Siblings help Fort LeBoeuf girls, McDowell boys win team titles at Trojans' meet

Nobody comes between McDowell brothers Benny and Leonardo Whitaker as far as good-natured trash talk about their sprint results.

Nobody.

Not even Ethen Knox, who’s weeks away from graduating as one of Oil City’s all-time elite athletes.

Knox was Friday’s silver medalist for the boys 100-meter final of Joe Sanford’s McDowell Invitational. The Trojans, for the second straight year, concluded their track and field meet under the lights at Gus Anderson Field.

Knox’s 100 time was 11.17 seconds. When that medal ceremony ended, though, his presence was barely acknowledged by its first- and third-place runners.

Benny Whitaker (11.09) and Leonardo Whitaker (11.31) took the time to joyously throw verbal jabs at each other.

"Yeah, it feels good to beat (Knox)," Benny Whitaker said, “but nothing feels (better) than beating my brother."

Leonardo, who’s never defeated Benny in a varsity 100, thanked Benny for the incentive to do that.

Preferably sooner.

“I’m always trying to one-up him,” Leonardo said. “One day, I will get up there (atop the podium) and beat him.”

Benny Whitaker was voted the boys outstanding track athlete for Friday’s meet. He anchored McDowell’s first-place 400 relay (43.40) and 1,600 relay (3:34.39) along with his 100 gold medal.

Benny Whitaker, at 22.69, also finished second to Knox (22.30) in the 200. His four medals contributed the Trojans’ first-place result in the boys team standings.

McDowell totaled 94 points, 30 more than District 9 Bradford.

Bison unbeatable of late

The Fort LeBoeuf girls continued their stellar spring with a third team title in as many meets.

The Bison, who finished first in their meet and then at Harbor Creek’s, was the only team that recorded triple-digit points (114) on Friday. Corry was second with 59, while the host Trojans had 54.

“I knew we worked so hard this past summer and offseason,” LeBoeuf’s Kelsie Skinner said. “Going into this season, I knew we had the opportunity to do some really big things this year.”

Skinner’s most significant contribution for the Bison was in the shot put. The senior won it with her best toss of 35 feet, 6½ inches.

LeBoeuf classmates Ella and Hailey Corritore were respectively voted the meet’s best female track and field performers.

Ella Corritore’s best individual result was the 100 hurdles, which she won at 15.33

Hailey Corritore was a solo victor for the triple jump at 35-2.

More: Results for District 10 spring sports, April 19-27

Skinner siblings

Kelsie Skinner’s elation over Friday’s meet didn’t end with her success, or even that for LeBoeuf’s girls.

Garett Skinner, her younger brother, won the boys 110 hurdles at 16.11. He also was second (41.48) in the 300 hurdles to Titusville’s Landen Wolfkiel (41.37).

Members of the Skinner family don’t end there for LeBoeuf. Hayden Skinner, Kelsie and Garett’s older brother, is in his second year as a volunteer coach.

Hayden Skinner, who specialized in hurdles for LeBoeuf, graduated in 2022. He’s attending Edinboro University when he’s not aiding his younger brother or other current Bison.

“Greatest coach I’ve ever had,” Garett Skinner said. “He took me under his wing when he was still in high school. I’ve learned everything I know (about the hurdles) from him.”

Hayden Skinner never considered coaching before Erick Friedman offered him the opportunity to join LeBoeuf’s staff.

Skinner couldn’t accept fast enough.

“Being back here with a program that gave me so much, and got me to college, I wanted to give back to it,” he said. “Being a full-time coach, that's the dream now."

Eastern county champs

Harbor Creek’s Hunter Gonda was voted the boys MVP for Friday’s field events.

Gonda’s best result was for the discus. The junior’s best toss landed at an even 136 feet.

Three other athletes from Erie County’s eastern side also won field events at the meet. Seneca’s Reed Yost cleared 15 feet in the pole vault, Corry’s Nolan Carey topped the javelin field at 154-7 and North East’s Noah Crozier successfully in the high jump at 6-4.

Crozier competed at McDowell a week after he successfully cleared 6-9, which was good for second at Butler’s meet. The senior also participated there days after the North East School District’s started the installation of field turf at Ted Miller Stadium.

That decision meant the 2024 edition of North East’s track and meet, traditionally scheduled the first Saturday in May, will take place at Harbor Creek.

"It (stinks) because now I can't practice on the track,” Crozier said. “I’ll have to practice on the parking lot. But at least we'll get to go to Harbor Creek a couple times, so that's really going to be nice."

Along with North East’s meet, Harbor Creek also will host the Erie County Classic on May 9.

Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: McDowell hosts night track and field meet for second straight season