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).
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) |
1600 Relay |
Lakeland, 2016 |
3:25.40 |
(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) |
Joby Fawcett has covered high school sports — including football, girls and boys volleyball, girls and boys tennis, girls and boys swimming, boys basketball, girls and boys track and field, and girls and boys lacrosse — for 22 years. The High School Sports Blog offers deeper insights plus statistical and historical information for fans and features photos, videos and graphics along with Top 5 polls for tennis and volleyball. Contact: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5367; @sportsTT