By Harold Raker
The Daily Item
April 29, 2008 01:12 am
—
Teenagers were dancing to Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" and Madonna's "Open your Heart."
TV viewers were making "The Cosby Show" and "Roseanne" the most popular programs.
Movie-goers were flocking to see "Beverly Hills Cop 3" and "Dirty Dancing."
Ronald Reagan was president of the United States.
Shirley Gromlich was coaching the Milton girls track and field team.
The date was April 13, 1987, and Selinsgrove girls coach Dave Lauer has not forgotten it.
It was the most recent time that Milton defeated Selinsgrove in girls track and field. The score was 73-68, with the Black Panthers dominating the field events, outscoring the Seals 34-20 in a meet held at Milton's Alumni Field.
"I remember feeling disappointed. Watching it unfold, it was like we were in quicksand. The more we struggled, the further down we went. They were able to do stuff and come through, and they really did have a good team, especially in the field events," Lauer said, who was then in his fifth year as head coach of the Seals.
He said Milton won the long jump at 15-5 1/2 and took second at 15-1. Selinsgrove's jumper also did 15-1, but placed third via the tiebreaker.
Milton visits Selinsgrove this afternoon in one of two battles of unbeaten teams in the Susquehanna Valley Conference Division I. Danville is at Montoursville in boys action.
There are some eerie similarities between that afternoon in 1987 and today's girls meet at Harold L. Bolig Memorial Stadium.
The weather forecast for today is "cool." Looking at his notes from that meet 21 years ago, Lauer noticed that he had written that the weather condition was "cold."
That was the year the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, beating the Denver Broncos. Of course, the Giants are coming off a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots.
One of the Seals' top athletes in 1987, Shannon Rothermel, has a daughter, Alec Sheaffer, on the current Seals' team, although the latter is injured and unable to compete.
Today, as then, both teams are well balanced with some outstanding athletes who can score a lot of points.
In the 1987 meet, Milton's Boo Guinn-Bailey won four events -- the 200-meter dash, the long and triple jumps and, oddly enough, the discus. In addition, Kristen Brautigam won two events and ran a leg on a winning relay, so that pair scored nearly half of Milton's points.
For the Seals, Jessica Pagana won the 100 hurdles and high jump, Crissy Schreffler won the 300 hurdles, and Cheri Vargo won two events, plus she ran a winning relay leg.
This year's Milton team is lead by outstanding distance runners Heidi Shuck and Kristin Shoop and thrower Naomi Brunson. The Seals can counter with hurdler Erika Girton, thrower Keihanna Kline, jumper Danica Deckard and vaulter Becca Laniewski.
"Heidi Shuck can easily win four events for them. There's 20 points right there from one person," Lauer said.
Lauer continued, "They are going to score a lot of points and what we have to do is get those seconds and thirds. If Shuck gets first, and she will, in just about everything she does, we have to make sure we counter it with a second and a third. Our depth is going to have to come through more than it ever has before."
Milton coach Scott Shuck, Heidi's father, also believes the meet will be determined by the second- and third-place finishes. That would not have been good news for Milton had this been 2007.
But this year's Milton team is much deeper than in recent years, with 46 athletes, including a large group of talented freshmen.
Shuck agreed his team stands a much better chance of keeping up. "With the amount of kids and the talent I have out this year, I feel a lot better. A lot of the girls are coming from winning programs at Milton, such as Cailin Landis in soccer, and I hope that carries over," he said.
"If the kids run what they're capable of doing, I think, especially in the distance events, I think we will have a good meet," Shuck said.
Lauer said that if the Black Panthers win the opening 3,200 relay, which they have a good chance of doing, then score points in the 100, the Seals could find themselves in the rare position of facing a deficit early in the meet.
"The worse thing we can do is panic. We have to keep our heads about us, knowing we do have chances to come back by scoring in the hurdles and we do have some good people in the high jump, the pole vault and the long jump," Lauer said.
Of course, if the Seals get a lead, they also need to be aware that Milton, too, can score a lot of points and make a comeback. "In the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 with Shuck and some other girls, they have some people who can score some points," Lauer said.
Lauer said the meet could very well come down to the final event on the track, the 1,600 relay. If it does, both coaches have agreed the edge would go to the Seals.
Lauer said, "If it does come down to that, I feel a little bit of confidence, but I'm hoping it doesn't."
Shuck had hoped for some big points from freshman hurdler Moira Nester, but the latter sustained an ankle injury in the Bald Eagle Invitational at Lock Haven on April 18 and has not competed since then. Shuck hopes to have Nester for today's meet.
No matter the outcome, the accomplishments of this season are already worthy of celebration.
"I am just proud of the girls. To be where they are at right now, to have an undefeated season going in the league is something that hasn't happened in a long time. Whatever happens, I am proud of them anyway. They have had a good season," Shuck said.
This is a meet that could be determined by little things.
Lauer recalled that in the 1987 meet, "There were so many things. That day, Milton was better than we were. Maybe on a different day, we could have beaten them."
That is what the Seals have done for the last 20 years. Could it finally be Milton's turn again?
The meet starts at 4. The answer should come about three hours later.
n Assistant sports editor Harold Raker covers high school track and field for The Daily Item. E-mail comments to hraker@dailyitem.com.
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