SHARON - Not done yet.
Warren senior Katie Spade has been a standout runner for the Dragons for the past four seasons and during Saturday's District 10 Class AAA Championships at Sharon's Buhl Park, she made sure she had one last race to prepare for.
Spade finished third in the girls event on Saturday, finishing the 3.1-mile wet and sloppy course in in 21:44 and advancing to states for the fourth time in her four-year career.
Spade won the District 10 championship as a freshman and sophomore, and finished second in 2008 before Saturday's third-place finish. In her three previous trips to Hershey, Spade has a career-best finish of 84th, which she recorded in 2007.
"She's one of those runners you can't replace," said Warren co-coach Justin Norris of the senior.
Norris said her time was great, considering the conditions of wind and sloppy mud, and her finish was great as well, considering the competition has improved.
Meadville senior Elesia Wilson captured the District 10 crown with a run of 21:03, 29 seconds ahead of runner up Stephanie Turak of McDowell. Wilson's strong run led Meadville to the District 10 team championship, qualifying all seven Bulldog runners for next weekend's meet in Hershey. The Lady Dragons finished fifth in the nine-team field.
Spade actually beat both of these runners at a meet this September in Warren.
"This year she was very happy with third," said Norris. "With the conditions, her time was lower than her junior year and sophomore year. Her time this year in these conditions was better than her time as a District 10 champion as a freshman. There are kids in high school that wish they (qualified for states) one year. She's done it four."
"Last year, I definitely was upset about getting second place, but this year I have been running my best times I've ever run," said Spade. "I really wasn't disappointed at districts this year. I really hadn't thought about (making states four straight years) until Iactually did make it to states again (and while standing on the medal stand). I think one other girl (on the medal stand) made it all four years, that is it.
Spade admits she definitely had to work harder to make it this time, as compared to her first time when no one expected her win districts.
While Spade will make the trip to Saturday's PIAA Championships in Hershey, the remainder of the Warren girls and boys runners brought stellar seasons to a close in the mud and slop at Sharon.
Freshman Ellis Beardsley was less than 45 seconds away from becoming the first freshman to visit Hershey since Spade, claiming a 14th-place finish in 22:58. Another freshman Sabrina Anderson (31st, 24:31) was next followed by Vanessa Kelly (38th, 25:16) and seniors Kelsey Nuhfer (39th, 25:16) and Rachel Beach (46th, 26:34) who both wrapped up stellar four year careers with Warren.
Two girls missed the meet due to illness, and three unnamed boys competed while falling under the weather prior to running.
"Ellis had kind of a rocky start, (but) she closed big-time," said Norris. "She was actually very pleased because she had a strong finish. With course conditions and illnesses aside, we were very happy."
In boys competition, junior Amani Bosko again led the boys with his run of 19:43, good enough for a 21st-place showing. Bosko was followed by teammates Ryan Ottney (38th, 20:43) and Jake Scott (41st, 20:52).
Rounding out the Warren boys effort were Corey Barirde (46th, 21:18), Adam Barirde (48th, 21:39), Kory Thomas (49th, 21:43) and Garrett King (52nd, 22:25). The Dragons finished seventh in the overall team standings.
Grove City's Jacob Kildoo followed up his Region 6 crown with a D-10 winning run of 17:23. Despite Kildoo's efforts, Grove City finished third in the meet behind second-place Meadville and winner McDowell who will send a total of seven runners to Hershey.
Below are the team results as well as individual results for state qualifers and county runners from Saturday's District 10 Class AAA Championships at Buhl Park in Sharon:
District 10 Class AAA Championships
Saturday, October 31
At Buhl Park, Sharon
Boys
Team results: McDowell 44, Meadville 58, Grove City 76, Central Tech 102, Cathedral Prep 104, Conneaut Lake 138, Warren 194, Strong Vincent 237
State Qualifiers: 1. Jacob Kildoo (GC) 17:23, 2. Logan Steiner (M) 17:39, 3. Daniel Jaskowak (GC) 18:11, 4. Danny Mello (CT) 18:23, 5. Brian Theisen (Mc) 18:29, 6. Noah Orris (M) 18:30, 8. Ray Rood (Mc) 18:47, 9. Brayden Romeo (Mc) 18:53, 10. Caleb Cordell (Mc) 18:55, 12. Scott Peterson (Mc) 19:05, 15. Matt Pitzer (Mc) 19:13, 18. Elliot Haire (Mc) 19:23
WARREN (194): 21. Amani Bosko 19:43, 38. Ryan Ottney 20:43, 41. Jake Scott 20:52, 46. Corey Barirde 21:18, 48. Adam Barirde 21:39, 49. Kory Thomas 21:43, 52. Garrett King 22:25
Girls
Team results: Meadville 46, McDowell 68, Grove City 80, Corry 96, Warren 125, Central Tech 155, Oil City 180, Conneaut Lake 196, Strong Vincent 220
State Qualifiers: 1. Elesia Wilson (M) 21:03, 2. Stephanie Turak (Mc) 21:32, 3. Katie Spade (W) 21:44, 4. Evyn Selden (GC) 21:47, 5. Rachel Munsee (C) 21:48, 6. Alicia Weiss (M) 21:49, 7. Becky Consbruck (GC) 22:05, 9. Heather Ziegler (M) 22:27, 12. Lindsay Steiner (M) 22:43, 18. Mariah Jensen (M) 23:11, 22. Alex Budney (M) 23:37, 23. Mandy Kassab (M) 23:43
WARREN (125): 3. Spade 21:44, 14. Ellis Beardsley 22:58, 31. Sabrina Anderson 24:31, 38. Vanessa Kelly 25:16, 39. Kelsey Nuhfer 25:16, 46. Rachel Beach 26:34
