By Rob Potter
RUSHVILLE — November 11, 2003 – For the second time in her stellar scholastic running career, Tri-Valley’s Heather Iatauro is a state champion.
Iatauro, a senior, won the Class D title on Saturday at the New York State Public School championship meet at Marcus Whitman High School in Rushville. She ran the 3.1-mile course in a time of 19:16, which was five seconds ahead of second place finisher Emily Fung of Argyle, a Section II school.
Iatauro, who passed Fung in the last 500 meters of the race, also won a state championship in 2000 when she was a freshman. Iatauro has also won six consecutive Section IX Class D titles.
She was one of several county runners who competed at the state meet.
Sullivan West had seven athletes participating in the girls’ Class C race. Amanda Ward led the Lady Bulldogs with a time of 21:25, which earned her 26th place. She was closely followed by teammates Jamie Clifford (31st, 21:33), Jessica Wagner (44th, 21:47), April Ackermann (51st, 22:09) and Michelle Manzi (72nd, 22:44).
Lady Bulldogs Moselle DiPane and Ashley Relyea finished 91st and 112th, respectively. DiPane ran the course in 23:21 and Relyea posted a time of 25:36.
As a team, SW earned 119 points and placed fifth in the Class C standings.
In the girls’ Class D race, Tri-Valley’s Courtney Roosa and Erin Beach finished among the top 60 runners. Roosa was 52nd in a time of 22:17 and Beach was 55th in 22:23.
Four local runners participated in the boys’ events.
Sullivan West’s Michael Van Wagenen and Rob Ward ran in the boys’ Class C race. Van Wagenen placed 30th in 18:06 and Ward was 54th in 18:36.
In the boys’ Class D event, T-V’s Travis Wolfe finished 10th and teammate Jeremy Mathsen was 72nd. Wolfe posted a time of 17:26, while Mathsen ran the course in 19:04.