BEDFORD, Ohio — In the track picture, it's a small thing, really, whether a regional track champion produces a state qualifier in the 3,200 meters.
But at St. Vincent-St. Mary, a longtime cross-country power, it was driving coach Dan Lancianese crazy.
"We haven't had a boys state qualifier in the 3,200 [since 2004] and we've never had a girls state qualifier. It's a little absurd when you think about it," Lancianese said. "You can win a state team title in cross country, but you can't get anybody to even qualify in the 3,200?"
Consider the absurdity absolved.
SVSM's sweep of the 3,200 was part of its distance dominance that led to Division II regional girls and boys team titles Saturday at Bedford. SVSM won seven of the eight events that covered at least 800 meters. It also swept the 4x800 relays and 800, and won the boys 1,600.
The Irish girls captured their third straight regional title, beating Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, 100-61. Paced by four-event qualifier Emily Cunningham, Vermilion was third.
CVCA also was second to SVSM in the boys standings, 90-65. Led by 100 and 200 champ Declan Starrett, University School won a tight battle for third place ahead of Orange and Padua.
SVSM's girls and boys each won three relays and three individual events. The girls will compete in 10 events at state. The defending state champion boys team returns to Columbus Friday with nine state qualifiers in eight events.
Junior Marissa Rossetti gave SVSM its elusive 3,200 qualifier with a win in 11:19.68.
"This is so exciting for me," said Rossetti, a three-time regional qualifier who earned her first state berth. "I finally made it."
Junior Mick Iacofano led a pack for the last six laps of the boys 3,200 and pulled away from Padua's Evan Bialosky to win in 9:47.
Senior Tessa Weigand went out hard with a 61-second first lap and dominated the girls 800 (2:12.56). She also anchored the winning 4x400 and 4x800 relays. Sean Poholski and rival Kodie Fennell of Struthers bumped their away around the boys 800. Fennell passed Poholski on the last curve, but Poholski had plenty left for the straight and ran a personal-best 1:53.58, beating Fennell by 1.55.
"We got really close out there and I had to back up on the curve," Poholski said.
Irish senior Patrick O'Brien won a tight boys 1,600 (4:20.18) with Lakeview's Eric Harris (4:21.44) and Woodridge's Drake Sulzer (4:21.83) in close pursuit the entire race.
SVSM's Megan Tomei placed fourth in the discus after winning the shot put Thursday.
CVCA had eight girls qualifiers in seven events, and qualified in eight boys events. The Royals are extremely young across the board, literally so in the case of freshman Autumn Young, who was second in the long jump and 200, third in the 100 and ran on the fourth-place 4x200. She's the sister of St. Edward junior Anthony Young, a three-event Division I state qualifier.
CVCA freshman Sammy Bockoven, who was the Division II cross-country state runner-up last fall, won the 1,600 and was fourth in the 3,200. Minutes later, she anchored the 4x400 and just missed the fourth and final state berth by .66.
CVCA did not win a boys event, but qualified all four relays. Junior Sherman Kortze ran on three of them.
University School's Starrett ran an impressive 21.70 to beat Orange's Will Carter in the boys 200 by .13. Starrett won the 100 in 10.87. Carter was the long-jump champ.
Vermilion's Cunningham took the girls 200, was second in the 100 and anchored the runner-up 4x100 and 4x200 relays. She out-leaned Lakeview's Lauren Schattinger in the 200 (both were timed in 24.80), and Schattinger won the 100 by .16.
Buchtel's Romello Cook won the 110 hurdles and qualified in the 300 hurdles. Cleveland Central Catholic's Keith Hemphill looked strong winning the 400 in 48.12.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661
On Twitter: @TimsTakePD
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