Firelands' Northeim is medalist

LAGRANGE — In just a 28-hour time span, it has become clear that Westlake is emerging as the area team to beat in high school golf.

The Demons made it a two-for-Tuesday by winning the Grey Hawk Invitational after taking the Comet Invitational on Monday.

Four players shot 84 or better for the defending Southwestern Conference champions, who just edged out Elyria Catholic, 322-325.

EC was at a disadvantage after its No. 1 golfer, Colin Coughlin, was DQ’d from the tournament. What was Coughlin, the MVP in the North Coast League last year, guilty of? Running out of golf balls on the water-covered course.
continue reading "Demons do it again: Westlake emerging as golf team to beat"

Senior high jumper Derek Barbato of Vermilion could hardly believe it, but it was all good and all true.
He punched a ticket to this weekend’s Division II state track and field championships by surviving a marathon performance at Saturday’s Ravenna regional.
Barbato qualified to state after winning a nine-round jump-off with Woodridge junior Justin Fawley for the fourth and final berth. Barbato ultimately won it by clearing 6-foot in the jump-off.
Including the time allotted for the jump-off, Barbato and Fawley competed for more than 2½ hours. The field event competition started at 11:30 a.m. and didn’t finish until after 2 p.m.
continue reading "Long day’s journey to state: Vermilion’s Derek Barbato earns state berth in high jump after 19-jump day"

Elyria High is two wins from a state softball title.

ELYRIA — To put it mildly, the outlook was gloomy as Elyria prepared for a new softball season in late winter. It was unanimous: the team was in a heap of trouble.
The Pioneers lost four starters at graduation last spring and their starting center fielder was out for the season with a basketball injury. This from a team that had been in three straight Division I state finals and had won 86 of its previous 98 games.
“I thought we were in big trouble,” or words to that effect, said assistant coaches Gordy Cohagen, Joclyn Fada and Caroline Loomer.
“And I’m always paranoid,” said head coach Ken Fenik.
“Some of the kids kept asking about state and I said, ‘It will be a miracle if we get back,’” said assistant coach Julie Sito, who played on Elyria’s 2002 state championship team.
Evidently miracles happen.
The Pioneers (27-3) are back in the Final Four again this year. At 12:30 p.m. today, they’ll take on Hilliard Darby (21-8) in a Division I state semifinal at Firestone Stadium in Akron. If they win, they’ll be the home team in the state final at 10 a.m. Saturday against either Hudson or Cincinnati Colerain.
continue reading "A frosh perspective: Elyria’s ‘rebuilding’ year turned into so much more thanks to its fabulous freshmen"

Elyria Catholic junior Marty Coolidge had a heck of a performance at Saturday’s 14th annual All-Ohio Catholic Championships held at Kettering’s Indian Riffle Park.
Coolidge ran a personal-record by 50 seconds as he clocked 15 minutes, 17 seconds in placing second. He was outkicked in the last 50 meters in the championship division race by Toledo St. John senior Kevin Yarnell.
Not only did Coolidge set a personal record, he broke EC’s team mark of 15:52 set at the 1982 state meet. He also broke the unofficial Lorain County record of 15:38 set by Firelands’ Mike Beetler at the 1984 Avon Lake Earlybird meet.
continue reading "High school cross country: EC’s Coolidge snaps school mark"