MOUNT UNION - It would be unfair to describe Mount Union's non-league track and field outing against East Juniata one-sided.
Lopsided? That's another story.
The visiting Tigers proved too powerful for the Trojans on the track, winning 95-54 in the girls meet and taking the boys event by a 93-57 score.
Article Photos
Sentinel photo by JEFF FISHBEIN
East Juniata’s Amelia Spade, right, and Mount Union’s Katrina Hammon compete in the 100-meter hurdles race. Spade finished ahead of Hammon.
"I think we did a pretty good job on there. The boys won on the field as well," East Juniata coach Mark Ritzman.
The success of the East Juniata girls was based not on the impact of a large number of multiple event winners - there were only two - but on the fact that the Tigers won most of the events. Except for the pole vault - an event in which the Tigers do not participate - there were no sweeps for Mount Union. East Juniata took all nine points home in three events - the 1,600-meter run, 300 hurdles and the 3,200-meter run, the latter a scratch for the Trojans.
Individuals from East Juniata who were big on the scoreboard were Amelia Spade and Molly Scholl. Spade won three events - the high jump, triple jump and 100-meter hurdles - and was on the winning 4x100-meter relay team, along with Scholl. On her own, Scholl took the javelin and the discus, and was second in the shot put.
Fact Box
East Juniata hosts Greenwood Thursday
Mount Union hosts Tussey Mountain Tuesday
Alayna Saulen was the only multiple-event winner for Mount Union, and was the only winner of an event on the track. Saulen captured both of the sprints for the home team. Also winning events as individuals were Tynita White, a freshman thrower who was tops in the shot put and finished second in the discus; and Katrina Hammon, who had the best leap in the long jump and scored in both of the other jumping events.
Both coaches, working with small squads, were pleased with their respective outcomes.
"It was competitive considering" the low numbers and youth, Mount Union coach Bob Wydock said. "The kids put forth their best effort. I was really pleased with the effort they put forth. They're just going to improve as the season goes on."
"When I look at all the reasons that we should be able to just roll over and say 'it was a bad year because' ... really, we're having a pretty good year," East Juniata's Mark Ritzman said. "We always have a small team. The kids we have are all working hard and it's showing."
In the boys meet, Zach McKeehan proved to be not only a driving force but the only force in the running events for Mount Union. McKeehan had both of the individual victories on the track, winning the 800 and the 1,600. Wydock said his hope was that Ryan Wilson could get the top spot in the 3,200, but he was shut out at the end as East Juniata swept that race.
McKeehan and Wilson did help the Trojans pick up a pair of relay wins, along with Hunter Gladfelter and Kelvin Abrashoff. Mount Union won the 4x800 and the 4x400 with that quartet.
"Mount Union had a really good middle-distance crew," Ritzman said. "That was the second meet this week out guys 3,200 swept."
"There were some closes races and we came out on the bottom end, but like I said, there was some very good effort. We go from there," Wydock said.
Outside of the pole vault - again without competition - the Trojans got two more firsts in field events. Greg Keiser was the triple jump winner, and Kai House led Mount Union in its only sweep of a contested event, as he was first in the long jump, with teammates Jimmy Nicastro and B.J. Loner making it worth nine points.
"We do have some good quality athletes, with Zach McKeehan and Alayna Saulen leading the way. We're hoping for some real good things when it comes to districts," Wydock said. "Kai House didn't have his best today, but Kai can throw. And Tynita White, a ninth grader, she's improving every meet."
But that simply wasn't enough to overcome East Juniata, which again was dominant in the placement. Along with the 3,200, the Tigers swept both sprint races - with speedster Cody Scholl in front of both - the 110 hurdles and the high jump.
Individually, Scholl and David Brantley each won a pair - Brantley was first across the line in both hurdle events - but they were overshadowed by Tyler Hepner, who was the top finisher in three field competitions. He finished all three of the throws in the top spot, all by comfortable margins.
East Juniata (Boys: 8-3; Girls: 9-2) gets back to the Tri-Valley League hosting Millersburg Tuesday. Mount Union, which is still seeking a win in either gender after losing a dual meet against West Branch that had been under review, hosts Tussey Mountain in an Inter-County Conference clash the same day.
