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BERWICK — By the time Paige Motovidlak finished hurdling, Megan Dalo was done jumping, Reese Mensinger stopped sprinting and Jace Garnick wrapped up her relays, it became clear that a battle of unbeatens was running neck-and-neck.

By the time they got to the finish, it was dead even.

Lake-Lehman’s Garnick and Berwick’s Mensinger were each triple winners Wednesday and a showdown between their two evenly matched girls track and field teams produced a 75-75 tie that will likely result in both teams ending up as co-champions of the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2.

“It (stinks) for both teams,” said Motovidlak, a Lake-Lehman freshman hurdler. “We wanted it badly. They wanted it badly. We both really deserved it.”

Instead, there’s a good chance Berwick and Lehman will split it.

“I’ve never seen that happen. Ever, let alone a league championship meet,” Dalo said. “We kind of knew we were evenly matched. It was a good performance by both teams.

“Co-champions? That’d be cool.”

They are both 5-0-1 entering Tuesday’s regular season finale, where Berwick will face winless GAR and Lehman will face 3-3 Hanover Area.

“I guess it’s better to be a co-champion than no champion,” Berwick coach Bob Calarco said. “You talk about two perfectly matched teams. You can’t get any closer than that. I’m not sure how to feel. It’s one of those things … it’s an oddity of the sport.”

The Berwick boys team felt just fine, as Jude Goddard, Mitchell Martin and Tim Maron were all double winners as the Bulldogs chased down Lehman, 87-63. Goddard won the javelin throw, Maron took the 200-meter dash, Martin won the 1600 run and all three ran on winning relay teams.

But in a battle of Division 2 girls powers, no clear-cut WVC winner was crowned — despite some superb performances on both sides.

Lake-Lehman’s Garnick won the 800-meter run and ran on the winning 3,200 and 1,600-relay teams, while Motovidlak triggered a Black Knights’ sweep in the 300 hurdles. She also won the 100 hurdles, while Hailey Kubiski and Olivia Vasey were also part of the two relay wins for Lehman.

“We were kind of reeling for awhile,” Lake-Lehman coach John Sobocinski said. “We knew we were down. Then we swept the 300 hurdles and won the 800, back-to-back. That got us back in the swing of things. We overachieved in some events and underachieved in some events, which is always the way this sport goes.”

The Bulldogs had some achievers of their own.

Mensinger won the 100 and 200 dashes and led off the 400 relay team that gave Berwick one of its most critical wins of the meet. Dalo took the long jump and triple jump and ran anchor in the 400 relay victory, while Sam Dyer stunned Lehman’s high-powered distance corps by winning the 1,600 and 3,200 runs.

And Payden Montana captured the shot put and javelin throws between finishing with a school record — but second by three inches to Lehman’s Emily Johns — with a throw of 143-9.

“We knew it was going to come right down to the wire,” Calarco said. “I’m very, very proud of the effort of our girls. We asked them to dig deep today. They did.”

Yet, it didn’t reward a clear-cut league champion with a title, instead putting Berwick and Lehman where both teams have been all season.

Joined together at the top of the division, if not on top of the world.

“This is just so emotional,” Sobocinski said. “We knew this was going to be, pretty much, the league championship. I’m sure both coaches would prefer to win.

“What’s the saying,” Sobocinski continued, “like kissing your sister? We’ll split the league with Berwick. It did bring out the best in our kids. We had a great meet. I’m proud of our girls, and of the Berwick girls as well.”

BOYS

Meyers 78,

Hanover Area 72

Namir Murphy and Nazir Dunell were both triple winners, leading the Mohawks to the brink of a second consecutive WVC Division 2 title with a victory in a battle of unbeatens at Hanover Area High School.

Murphy won the shot put, discus and javelin throws, while Dunell placed first in the 110 hurdles, the 100-meter dash and as a member of the 1,600 relay team as Meyers improved to 6-0. The Mohawks will try to wrap up their second consecutive unbeaten regular season by hosting Holy Redeemer on Tuesday.

Four-time winner Brandon Chafin kept the Hawkeyes close, winning the high jump, long jump, triple jump while running on the 400 relay team. Hanover Area fell to 5-1 and will close the regular season against Lake-Lehman on Tuesday.

GIRLS

Hanover Area 94,

Meyers 55

Caitlyn Bly was a triple winner and Tanisha Atherton and Kailey Orzechowski won twice as the Hawkeyes evened their record at 3-3 on the season.

Bly won the 1,600 and 3,200 runs and led off for the winning 3,200 relay team. Atherton won the discus and javelin throws and Orzechowski won the 200 and 400 dashes.

GIRLS

Berwick 75, Lake-Lehman 75

3,200 relay — 1. LL (Jace Garnick, Olivia Vasey, Morgan Patla, Hailey Kubiski), 12:39. 100 hurdles — 1. Ber, LL, Paige Motovidlak, 17.0; 2. Ber, Sierra Miedenar; 3. LL, Mary Grace Ciaccia. 100 — 1. Ber, Reese Mensinger, 13.0; 2. LL, Abby Paczewski; 3. Ber, Sydney Lloyd. 1,600 — 1. Ber, Sam Dyer, 5:36; 2. LL, Jade Fry; 3. LL, Stephanie Chaga. 400 — 1. LL, Kubiski, 63.1; 2. Ber, Mensinger; 3. LL, Patla. 400 relay — 1. Ber (Mensinger, Carly Belles, Lloyd, Megan Dalo), 52.3. 300 hurdles — 1. LL, Motovidlak, 52.9; 2. LL, Madison Klopp; 3. LL, Chaga. 800 — 1. LL, Garnick, 2:31; 2. LL, Vasey; 3. LL, Patla. 200 — 1. Ber, Mensinger, 27.5; 2. LL, Mackenzie Fleeger; 3. Ber, Lloyd. 3,200 — 1. Ber, Dyer, 12:47; 2. LL, Fry; 3. LL, Chaga. 1,600 relay — 1. LL (Vasey, Garnick, Paczewski, Kubiski), 4:18.

High jump — 1. LL, Morgan, 4-10; 2. Ber, Haley Owens; 3. LL, Julia Sabol. Pole vault — 1. Ber, Owens, 8-0; 2. Ber, Miedenar; 3. LL, Angela Lockavich. Long jump — 1. Ber, Dalo, 15-8; 2. Ber, Belles; 3. LL, Morgan Marchakitus. Triple jump — 1. Ber, Dalo, 33-7.75; 2. Ber, Belles; 3. LL, Marchakitus. Shot put — 1. Ber, Payden Montana, 44-6; 2. LL, Emily Johns; 3. Ber, Dia Cruz. Discus — 1. LL, Johns, 144-0; 2. Ber, Montana; 3. Ber, Roni Isenberg. Javelin — 1. Ber, Montana, 116-11; 2. LL, Sarah Salus; 3. LL, Johns.

BOYS

Berwick 87, Lake-Lehman 63

3,200 relay — 1. Ber (Jonathon Morgan, Griffin Keller, Mason Kimbell, Mitchell Martin), 11:37. 110 hurdles — 1. LL, Damond Kovaly, 16.6; 2. Ber, Bao Le; 3. LL, Joe Ciacia. 100 — 1. Ber, Dean Limongelli, 11.7; 2. LL, Floyd McRoy; 3. Ber, Tim Maron. 1,600 — 1. Ber, Martin, 4:40; 2. Ber, Ty Fisher; 3. Ber, Kimbell. 400 — 1. LL, Nick Wnuk, 53.9; 2. Ber, Le; 3. LL, Connor O’Brien. 400 relay — 1. Ber (Laubach, Kyle Yule, Goddard, Tim Maron), 47.2. 300 hurdles — 1. LL, McRoy, 42.7; 2. Ber, Kovaly; 3. Ber, Le. 800 — 1. LL, Riley Newman, 2:11; 2. LL, Wnuk; 3. Ber, Morgan. 200 — 1. Ber, Maron, 24.0; 2. Ber, Harro; 3. LL, Zach Kojadinovich. 3,200 — 1. Ber, Fisher, 10:24; 2. Ber, Martin; 3. Ber, Kimbell. 1,600 relay — 1. LL (Wnuk, Newman, O’Brien, McRoy), 3:47.

High jump — 1. LL, Casey Kaminski, 5-6; 2. LL, Goddard; 3. LL, Clovis Da Luz. Pole vault — 1. Ber, Kyle Harro, 9-0; 2. LL, Nick Albertson; 3. Ber, Matt Plyler. Long jump — 1. Ber, Connor Hanson, 17-10; 2. Ber, Brayden Reigel; 3. LL, Clovis. Triple jump — 1. Ber, Reigel, 39-0.5; 2. Ber, Hanson; 3. LL, Clovis. Shot put — 1. LL, Cole Spencer, 39-2; 2. LL, Tom Manzoni; 3. LL, Meehan. Discus — 1. LL, Spencer, 115-3; 2. LL, Meehan; 3. Ber, Dustin Peters. Javelin — 1. Ber, Goddard, 110-10; 2. Ber, Tony Spuches; 3. LL, Myers.

https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_clip-track.jpg.optimal.jpg
Berwick and Lehman locked in a tie at the top of WVC D2 girls track

By Paul Sokoloski

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Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski