Fort girls win invite (04/08/06)

FORT RECOVERY — They are small, but mighty. Again.

Fort Recovery’s girls track team competed with just 10 members Friday night, but it won six events — Holly Stein and Mindy Vogel had two apiece — to win its invitational for the second straight season. The Indians won the nine-team Fort Recovery Invitational with 132 points, fighting off Tri-County North (123) with a victory in the 4x400-meter relay — the final race of the night.

The Tribe boys also fared well, placing fourth with 72 points. Tri-County North (143) was first, followed by Russia (134) and Parkway (101.5).

The Fort Recovery girls had just a three-point lead over Tri-County North heading into the final event, but their newly-formed 4x400-meter relay team came through in a big way. The Tribe quartet of Vicki Roessner, Tina Roessner, Tiff Gaerke and Vogel were never challenged finishing nearly 20 seconds ahead of Russia in 4:39.78. Tri-County North was fifth.

“I think we have to have rain, sleet, the whole works at every meet because the kids seem to respond to it,” said Grieshop. “It’s just amazing to have the conditions we had and then turn around and run our fastest 4x400 of the year.”

It was a huge day for Vogel, who came up with tight victories in both of her individual events.

The sophomore dominated her heat of the 400-meter dash, and had just enough to edge the top runner from the other heat for first place. Vogel finished in 1-minute, 8.08 seconds to beat both Bethany Holbrook of Upper Scioto Valley and Roni Homan from Russia by less than one second.

Vogel’s run in the 800 was even more exciting as she grabbed the lead on the first trip past the start/finish line. Upper Scioto Valley’s Rachel Jeffers took the advantage at the end of the back stretch, but Vogel had something left. She turned in a great kick in the final 50 meters to win by less than fourth tenths in a time of 2:38.47.

Vogel also anchored the Indians’ 4x800-meter relay victory, which turned in a season-best time by five seconds. She, Tina Roessner, Rachel Tobe and Sam Bihn all turned in their best times of the year to win in 10:50.87.

“Mindy had a phenomenal day,” said Grieshop. “She was in four events and managed to get first in four events. That speaks volumes in itself. Not just any kid can go out there and do that.

“Mindy’s ... an unbelievable competitor ... She’s going to go out there and give everything she’s got to go for that win.”

Stein stayed perfect on the season in the throwing events, dominating both the shot put and discus. She fell just five inches short of matching her own school record in the discus at 107 feet, seven inches. Kerri Watercutter was a distant second at 92 feet, eight inches.

Stein won by more than four feet in the shot put with a toss of 35 feet, 73/4 inches.

The Roessner sisters scored their fair share of points as well.

Tina, a freshman, was second in both of her individual events with times of 5:56.24 and 13:30.39 in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs respectively. Vicki, a junior, was second in the 300 hurdles in 52.37 seconds. After posting a fifth-place seed time in the 100 preliminaries she came back to finish third in the finals in 18.05.

Sam Bihn followed Tina Roessner in third place in the 3,200 run in 14:00.60, and Tobe was third in the pole vault at six feet. Gaerke and Tobe were third and fourth respectively in the high jump at four feet, 63/4 inches and four feet, 61/2 inches respectively.

“There’s no complaints there,” Grieshop said of the team’s all-around effort, then complimenting Gaerke on her first foray into a running event. “At the end of the night when we needed something from Tiff in the 4x400 relay she ran the fastest split of all of the girls.”

Matt Vagedes had the lone victory for the Fort Recovery boys, clearing the pole vault bar at 12 feet. He was also third in the long jump at 18 feet, 61/2 inches.

Mitch Fullenkamp finished second in the 800 run in 2:25.23, and Eric Lamm was third in the 400 run in 58.36.

The Indians were second in a pair of relays with Fullenkamp, Lamm, Vagedes and John Westgerdes finishing the 4x400 in 4:04.19. Fullenkamp, Lamm, Jim Roessner and Adam Steinbrunner were runners-up in the 4x800 relay in 9:09.88.

“We did well,” said Grieshop of finishing fourth despite being without Phil Gantenbein. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of there, and they did it with six guys. What that means there is every guy out there is scoring points.”[[In-content Ad]]