Bangor Area High School boys run to Colonial League track and field championships title

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/05/bangor_area_high_school_boys_r.html FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES Bangor Area High School senior sprinter Jonah Ruggiero explained how he stood with the Colonial League track and field championship-meet trophy in his hand. "Everyone put in everything they had for us to win," Ruggiero said. That they did, as the Slaters, led by a record-breaking performance by junior thrower Bryan Pearson and depth spread across multiple events, piled up 81 points to 70 for runners-up Pen Argyl and Palmerton as the two-day championship meet wrapped at the Zephyr Sports Complex at Whitehall High School. It was the Slaters' first championship-meet triumph since they won the old Lehigh-Northampton League title in 1968, when current assistant coach Frank Scagliotta was on the team. "We knew we stood a chance if the boys performed," Bangor co-coach Mark Hopstetter said. "And they came here and really competed well. The effort they gave was magnificent. They could have come here and not competed after not winning the (dual-meet) title but they didn't -- they performed." Bangor junior Wade White, whose 3,200 triumph was a key moment for the Slaters, said, "I was hoping we could win the meet after I won but I wasn't sure because there were a lot of good teams here. But this is really great." Pearson boosted the Bangor title bid with two golds. He set a league record with a 170-foot discus throw Tuesday (the ninth-best throw in Express-Times region history) and came back Wednesday to win the shot put with a 52-3 1/4 toss. "Winning here at the league meet helps with the pain of not winning the (dual-meet) league championship," Pearson said. Pearson continued a recent run of success with his strong performances. "I had a goal of setting both records here but I set one and that's good and I hit my marks I wanted to at the Penn Relays and before," he said. "Now I want to throw 190 and 55 feet and I can do that if I work on my form and tweak things a little here and there." "A little here and there" describes how Bangor won its crown, with just 30 points coming from golds. "Andrew Romeo's second in the discus, Jryi Davis' fourth in the triple, Josh Wing's fourth in the long jump, our (400) relay of Wing, Jordan Williams, Ruggiero, and Ryan Harris coming in fourth, all those were huge," Hopstetter said. The Bangor girls weren't quite as successful but still managed to pile up 102 points, good for third behind champion Palmerton (130) and Southern Lehigh (105). But the Slaters took home two gold medals, one for senior Christelle Reglas winning the 200 by 2/100 of a second in 26.51 in a thriller of a race with Palmerton's Jessica Perrieira, and, most memorably, Amanda Falcone, Megan Ruggiero, Crystal Lucena, and Reglas setting a school record en route to winning the 400 relay in 51.32 (old mark was 51.5) and doing a wild dance to celebrate as they waited for their medal. "This is what we worked so hard for all season," said Reglas, whose blazing anchor leg overcame a strong challenge from Palisades. Saucon Valley sophomore Elizabeth Chikotas continued her assault on the league record book. Having broken the a 27-year-old record in the 3,200 Tuesday she shattered a 32-year-old mark in the 800 Wednesday, winning in 2:20.08, and she took the 1,600 as well in 5:11.75, Chikotas had to fight off Northwestern's Haley Yost in both races, especially in the 800 when she mounted a powerful surge in the last 100 meters to pull away from Yost. "I love races like that where you're running right with the other girl so fast step for step," said Chikotas, who said she'll concentrate on just one or two races at next week's District 11 Class AAA meet. "Haley is an awesome runner, she pushes me and makes me better. At the end of the 800 I was going as fast as I could." Palisades saw two athletes reach the top of the medal stand Wednesday with considerable personal bests. Sophomore Jesse Snyder out-jumped his PR by over a foot to win the long jump in 21-5 1/4. "I have improved a lot since middle school in the long jump," said Snyder, whose mother, Dawn, is the Pirates' throwing coach. "I was able to get more height on my jump today." Junior Alexa Rossi won the pole vault at 10 feet -- her best had been nine feet -- but she almost didn't. "I was using a new pole and I was still getting used to it," she said. "I missed the pit entirely on my second jump, wiped out, bit my tongue and I was bleeding. I was shaking, but I kept my head in it and I went for the school record (10-6) and missed but I really want to get that at districts." Palmerton senior Kelsey Hay won her eighth CL title Wednesday -- she has four each in the shot put and javelin.