HS TRACK AND FIELD: 15th Robert Spagna Championship meet — History

With Mother Nature refusing to give NEPA more than one day in seven where there is no precipitation, concerns for the track and field athletes, and their championship part of the season, being threatened heighten. That being said, the annual Robert Spagna Championship meet is scheduled for Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Scranton Memorial Stadium. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

This is the best meet of the season. Sure, there are those who point to the District Championship meets, but dare I say, there is no title more impressive than one earned at the Spagna meet?

In this era of participation trophies, realignment, extensive expansion of classifications, power ratings, the Spagna Championships crowns the TRUE champions of track and field. There are no separations based on classification within the meet or with the team scoring. The only caveat is the Class 3A team with the most points accumulated and the Class 2A team with the most points are the champions. But there is no separation within the meet. If a Class 2A athlete finishes first, the team receives 10 points. If a Class 3A athlete finishes second, the team receives 8 points. The athletes who win gold medals are the true Lackawanna Track Conference champions for their event. No coaches’ vote. No subjectivity. The clock, the tape, the crossbars do not lie. They do not show favoritism. They do not show bias. No debate. No discussion.

The champions here are the best of the best.

So, we should continue to applaud the officers of the Lackawanna Track Conference for hosting this meet. There are coaches who have some concerns with its scheduling date, so close to the district championships, because ultimately the goal of the elite athletes is to reach the state meet. However, athletes should compete. In college, there are the conference championships, regional championships and then the NCAAs. That’s what makes the end of the track and field season so special.

Last spring, the Spagna Championships produced some of the greatest and most memorable moments in LTC history.

 

 

2018 MEET RECORDS SET

 

 

• 110 Hurdles: CJ Anderson (DV) 14.39 (meet record 14.32 in trials; old mark, 14.86, 2014, Gavin O’Donnell, Lakeland).

 

• 1600: Tyler Wirth (WAL) 4:14.13 (meet record; old mark, 4:19.19, 2012, Rico Galassi, Holy Cross).

 

• 400 Relay: Scranton (Jared Cipriano, Akash Darjee, Ian Lewis, Rodo Brown) 43.24 (meet record; old mark, 43.62, 2017, Valley View).

 

• 300 Hurdles: CJ Anderson (DV) 38.35 (meet record; old mark, 39.87, 2010, Zach Kruger, Blue Ridge).

 

• Triple: Ky’Ron Harbin (SCR) 45-11 (meet record; old mark, 45-5, 2015, Ky’Ron Harbin, Scranton).

 

• 800: Katie Dammer (AH) 2:14.96 (meet record; old mark, 2:18.80, 2012, Kaitlyn Lewis, North Pocono).

 

 

 

 

 

Dammer

QUICK HIT

Last season, Abington Heights’ Katie Dammer won the 1,600-meter run, the 800 and the 3,200 to lead the Lady Comets to the Class 3A championship in one of the great individual efforts in the history of the Robert Spagna Championships.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RETURNING SPAGNA CHAMPIONS

 

2018

Pole: Victoria Atkinson (SP) 12-0
400: Mackenzie Turner (WAL) 58.64
Shot: Mikayla Marino (LAK) 39-0
Discus: Mikayla Marino (LAK) 126-4
Long: Calista Marzolino (AH) 16-6.25
High: Calista Marzolino (AH) 5-2
Triple: Calista Marzolino (AH) 35-3

1600: Tyler Wirth (WAL) 4:14.13 meet record
800: Tyler Wirth (WAL) 1:59.23

 

2017

Pole: Dani Heine (AH) 11-0
Shot: Mikayla Marino (LAK) 34-7.5
High: Calista Marzolilno (AH) 5-2

1600: Tyler Wirth (WAL) 4:20.58
800: Tyler Wirth (WAL) 1:57.15 meet record

 

2016

Shot: Mikayla Marino (LAK) 33-2.25

 

 

---

 

 

HISTORY

 

 

TEAM CHAMPIONS

 

	BOYS AAA	BOYS AA
2005	Wallenpaupack	Lakeland
2006	Abington Heights	Lakeland
2007	Wallenpaupack	Lakeland
2008	Abington Heights	Lakeland
2009	Scranton Prep	Valley View
2010	Honesdale	Valley View
2011	Valley View	Dunmore
2012	Scranton Prep	Holy Cross
2013	Valley View	Lakeland
2014	Delaware Valley	Lakeland
2015	Western Wayne	Lakeland
2016	North Pocono	Lakeland
2017	Scranton	Lakeland
2018	Scranton	Lakeland
	GIRLS AAA	GIRLS AA
2005	Delaware Valley	Lakeland
2006	Delaware Valley	Lakeland
2007	Abington Heights	Montrose
2008	Abington Heights	Western Wayne
2009	Abington Heights	Western Wayne
		Montrose
2010	Abington Heights	Montrose
2011	Honesdale	Holy Cross
2012	Western Wayne	Holy Cross
		Lakeland
2013	Abington Heights	Lakeland
2014	Abington Heights	Lakeland
2015	Abington Heights	Lakeland
2016	Abington Heights	Lakeland
2017	Abington Heights	Lakeland
2018	Abington Heights	Western Wayne

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEET RECORDS

 

BOYS

 

110 Hurdles	CJ Anderson, DV, 2018	14.32
100	Pat Monahan, NP, 2015	10.73
1600	Tyler Wirth, WAL, 2018	4:14.13
400	Lionel Wilson, HON, 2011	49.71
300 Hurdles	CJ Anderson, DV, 2018	38.35
800	Tyler Wirth, WAL, 2017	1:57.15
200	Pat Monahan, NP, 2015	21.97
3200	Luke Jones, EL, 2013	9:33.28
Shot	Matt Slagus, NP, 2017	54-8½
Discus	Matt Slagus, NP, 2017	186-1
Javelin	Gavin Darcy, DUN, 2017	212-10
Long	Cody DeBoer, MON, 2009	22-10
Triple	Ky’Ron Harbin, SCR, 2018	45-11
High	Devon Strubert, NP, 2012	6-6¼
Pole	Ryan Wilkes, VV, 2015	16-6

3200 Relay

Lakeland, 2007

8:05.80

(Ryan Arthur, Mark Bucklaw, Drew Babcanec, Kyle Pepson)

400 Relay

Scranton, 2018

43.24

(Jake Osborne, Seth Vernon, Evan Carey, Ethan Carey)

(Collin Cooper, Garth Estadt, Matt Pidgeon, Cy Babcanec)

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

GIRLS

 

100 Hurdles	Cassidy Jenkins, LAK, 2015	14.47
100	Jordan Hoyt, AH, 2010	12.08
1600	Tessa Barrett, AH, 2013	4:55.63
400	Kaitlyn Lewis, NP, 2015	58.01
300 Hurdles	Cassidy Jenkins, LAK, 2015	44.38
800	Katie Dammer, AH, 2018	2:14.96
200	Jordan Hoyt, AH, 2010	24.84
3200	Katie Dammer, AH, 2017	10:40.45
Shot	April Doyle, LAK, 2009	43-0
Discus	Jenn Slagus, NP, 2012	137-1
Javelin	Emily Hughes, HC, 2011	137-1
Long	Liz Pattara, SP, 2015	17-6¼
Triple	Brooke Estadt, LAK, 2015	37-11½
High	Trina Carito, LAK, 2006	5-4
High	Sarah Kimsey, MON, 2010	5-4
High	Audrey Calkin, HON, 2011	5-4
High	Tori Doyle, LAK, 2011	5-4
Pole	Lucianne Burner, NP, 2015	12-3

3200 Relay

Wallenpaupack, 2012

9:41.25

(Hannah Stack, Stephanie Halas, Emily Martone, Chelsea Mann)

400 Relay

Abington Heights, 2008

49.4

(Tara Tulaney, Kristi Polizanno, Jordan Hoyt, Danielle Wasilewski)

1600 Relay

Honesdale, 2012

4:00.68

(Mary Martin, Katie Miller, Summer Hill, Janna Wilson)

 

 

 

 

 

---

---