COAL GROVE – Sarah Herman looked as though she was on a mission.

Friday, April 13, 2001

COAL GROVE – Sarah Herman looked as though she was on a mission. If so, mission accomplished.

Herman, a standout distance runner for the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers, set two meet records to help her team capture the Giovanni’s Pizza/Coal Grove Invitational Track Meet Thursday.

Ironton had 97 points with runner-up Rock Hill just eight points behind.

"Our girls just gutted it out," Ironton Lady Tigers coach Tim Thomas said. "Herman had an outstanding meet. You could see it in her eyes that she wasn’t going to be denied tonight. She ran really well.

"But we had a lot of girls who ran well. Christy Lilly had a nice meet, and we got some big points from Marlie Ford, Ashley Neal, and Adriane Hurley."

Lilly won the 200 meter dash at 27.5 seconds, was second in the 100 meters to South Point’s Deidre Layne, and finished runner-up to Rock Hill’s Jessica Kerns in the high jump as both cleared 5-foot but Kerns won on fewer misses.

Kerns also took first place in the 100 and 300 meter hurdles and was second in the long jump at 14-7 3/4 to take meet high point honors.

Rock Hill’s other first place finish was Rachel Hartwig in the 400 meters.

The deciding factor in the meet might have been the relay races.

The quartet of Randie Hensley, Nicole Carter, Ford, and Neal finished second in the 4×100 and fourth in the 4×200 relays. The team of Ashley Hannon, Hensley, Neal, and Hurley combined to take second in the 4×400.

"Those were big points for us. I think we might have had just a little more depth than Rock Hill and that’s what won it," said Thomas.

Hurley also won the 800 meters at 2:34.5.

On the boys side, the South Point Pointers dusted the field with 133 points led by the throwing of Jared Smith.

The Chesapeake Panthers were second with 93 points followed by Wellston at 59.5, Coal Grove 49.5, Spring Valley 42, Ironton 40, Rock Hill 20.5, Wayne 19, and Fairland 9.

Smith easily won the shot put with a throw of 53-3 and took the discus with a toss of 154-7 1/4. Coal Grove’s Ricky Wynn at 49-9 3/4 was the next best in the shot put and his discus toss of 141-1 1/2 was second.

Jason Garl cleared 13-6 to easily win the pole vault over teammate Adam Workman who went 11-0. Ironton’s Jesse Collins also went 11-0 but was third on misses.

South Point also won the 4×100 relay at 44.7 and the 4×400 with a 3:34 time.

Chesapeake’s Michael Hunt won the 110 hurdles while Ryan Slone took the 800 meters with a 2:02.3 clocking. The Panthers only other first place finish was the 4×800 relay with a 9:01.5 time.

Ironton was shorthanded in the shot put and discus with the absence of Mark Gleichauf.

"We had a few kids missing for different reasons, but the kids here gave their best effort," Ironton coach Greg Cronacher said. "I thought our relay teams ran pretty well again. They’re getting better."

Ironton’s 4×100 team of Marcus Turner, Jeff "Scooter" Pleasant, Matt Blankenship, and Erique Bacon ran a 46.3 and the quartet of Erique Bacon, turner, Derique Bacon, and Hugh Scott had a 3:40.96 time to place seconds. Scott ran a 51.31 split to hold of a charge by Chesapeake’s Ryan Slone who tried to bring the Panthers back.