BROOKFIELD - Taylor Craigo runs on fear.
It works for the Howland sophomore.
She used it to take the lead on the start of the second of three laps around the Trumbull County Cross Country Meet course behind Brookfield High School.
Craigo pulled away from the pack of Maplewood's Alanna Shamrock, Erin Pavick and Howland's Morgan Buckley.
"We were getting to the top of the last hill in the beginning and I just felt it," Craigo said. "I get nervous when I run because there's a chance they could ... so I separated myself. I felt good, so I got going. You've got to go. You can't just go and come back because they'll just pass you again."
Craigo then held off Pavick in the end to win the girls title, 20:28 to 20:31. Shamrock (21:07), Girard's Domenique Hall (21:12) and McDonald's Bobbi Oakes round out the top five.
Fact Box
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Trumbull County Meet
at Brookfield High School
TEAM SCORES: McDonald 32, Maplewood 49, Howland 65, Lakeview 89, Champion 167, Lordstown 173, Girard 190, Mineral Ridge 245, Brookfield 258, Niles 284.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 1. Patrick Kunkel (McD) 16:27, 2. Bobby Johnson (McD) 16:36, 3. Wyatt Hartman (Map) 16:45, 4. Ryan Sullivan (How) 16:54, 5. Eric Harris (Lak) 17:05, 6. Jonathan Richamond (Liberty) 17:09, 7. Tyler Smith (McD) 17:25, 8. Tristan Dahman (Map) 17:27, 9. Connor Dotson (How) 17:35, 10. Allan Coviello (McD) 17:36, 11. Chris Edie (Lak) 17:37, 12. Derek Morrison (Map) 17:50, 13. Solomon Yoder (Map) 17:52, 14. Ethan Petrilla (How) 17:54, 15. Zach Howout (How) 17:57, 16. Allen Sparks (Cha) 18:09, 17. Mike Dahmen (Map) 18:10, 18. Mike Pollifrone (How) 18:11, 19. Owen Reeher (Bad) 18:14, 20. Patrick McCarthy (McD) 18:15, 21. Adam Bogard (Lak) 18:17, 22. Seth Murray (McD) 18:18, 23. Scott Rupe (Map) 18:20, 24. Aaron Lamer (Lak) 18:29, 25. Tyler Messina (How) 18:39.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Trumbull County Meet
at Brookfield High School
NOTE: Due to a timing error, only the top four places were timed.
TEAM SCORES: McDonald 41, Howland 49, Girard 95, Maplewood 133, Mineral Ridge 160, Badger 185, Brookfield 200, LaBrae 219, Warren G. Harding 222, Niles 226, Lakeview 231.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 1. Taylor Craigo (How) 20:28, 2. Erin Pavick (Map) 20:31, 3. Alanna Shamrock (Map) 21:07, 4. Domenique Hall (Gir) 21:12, 5. Bobbi Oakes (McD), 6. Heidi Hoffman (McD), 7. Rachel Perry (McD), 8. Amanda Richards (LaB), 9. Sarah Jones (McD), 10. Hailey Deiter (How), 11. Morgan Buckley (How), 12. Emily Krafcik (How), 13. Becca Merlino (Bristol), 14. Tina Boyles (Gir), 15. Brenna Rupe (McD), 16. Amanda Bertilacci (How), 17. Abby D'Amore (McD), 18. Kate Keleman (MR), 19. Kenzie Srock (McD), 20. Tatum Flesch (MR), 21. Courtney Willams (Gir), 22. H. Frantz (Liberty), 23. Alyssa Ritz (McD), 24. Yasmeen El-Nobani (McD), 25. Lauren Walls (How).
Only places one through four were timed in the girls race. Due to a timing malfunction, the rest of the places were not available.
Buckley won last year's Trumbull County title.
"It's nice that Howland is the reigning champion the last two years. It feels great," Craigo said.
Speaking of repeat champions, McDonald's boys and senior Patrick Kunkel rolled to championships.
Kunkel ran 16:27. Teammate Bobby Johnson was second (16:36). Maplewood's Wyatt Hartman was third (16:45), Howland's Ryan Sullivan was fourth (16:54) and Lakeview's Eric Harris was fifth (17:05).
Kunkel won his third straight individual title. Only former Niles runner Chris Acs won more titles (1996-99).
"I went into it with my sophomore and junior years, winning this - hopefully coming into my senior year and winning," Kunkel said. "It came true. It's always great. It's fun."
McDonald held off Maplewood, 32-49. Howland was third with 65 points.
"We work hard together and we always look forward to getting better as the season goes on," Kunkel said.
McDonald's girls completed the sweep by edging out Howland, 41-49. Girard was third with 95 points.
The Blue Devils took places 5-7, 9 and 15 to win the team title.
"We've done workouts at camp where they're not allowed to run ahead of their teammates," Richards said. "They have to run side by side. That's necessarily why. We don't have the stud runner our boys have. We do have a nice pack.
"We're going to win as a team, not with one individual."
McDonald won a title that Howland wanted to capture.
"We came in with the mentality to win today," Craigo said. "I'm proud of second. I'm proud of my team. We've all worked really hard this summer. We've brought all the freshman up and have them run with us and stuff. I'm so excited for all of us."
