HS TRACK AND FIELD: Lackawanna Track Conference Boys Past Individual Champions — The Hurdles

On Tuesday, the Lackawanna Track Conference was scheduled to hold the annual Robert Spagna Championship meet.

That is canceled. And without beating a dead horse, we know why.

This spring, as active high school sports stopped, ON THE BLOG decided to do some research. History has always interested me when it comes to high school sports. I do, of course, hate being asked who is the greatest of all time, because there are just too many factors. Era, running surfaces, training, timing systems, coaching have all improved even in single year increments.

What I always tell people about track and field is:

 

• The clock and tape measures don’t usually lie

• You know greatness when you see it.

And ON THE BLOG has seen a lot of greatness.

 

What makes the LTC champions so unique is that there is no separation for classifications in the races, which is not how the district or state champions are determined.

So, with this being a week where we normally would crown the latest Lackawanna Track Conference individual event and team champions, let’s take a look at the past champions.

That’s right, there were long nights when the computer stayed on late and we researched and researched. Reminded me of when classmates stayed up to finish their senior thesis.

Full disclosure. … Track and field media coverage was hardly a priority way back when, so gathering first names became the most daunting challenge of this project. If there are any missing in the lists, and you know who said person is, please let us know.

Before we start looking back, here are a couple of notes to remember.

 

• ON THE BLOG only looked back to the 1950 season. The championship meet was held for several years before that, however, with only the four schools participating the research capped at a look back at 70 seasons.

 

• The LTC championship meet was dedicated to James McCutcheon in 1967.

 

• Each LTC team was allowed ONE entrant per event from its inception to 1989.

 

• Races were converted to meters following the 1982 season and all records were RETIRED.

 

• The LTC conference meet was put on hiatus following the 1989 season due to a PIAA rule and all meet records were RETIRED.

 

• The LTC conference meet returned in 2005 with Fully Automatic Timing and new meet records were established.

 

• The LTC conference meet was dedicated to Robert Spagna that same season

 

• Champions for Class 3A and Class 2A were crowned starting in 2005.

 

 

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE: 

 

MONDAY: The Hurdles

TUESDAY: The Sprints and Dashes

WEDNESDAY: The Distance

THURSDAY: The Throws

FRIDAY: The Jumps and Pole Vault

SATURDAY: The Relays

 

PAST TEAM CHAMPIONS

1950 Scranton Tech Note: Six in Conference (Central, Dunmore, Prep, Tech, West, Taylor)
1951 Central Note: Five in Conference (Central, Dunmore, Tech, West, Taylor)
1952 Scranton Tech Note: Four in Conference (Central, Dunmore, Tech, West Scranton)
1953 Scranton Tech Note: Five in Conference (Central, Dunmore, Tech, West, Taylor)
1954 West Scranton Note: Four in Conference (Central, Dunmore, Tech, West Scranton) to 1965
1955 West Scranton
1956 Central
1957 Central
1958 West Scranton
1959 Central
1960 Central
1961 Central
1962 West Scranton
1963 Dunmore
1964 Dunmore
1965 Dunmore Note: Five in Conference (Abington Heights, Central, Dunmore, Tech, West) through 1973
1966 Abington Heights
1967 Abington Heights Note: James McCutcheon Championships
1968 Abington Heights
1969 Abington Heights
1970 Abington Heights
1971 Dunmore
1972 Dunmore
1973 Abington Heights
1974 Abington Heights Note: Seven in Conference
1975 Abington Heights
1976 Abington Heights Note: Nine in Conference
1977 Scranton Central
1978 Abington Heights
1979 Tunkhannock Note: Twelve in Conference
1980 Tunkhannock
1981 Lakeland
1982 Scranton Prep
1983 Abington Heights
1984 North Pocono
1985 Lakeland
1986 Lakeland
1987 Lakeland Note: 13 schools in conference
1988 North Pocono
1989 Lakeland
Robert Spagna Championships
2005 Class 3A: Wallenpaupack Class 2A: Lakeland Note: 21 schools; All-weather; FAT timing
2006 Class 3A: Abington Heights Class 2A: Lakeland
2007 Class 3A: Wallenpaupack Class 2A: Lakeland
2008 Class 3A: Abington Heights Class 2A: Lakeland
2009 Class 3A: Scranton Prep Class 2A: Valley View
2010 Class 3A: Honesdale Class 2A: Valley View
2011 Class 3A: Valley View Class 2A: Dunmore
2012 Class 3A: Scranton Prep Class 2A: Holy Cross
2013 Class 3A: Valley View Class 2A: Lakeland
2014 Class 3A: Delaware Valley Class 2A: Lakeland
2015 Class 3A: Western Wayne Class 2A: Lakeland
2016 Class 3A: North Pocono Class 2A: Lakeland
2017 Class 3A: Scranton Class 2A: Lakeland
2018 Class 3A: Scranton Class 2A: Lakeland
2019 Class 3A: Wallenpaupack Class 2A: Lakeland

 

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THE HURDLES

120-yard Low Hurdles
1950 Ronnie Klein (Scranton Tech) 14.6
120-yard Hurdles
1951 Manuel Garcia (Central) 16.0 (meet record)
1952 Bill Billek (Scranton Tech) 17.1
1953 Mike Kapchuk (Central) 16.9
1954 Mike Kapchuk (Central) 16.2
1955 Mike Kapchuk (Central) 15.1 (meet record – retired)
1956 Andy Scheller (Scranton Tech) 16.0
1957 Norman Whitman (West Scranton) 16.1
1958 Tony Romagnoli (Central) 16.0
1959 John Hoffman (West Scranton) 16.2
1960 Leroy Clifford (Central) 16.5
1961 Leroy Clifford (Central) 16.4
1962 Jimmy Calpin (Central) 17.0
1963 George Parker (Scranton Tech) 16.9
1964 George Parker (Scranton Tech) 16.8
1965 Gordon Barnhardt (Abington Heights) 16.4
1966 Mark Ander (Abington Heights) 16.7
1967 Mike Fanucci (Dunmore) 16.0
1968 Bob Aikman (Abington Heights) 16.1
1969 Mike Mokay (Old Forge) 17.7
1970 Tom Carlucci (Dunmore) 16.7
1971 Tom Carlucci (Dunmore) 16.8
1972 Anthony Limani (Scranton Tech) 16.8
1973 Al Finella (Dunmore) 16.2
1974 Steve Toth (Abington Heights) 15.7
1975 Paul Baltrusaitis (Scranton Tech) 16.8
1976 John Bernardi (Valley View) 16.0
1977 Joe Cecchetelli (West Scranton) 16.5
1978 Joe Cecchetelli (West Scranton) 15.7
1979 Len Vermeulen (Tunkhannock) 15.8
1980 Len Vermeulen (Tunkhannock) 15.6
1981 Tony Gianone (Dunmore) 15.4
1982 Mark Prebich (Lakeland) 15.8
110-meter hurdles
1983 John Henry (Abington Heights) 15.8 (meet record)
1984 Jeff Sparks (Valley View) 15.5
1985 Tom Liuzzo (Lakeland) 15.7
1986 Rich Sparks (Valley View) 15.2 (meet record)
1987 Joby Fawcett (Lakeland) 15.1 (meet record)
1988 Joby Fawcett (Lakeland) 14.4 (meet record – retired)
1989 Billy James (Abington Heights) 16.2
2005 Blair Buselli (Wallenpaupack) 15.30
2006 Derek Lutchko (Carbondale Area) 15.75
2007 Mike Phillips (Valley View) 15.18 (meet record)
2008 Cory Phillips (Lakeland) 16.33
2009 Cory Phillips (Lakeland) 15.64
2010 Zach Kruger (Blue Ridge) 15.41
2011 Steve Munley (Lakeland) 15.42
2012 Mike Kolcharno (Dunmore) 15.71
2013 Gavin O’Donnell (Lakeland) 15.65
2014 Gavin O’Donnell (Lakeland) 14.86 (meet record)
2015 Alex Long (Western Wayne) 15.31
2016 Marcos Ortiz (Carbondale Area) 15.84
2017 Marcos Ortiz (Carbondale Area) 14.96
2018 CJ Anderson (Delaware Valley) 14.39 Note: 14.32 (record in trials)
2019 Antonio Maletta (Abington Heights) 14.69

 

 

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330-yard Hurdles
1973 Al Finella (Dunmore) 43.0
1974 Fred Lyon (Abington Heights) 40.9 (meet record)
1975 Stew Frazier (Central) 42.6
1976 Joe Cecchetelli (West Scranton) 43.1
1977 Joe Cecchetelli (West Scranton) 41.8
1978 Joe Cecchetelli (West Scranton) 41.8
1979 Tony Shaw (Abington Heights) 42.3
1980 Len Vermeulen (Tunkhannock) 40.9 (meet record)
1981 Bill Brittain (Abington Heights) 41.2
1982 Mark Prebich (Lakeland) 40.6 (meet record – retired)
300-meter Hurdles
1983 John Henry (Abington Heights) 41.3 (meet record – retired)
1984 Joe Silva (Dunmore) 41.4
1985 Michael Shea (Abington Heights) 42.9
1986 Geoff Smith (North Pocono) 43.1
1987 Tom Smith (Central) 43.7
1988 Leonard Burke (Dunmore) 42.4
1989 Billy James (Abington Heights) 41.9
2005 Kyle McCloe (North Pocono) 41.65 (meet record)
2006 Derek Lutchko (Carbondale Area) 40.29 (meet record)
2007 No event (Rain)
2008 Lou Cornacchione (Scranton Prep) 40.88
2009 Lou Cornacchione (Scranton Prep) 40.52
2010 Zach Kruger (Blue Ridge) 39.87 (meet record)
2011 Zach Kruger (Blue Ridge) 40.07
2012 Brandon Jackson (Valley View) 40.27
2013 Gavin O’Donnell (Lakeland) 41.04
2014 Gavin O’Donnell (Lakeland) 40.85
2015 Jon Galaydick (Abington Heights) 40.66
2016 Garth Estadt (Lakeland) 40.04
2017 Ryan Atcavage (Western Wayne) 40.02
2018 CJ Anderson (Delaware Valley) 38.35 (meet record)
2019 Antonio Maletta (Abington Heights) 39.19

 

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180-yard low hurdles
1952 Ronnie Alpert (Dunmore) 22.0 (meet record)
1953 Frank Stanavitch (Scranton Tech) 22.3
1954 Jim Needham (Dunmore) 22.4
1955 Jim Needham (Dunmore) 21.8 (meet record)
1956 Joe Simms (Scranton Tech) 21.4
1957 William Lyman (Central) 22.6
1958 Ron Hartley (West Scranton) 21.7 (meet record)
1959 Ron Russo (Scranton Tech) 21.9
1960 Ron Russo (Scranton Tech) NTA
1961 Clifford (Central) 21.7 (tied meet record)
1962 Mike Slagan (Scranton Tech) 21.9
1963 Bob Shutta (Dunmore) 21.9
1964 Dougherty (Scranton Tech) 22.1
1965 Robert Giannavola (Dunmore) 22.0
1966 George Waitulavich (Scranton Tech) 22.1
1967 Bob Ronchi (Central) 21.6 (meet record)
1968 Mike Luger (Central) 22.3
1969 Dan McGlynn (Central) 22.3
1970 John Gibbs (AH) 22.1
1971 Tony Donato (Dunmore) 21.5 (meet record)
1972 Tony Donato (Dunmore) 22.1
200-yard low hurdles
1951 Manuel Garcia (Central) 26.0 (meet record)

 

 

 

 

 

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