Published: May 09, 2009 02:30 am      

Scherich, Tennant shine at NCAC meet

BUCKHANNON  — So much for jitters.

Fairmont Senior’s Alyssa Scherich, competing in her first North Central Athletic Conference Championships, certainly didn’t look like some wide-eyed rookie on this day.

Rather, the Polar Bears’ standout freshman stood out, winning a pair of events and taking second in two others at Buckhannon-Upshur High School Thursday.

Scherich won the 100 hurdles (16.12) and 300 hurdles (47.37). She also was runner-up in the 200 and 400 dashes, helping her accumulate 22 points, the most of any female athlete.

Overall, Fairmont Senior’s girls placed third overall with 80 points. The total was just one in back of Morgantown (81) but well behind team champ Buckhannon-Upshur, which finished with 136.50 points. North Marion was fifth (64) and East Fairmont eighth (26).

Preston won the boys’ title with 116.05 points. East was fifth (61), Fairmont Senior seventh (44) and North Marion eighth (27).

East Fairmont’s Kristen Talerico was another individual winner, nabbing first in the long jump (16-0).

The North Marion quartet of Kelly Humphreys, Cayla Parrish, Ashley Graham and Mackenzie Mullenax won the 400 relay. The latter three runners — with help from Kasmira Kisner and Cassy Menas — added second-place finishes in the 800 and 1,600 relays.

Fairmont Senior’s Jenai Stubbs was third in the 100, 200 and 400. North Marion’s Jordan McDonald finished third in the 3,200, while Parrish took second in the long jump.

In the 4 X 102.5 shuttle, Talerico, Abby Bunner, Jenna Wood and Courtney Ricer grabbed a second-place finish for the Bees. Fairmont Senior placed third in the event.

For the boys, North’s Zach Tennant led the way.

The senior and defending state champion in the 1,600, Tennant rolled to victories in the 800 (1:58.87) and 1,600 (4:16.99). His winning time in the latter event was 26 seconds faster than the closest competitor.

Also, Fairmont Senior’s Christian Cummings cruised to the top spot in the discus (142-0) and took second in the shot put (47-11.25). Teammate Marcus Jacquez added a first-place finish in the high jump (5-10).

Justin Speelman, Garrett Saiko, Dustin Starsick and Paris Winfrey won the 4 X 110 shuttle (59.80) for East. Speelman added runner-up finishes in the 300 hurdles and long jump, while Starsick did the same in the 110 hurdles.

The Bees were a tight second in the 800 relay — losing to Preston by one-hundredth of a second — and placed third in the 400 and 3,200 relays.

All three area teams are back in action next Thursday for the Region I meet at Preston.