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PLAINS TWP. — Missing the league’s top hurdler and his trusty sidekick, Coughlin had plenty of reason to be concerned.
Hunter Jones had little trouble taking all worries away.
Jones won both hurdles events Tuesday, Vincent Todd was a triple winner, and Coughlin kept Wyoming Area winless with a 96.5-52.5 victory at Plains Solomon School in a boys track and field meet that kept the two-time defending Wyoming Valley Confernce champion Crusaders chasing another title.
“It felt great last year to win it,” Jones, a junior, said. “It was a great motivation to my team.
“I’d love to shoot for that again.”
In the girls meet, Wyoming Area shot to a 103-47 victory over Coughlin when Vanessa Shedlock won the long jump, triple jump, 200 dash and 400 dash.
The Coughlin boys stayed in the championship hunt by turning to Hunter.
With splendid, first-place performances in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles events, Jones helped Coughlin improve to 4-1 and remain on the tail of 5-0 Hazleton Area in the WVC Division 1 standings.
That was no given, considering Coughlin entered the meet without the team’s star hurdlers Ron Sepkoski and Kevin Kozerski.
Sepkoski, who consistently puts up the WVC’s fastest hurdles times, sat out Tuesday’s meet after banging his foot trying to clear a hurdle Saturday during the Jack Roddick High School Invitational at Shippensburg University.
And Kozerski, a key point producer for the Crusaders in hurdles events, has been out with a back injury the past two weeks.
“It puts a little more pressure on me without Ron. That’s always a guaranteed five points (for first place),” Todd said. “And Kevin is always top three with him. So it’s up to the 100 (dash) to get the job done.”
On a drizzly day, Todd got things accomplished by taking the 100 and 200 sprints, between running on the winning 400 relay team.
But Jones ensured none of his Coughlin teammates were forced to do anything extra.
He stepped into Sepkoski’s spot and kept Coughlin finishing first, winning the 110 hurdles in 16.9 seconds and then placing first in the 300 hurdles in 44.7 seconds.
“It was nice,” Coughlin coach Paul McGrane said. “That was good.”
And for good measure, Coughlin’s Kishan Patel finished second to Jones, giving Coughlin eight points in each hurdles event without their two best hurdlers.
“There was pressure,” Jones said. “But Ron definitely prepared us over the course of the time I’ve run with him. He’s a great role model. The only time I ever beat Ron is if he slips in the beginning. I like chasing him. It’s an honor to run with him. Next year, I won’t even have him with me. But he prepared me for really good things.
“I’m excited for the future.”
For his part, Sepkoski appreciated the present, and the performance his fill-in came up with.
“It’s a great feeling to know we have guys to pick up the slack,” Sepkoski said.
The Coughlin senior also said his injury wasn’t serious enough to keep him out long, as he plans to return to the lineup next week and prepare for a run as one of the favorites in the District 2 hurdles field.
“I’m fine,” Sepkoski said, “just taking a little day off to recover.”
The Crusaders, who celebrated WVC boys Division 1 championships for the past two seasons, have recovered nicely from an early-season loss to Hazleton Area.
They’ve won three consecutive meets with two remaining, and although they’ll need some help to make a move to the top, the Crusaders vow to remain true to that goal until season’s end.
“It’s definitely our goal,” Todd said. “This team has heart. We asked some young kids to provide some skills I didn’t think they’d have. I don’t prefer this weather. But whatever weather it is, you’ve got to run in it. Whether it’s raining, snowing, hailing, sunshine, no sunshine, I feel we’ll get the job done, regardless.”
Boys
Hazleton Area 108,
Wyoming Valley West 38
Franklin Cunningham was a three-time winner and Matthew Sutton, Joe Grula and Luciano Stranko both won two individual events as the Cougars moved to 5-0 and remained a game ahead of 4-1 Coughlin for first place with two meets remaining in the WVC Division 1 regular season.
Cunningham captured the 1,600 and 3,200 runs and was on the winning 3,200 relay team.
Stranko won both hurdles events, while Sutton won the shot put and discus throws. Grula took first place in the triple jump and high jump.
Pittston Area 110,
Tunkhannock 36
Paul Moska won three times and Alex Haas was a double winner as the Patriots cruised past Tunkhannock.
Moska finished first in the high jump, long jump and triple jump, while Haas dashed to victory in the 100- and 200-meter sprints.
Bryce Steele won both hurdles events for Tunkhannock.
Girls
Pittston Area 120,
Tunkhannock 26
Taryn Ashby won twice, leading a pack of four Patriots who each won two individual events as Pittston Area improved to 5-0 at the top of the WVC Division 1.
Ashby won the javelin throw and the triple jump, while her Pittston Area teammate Abby Norwillo took the long jump and the pole vault by clearing 12 feet.
Andrea Ruby won both hurdles events for the Patriots, and Nicole Zambetti placed first in the 800 and 1,600 runs.
Hazleton Area 109,
Wyo. Valley West 32
Kaitlyn Bieler finished first in two events to spark the Cougars.
Bieler won the 300-meter hurdles and ran on the winning 1,600 relay team.
Nina Dellarte was a three-time winner for the Spartans, capturing the 100 and 200 sprints between running on the winning 400-meter relay team.
Boys
Coughlin 96.5, Wyoming Area 52.5
3,200 relay — 1. Cou (Jacob Allabaugh, Alex Mykulyn, Nate Searfoss, Srivatsav Challa), 11:10. 110 hurdles — 1. Cou, Hunter Jones, 16.9; 2. Cou, Kishan Patel; 3. Jorge Trilla. 100 — 1. Cou, Vincent Todd, 10.9; 2. WA, Kayne Burton; 3. Cou, Jordan Austin. 1,600 — 1. Cou, Searfoss, 4:52; 2. Cou, Silas Armstrong; 3. Cou, Cade Corcoran. 400 — 1. WA, Alex Chronowski, 54.9; 2. WA, James Sheridan; 3. Cou, Eran Sicurella. 400 relay — 1. Cou (Austin, Rafael McCoy, Horan, Todd), 44.2. 300 hurdles — 1. Cou, Jones, 44.7; 2. Cou, Patel; 3. WA, Brennan Krogulski. 800 — 1. Cou, Armstrong, 2:14; 2. Cou, Jacob Allabaugh; 3. WA, Justin Alder. 200 — 1. Cou, Todd, 23.1; 2. Cou, McCoy; 3. Cou, Austin and WA, Burton. 3,200 — 1. Cou, Searfoss, 11:47; 2. WA, Luke Coolbaugh; 3. WA, Alder. 1,600 relay — 1. WA (Brian Williams, Burton, Jesse Cegelka, Chronowski), 4:45.
High jump — 1. Cou,m Graydates, 5-1; 2. Cou, Austin. Pole vault — 1. Cou, Regan, 10-0; 2. Cou, Kevin Clarke; 3. WA, Krogulski. Long jump — 1. WA, Steven Yordy, 20-1.5; 2. Cou, Cole Horan; 3. WA, P.J. Angeli. Triple jump — 1. WA, Steven Yordy, 41-9.25; 2. Cou, Horan; 3. WA, Angeli. Shot put — 1. WA, Buddy Blannett, 41-2; 2. Cou, Ryan Solt; 3. Cou, Matt Malenovitch. Discus — 1. WA, Kyle Carr, 127-0; 2. Cou, Malenovitch; 3. WA, Tristan Sokach-Minnich. Javelin — 1. WA, Tristan Sokach-Minnich, 136-6; 2. Cou, Mikey Cinti; 3. Cou, Alek Krokus.
Girls
Wyoming Area 103, Coughlin 47
3,200 relay — 1. WA, 14:21. 100 hurdles — 1. WA, Shelby Stackhouse, 17.3; 2. WA, Olivia Astolfi; 3. WA, Moon. 100 — 1. WA, Jalen Rhodes, 12.7; 2. Cou, Le’June Berry; 3. WA, Mackenzie Nocchi. 1,600 — 1. Cou, Emma Fortune, 6:05; 2. WA, Julie Bonsavage; 3. Cou, Mikayla Cook. 400 — 1. WA, Vanessa Shedlock, 58.4; 2. WA, Nocchi; 3. Cou, Brittinghman. 400 relay — 1. Cou (Berry, Madisyn Hawkins, Skyler Panattieri, Dani McGrane), 52.9. 300 hurdles — 1. WA, Astolfi, 55.9; 2. Cou, McGrane; 3. Cou, Hannah Moon. 800 — 1. Cou, Fortune, 2:47; 2. WA, Aleah Kranson; 3. WA, Sydney Johnson. 200 — 1. WA, Shedocki, 27.0; 2. WA, Rhodes. 3,200 — 1. WA, Bonsavage, 14:41; 2. WA, Jade Kohut; 3. WA, Gabriella Gonzalez. 1,600 relay — 1. WA (Johnson, Julie Ritsick, Johnson, Bonsavage), 4:45.
High jump — 1. Cou, Berry, 5-2; 2. WA, Stackhouse; 3. WA, Carr. Pole vault — 1. Cou, Hawkins, 11-6; 2. WA, Stackhouse; 3. Cou, Alexis Kowalski. Long jump — 1. WA, Shedlock, 16-1; 2. WA, Valerie Gerchack; 3. WA, Natia Carr. Triple jump — 1. WA, Shedlock, 37-2.5; 2. Cou, Panattieri; 3. WA, Gerchack.; Shot put — 1. WA, Madelyn Resciniti, 31-7; 2. WA, Morgan Coolbaugh; 3. WA, Alexis Crossley. Discus — 1. WA, Resciniti, 83-3; 2. Cou, Haylee McCreary; 3. WA, Sara Baylor. Javelin — 1. Cou, Abby Majeski, 95-10; 2. WA, Coolbaugh; 3. WA, Alexis Crossley.
