Cross country: Buckeye best at Keystone Icebreaker

CARLISLE TOWNSHIP — It’s the shoes, isn’t it?
Yes. The shoes were what made Gus Kazek, who finished second at the 2011 Keystone Icebreaker cross country meet, come in fourth place in this year’s edition of the race Monday at the Lorain County Equestrian Center.
“It was a major factor,” said Kazek, a Black River senior. “In the third mile I started feeling my shoes ripping my toenails off.”
Kazek bought new plastic shoes. He had run in them casually once before Monday’s season-opening competition.
“They felt great in the store,” Kazek said. “Today, they tore my feet apart. I just have to heal up and get ready for Saturday (New London Earlybird).”
Kazek finished the race in 17 minutes, 40.10 seconds. Ryan Gallagher of team-champion Buckeye won the boys race for the third consecutive year, with a time of 16:34.05. Gallagher’s teammate, J.J. Grzincic (16:55.09), came in second. Firelands senior Brady Jeffers (17:19.14) was third.
“I think I could have caught J.J. and Brady,” Kazek said. “I could have been up there with Ryan.”
Buckeye won both the boys and girls races. The Bucks scored 44 to easily outdistance Fairview (65) in the boys running. Colin Theis was eighth, Bobby Auber was 12th and Colton Allgire was 22nd to round out Buckeye’s total.
The Buckeye girls had six runners in the first 16 finishers to total 32 points and finish comfortably ahead of Firelands’ 47. Isabelle Petek (22:53.83) was the Bucks’ best place at fourth.
Shannon Wargo, a freshman at Keystone, came in second behind Michaela Bierly of Lutheran West (21:59.43). Wargo came in with a time of 22:20.00.
“I’m really surprised,” Wargo said. “I was hoping to finish in the top 10. I guess I did finish in the top 10, but I wasn’t expecting second. I didn’t think I could run a 22:20.
“I have been running all summer,” Wargo added. “My dad (Scott Wargo) is a runner, so he helped me with any problems.”
“I see the potential in Shannon,” said Ben Lynch, Keystone’s first-year coach. “I see the work she puts in every day. I expect good things as the year goes on.”
No other Keystone girls runner finished better than 17th in the event, hosted by the school. The Wildcats ended third with 55 points.
Leslie Peterson (22:56.54) and Jessie Beran (23:16.74) helped the Firelands girls take second by finishing fourth and eighth, respectively.
The race is the first competition of the year for members of the Patriot Athletic Conference.
Contact Steve Byrne at 329-7135
or stephenbyrne@att.net.
Boys
TEAM STANDINGS: Buckeye 44, Fairview 65, Firelands 105, Clearview 117, Black River 124, Lutheran West 126, Brookside 136, Oberlin 210, Keystone NS, Wellington NS.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Ryan Gallagher (Bu) 16:34; 2. J.J. Grzincic (Bu) 16:55; 3. Brady Jeffers (Fi) 17:19; 4. Gus Kazek (BR) 17:40; 5. Kevin Kerchenski (Fa) 17:49; 6. Matt Hollingsworth (Cl) 17:58; 7. Mike Hollingsworth (Cl) 18:06; 8. Colin Theis (Bu) 18:14; 9. Michael Wilkinson (Fa) 18:30; 10. Creighton Jensen (Br) 18:34; 11. Simon Perales (Ob) 18:48; 12. Bobby Auber (Bu) 18:57; 13. Brennan Crawford (Fi) 19:08; 14. Billy Guerry (Fa) 19:13; 15. Brian Giguere (LW) 19:20; 16. Matt Brown (LW) 19:23; 17. Luke Borsody (Fa) 19:26; 18. Lenny Eiermann (Br) 19:28; 19. Matt Bastock (Key) 19:43; 20. Triston Hornbeck (BR) 19:48; 21. Stephen Cartier (Fa) 19:55; 22. Colton Allgire (Bu) 19:58; 23. Cullen Grude (Fi) 19:59; 24. Michael Keith (Bu) 20:02; 25. Marshal Farnsworth (Wel) 20:07; 26. Shane Horstman (Cl) 20:15; 27. Aiden Gallagher (Bu) 20:16; 28. Andrew Fox (Key) 20:17; 29. Chance Ziegler (Bu) 20:18; 30. Wil Krueger (Fa) 20:20.
Girls
TEAM STANDINGS: Buckeye 32, Firelands 47, Keystone 55, Brookside 95, Black River 129, Clearview NS, Fairview NS, Lutheran West NS, Oberlin NS, Wellington NS.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Michaela Bierly (LW) 21:39; 2. Shannon Wargo (Key) 22:20; 3. Emma McQuate (Fa) 22:51; 4. Isabelle Petek (Bu) 22:53; 5. Leslie Peterson (Fi) 22:56; 6. Emma Franz (Bu) 23:03; 7. Olivia Vasiloff (LW) 23:16; 8. Jessie Beran (Fi) 23:16; 9. Sarah Lyman (Fa) 23:17; 10. Tori Hritsko (Fi) 23:29; 11. Jordan Walker (Bu) 23:37; 12. Ashley Martin (Wel) 23:40; 13. Katy Ackerman (Br) 23:51; 14. Mady Williams (Bu) 23:51; 15. Rhyanna Wroblesky (Bu) 24:19; 16. Denell Cormany (Bu) 24:42; 17. Jillian Peters (Key) 25:05; 18. Morgan McNulty (Key) 25:22; 19. Tina Ficociello (Key) 25:37; 20. Katie Snabel (LW) 26:05; 21. Marissa Ficociello (Key) 26:31; 22. Jessica Bradley (LW) 26:32; 23. Michaela Jeffers (Fi) 27:09; 24. Sydnie Phillips (Wel) 27:33; 25. Abbey Skolnik (Fi) 27:40; 26. Erica Fauver (Bu) 27:44; 27. Savannah Pliszka (Br) 27:44; 28. Emilee Gil (Br) 28:12; 29. Meredith Pollock (Key) 28:23; 30. Kaprina Hawkinson (Fa) 28:29; 31. Nikki Hawkinson (Fa0 28:29.