General McLane's Logan Anderson helps hurdle Lancers to Erie County Classic success

Logan Anderson cleared hurdles both physical and meteorological during Thursday’s Erie County Classic.

Overcoming them left the General McLane senior a record holder in two events.

Anderson showed why Slippery Rock University recruited him a day after he formally committed to its track and field program. He established new meet standards for the boys 110- and 300-meter hurdles despite subpar weather at Harbor Creek’s Paul J. Weitz Stadium.

“It was a little windy (Thursday), but I still got the records,” he said.

Anderson would have welcomed wind on a normal day, as it would have been at his back down the track’s front stretch, but that wasn’t the case Thursday. Overcast clouds throughout the action caused unusual east-to-west gusts.

They weren’t steady enough, though, to deter Anderson. He became the Classic’s first male hurdler to break 15 seconds in its 110 final with a winning time of 14.98.

McLane graduate Kyle Sult held that event’s former mark of 15.12 since 2016.

“I’m finally starting to fully understand the steps for the 110,” Anderson said. “If you don’t, you’re not going to clear (the hurdles) super fast.”

Anderson also dropped the Classic’s 300 hurdles record to 38.69, which was more than a second faster than the former mark of 39.84. Girard graduate Aaron Dohanic posted that time in 2007.

Not done there, Anderson also won the boys long jump with an attempt of 22 feet, 1 inch. His trio of gold medals led the Lancers to first place (169 points) in the team standings.

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Bison girls were best

Fort LeBoeuf’s girls resumed their stellar season Thursday. The Bison battled Corry’s athletes throughout the meet before they prevailed with 139 points to the Beavers’ 133.

LeBoeuf particularly dominated first place for the Classic’s field events.

Sisters Ella and Hailey Corritore respectively won the long jump (16-8¼) and triple jump (36 feet). Kelsie Skinner topped the shot put competition at 36-10, while Emily Samluk’s best javelin throw landed at 120-9.

LeBoeuf’s 400 relay also combined for a low one-lap time of 51.64.

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Other records

Anderson’s first-place sweep of the boys hurdles accounted for half of the meet’s latest records.

Fairview’s Isabel Owens, in her last Classic appearance, won the girls 800 final in 2:20.80. Kristina Junkin represented Iroquois in 2015 when she established that race’s former mark of 2:21.32.

“I’m excited about (the record) because I’d been trying to set one here the past three years,” Owens said. “I came close (in the 800) my sophomore year and last year I was kind of sick and it was really hot. It was raining (Thursday), but I figured I might as well go for it because it was my last chance.”

Owens confirmed her intention to run for Division I Lehigh University. The senior expects to make that official during a Fairview signing ceremony next week.

North East’s Abby Malesiewski was Thursday’s most unlikely record-setter. Not because she’s a freshman but because of her second-seeded status the girls 100 hurdles.

LeBoeuf’s Ella Corritore was favored at 14.98. Malesiewski followed at 15.09.

It was Malesiewski, though, who erased the race’s 2014 record of 15.37 by Harbor Creek graduate Sophia Mazza.

The first-year Grapepicker completed her two laps in 15.21.

“I thought I could win this race (in a meet) at some point along the way,” Malesiewski said, “but not this race. This was unexpected.”

Mike has worked for the Erie Times-News editorial department since 1997 and full time with its sports department since 2004. He was the sports editor for the former Titusville Herald from 1991-93.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Four records set during Thursday's Erie County Classic