to where we could win a county meet. My coaches were awesome. I’m at a great school with good kids and great coaches. They make me look good every day.”

Harding sophomore DeAver Williamson, who Penny has anointed as one of the next great Harding sprinters, won the 100- and 200-meter dashes (11.05 and 22.24 seconds, respectively) — giving Harding 20 points. Williamson anchored the winning 800 relay (1:30.79).

“Coach Penny always talks about having Warren Harding mentality and just run your race and don’t worry about anybody else,” said Williamson, who was named running events MVP. “I just wanted to come out and get points for my team.”

“He’s the next great sprinter from Warren Harding. He’s accepted that torch,” Penny said. “He’s working harder every day and he knows the legacy of being a Warren Harding sprinter. That’s something we’ve tried to instill in everybody. It’s rubbing off on our hurdlers with Brandon Lee, Darren Vaughn and all the way to Antwaun Molden.

“We’re building some tradition here.”

Tuesday, Harding sophomore Aaron Wilson won the boys shot put (47 feet, 9.25 inches) — giving the Raiders another 10 points.

The four first-place finishes capped Harding’s run this season — a year the Raiders were uncertain they were going to win the Trumbull County title.

“It’s a fun ride and we’re awfully young this year. We only graduate one person on this entire team,” Penny said. “And, we’re missing probably one of the best athletes in the state of Ohio from this team. We won our conference and we’ll see what happens.”

Williamson and Wilson are just a part of this ongoing Harding tradition.

“It’s very special to be part of the Warren Harding track program,” Penny said. “I think the kids are relishing in that. There’s kids that are in the past coming back to support the program. It’s more than a football and basketball school now. I really believe we’re doing things the right way. We’re very proud of what’s going on.”

• EXCITING 800: McDonald senior T.J. Holland and John F. Kennedy junior Mike Perisa are among the best Division III half-mile runners in the state of Ohio.

The two are quite familiar with each other and have run many tight races against one another.

Holland rallied to beat Perisa by the narrowest margin — 1:58.29 to 1:58.35.

“It’s kind of a rivalry every time we race each other. The first time we raced, I beat him,” Perisa said. “We were supposed to race a lot of times this year. We only got to meet twice because of my injury and whatnot. Every time we race, it seems to end up the same exact way — by two-tenths of a second or closer.”

“It’s been like that for many runs. He’s the best competition and we’ll work with each other,” Holland said.

This was the third race the two have run against one another this season. Perisa had a pulled hamstring and mononucleosis earlier this season.

“It was tough to come back from that, but I feel a lot better now,” he said.

However, coming back in the final lap of either the 800 or 1,600 races is what Holland did to help him claim the overall MVP honors Thursday. He won the 1,600 in a time of 4:30.94.

“I try to stay within striking distance, save up energy — go the last 200 or whenever I feel it is necessary,” he said.

• COLLINS WINS BOTH HURDLE EVENTS: Hubbard junior Jermaine Collins won the 110 and 300 hurdles in times of 14.55 and 39.35.

He defeated a talented field in both events.

“There’s some fast people out there,” he said. “I’m so excited, happy to win. I still haven’t called my mom yet. As soon as I get back to my cell phone, I’m going to call my mom. I’m just really excited.’’

• NOTES: Maplewood’s 3,200 relay, Champion’s Andrew Austin in the high jump — in addition to Harding’s Wilson — won county titles on Tuesday. ... Austin, Wilson, John F. Kennedy freshman Matthias Tayala and Howland Mike Mangiarelli were all named field event MVPs. Tayala won the discus (145-0) and Mangiarelli captured the long jump (20-4.75). ... Other winners were Hubbard’s team of Andrew Zitnik, Andre Givens, David Urey and Robert Wigfall in the 400 relay (44.11); Lordstown’s Tykie Theofilos in the 400 (50.43); and McDonald’s 1,600 relay of Drew Banyon, Corey Lunn, Holland and Devon Colburn (3:27.75). ... Howland’s Aaron Sutton won the 3,200 (9:56.10).

jvargo@tribune-chronicle.com