SCRANTON – Each time Gavin Oprishko steps onto a track, he gains everyone’s attention.

A week after sending shockwaves through the Lackawanna Track Conference with blistering times in the sprints, the Valley View junior stormed to a pair of wins and helped two relay teams to victories. His efforts helped lead the Cougars to an 87-54 win over Scranton Prep in an important Division I boys’ track and field meet on a frigid Tuesday afternoon at the Loyola Sports Complex.

Orpishko won the 100- and 200-meter dashes to highlight the win and follow up on his record-setting performance in his last meet.

“I can’t even describe this,” Oprishko said. “It is such a good feeling, especially with all of the work I have put into this and all the support I have received. It’s one of the best feelings that I have ever had in sports.

“I just went into this thinking I had to win. I knew that my team needed me.”

 

 

In a dual meet against Scranton, Oprishko won the 100 in 11.14 seconds. He also clocked in at 21.3 seconds in the 200, which raised eyebrows across District 2. When adjusted to a fully automatic time of 21.54, it set a Valley View school record and was the fastest for the event in LTC history. It passed the mark of 21.57 set by North Pocono’s Colin Kravitz, a PIAA Class 3A medal winner.

“My focus is on my season,” Oprishko said. “I am prioritizing staying healthy. I have to go all out at practice. I cannot let up now. If I do, that will negate all of the progress that I have made.”

With that effort, Oprishko became a recognized name in the sprints. Last season, as a sophomore, he finished fourth in the 100 (11.22) and fifth in the 200 (22.80) at the District 2 Class 3A Championships. Those were personal-best times.

This offseason, eager to improve, Oprishko hit the weight room.

“I really just focused on lifting and working on my body,” Oprishko said. “That’s where I feel like I was lacking last year. I didn’t feel like I lacked the form or the speed. My starts weren’t the greatest, so I worked on that too. But mostly it was my strength that I focused on in the offseason.”

Feeling stronger and faster, he is off to a great start this spring. He followed up his breakout performance against Scranton with another strong performance against Scranton Prep in an important LTC Division I dual meet.

Racing in temperatures hovering in the high 30s at the start, Oprishko won the 100 in 11.1 seconds, ran the second leg of the winning 400 relay, and dominated in the 200 with a time of 22.5 seconds in hand-held times.

Valley View remained undefeated in the LTC Division I. Ish Turner added wins in the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles, and Charles Mitchell won the shot and discus for the Cougars.

Vincent O’Malley won the 1,600 and the 800 and was a member of the winning 3,200 relay, leading Scranton Prep.

3200 Relay: Scranton Prep (Durkin, Gallagher, Belcher, O’Malley) 8:58.03; 110 Hurdles: Ish Turner (VV) 16.2, Spague (VV), Kreidler (SP); 100: Gavin Oprishko (VV) 11.1, Speicher (SP), Evans (VV); 1600: Vincent O’Malley (SP) 5:07, Courtright (VV), Durkin (SP); 400 Relay: Valley View (Ewers, Oprishko, Davis, Hart) 44.8; 400: Luke Benke (VV) 56.8, Diegnan (SP), Smith (VV); 300 Hurdles: Ish Turner (VV) 47.3, Hyde (VV), Knott (VV); 800: Vincent O’Malley (SP) 2:12, Coates (VV), Head (VV); 200: Gavin Oprishko (VV) 22.5, Haggerty (SP), Hart (VV); 3200: Cooper Courtright (VV) 10:22.8, Durkin (SP), Kopa (VV); 1600 Relay: Valley View (Heid, Benke, Turner, Oprishko) 4:03.68; Shot: Charles Mitchell (VV) 42-4.5, Cunningham (VV), Rutkoski (SP); Discus: Charles Mitchell (VV) 126-6, Cunningham (VV), Guida (SP); Javelin: No Contest; Long: Gavin Walsh (VV) 19-2, Dempsey (VV), Callendar (VV); Triple: Naim Ortiz (SP) 36-10, Cunningham (VV), Callendar (VV); High: Charlie Skoff (SP) 5-6, Ortiz (SP), Rowell (SP); Pole: Callahan Moore (SP) 11-6, Burke (SP), O’Donnell (SP); Records: VV (3-0, 2-0). SP (2-1, 1-1).

 

 

Girls

Sadie Liftus won the 1,600 and the 800, and was a member of the winning 1,600 relay team to lead Valley View to a 104-36 win over Scranton Prep in an LTC Division I meet.

Katie McIntyre contributed wins in the long and high jumps for the Cougars.

Chloe Mancuso won the 100, the 200, and was a member of the winning 400 relay team for Scranton Prep.

3200 Relay: Valley View (Loomis, O’Donnell, Boshman, Mackrell) 13:11; 100 Hurdles: Brielle Waters (VV) 18.8, Mercado (SP), Timas (VV); 100: Chloe Mancuso (SP) 13.5, Collura (VV), Zabiegala (SP); 1600: Sadie Loftus (VV) 6:12, Loomis (VV), Schofield (SP); 400 Relay: Scranton Prep (Krzywiec, Zabiegala, Speicher, Mancuso) 56.5; 400: Carly Krzywiec (SP) 1:10.5, O’Donnell (VV), Zabiegala (SP); 300 Hurdles: Hanarra Semedo Timas (VV) 58.1, Peralta (VV), Waters (VV); 800: Sadie Loftus (VV) 2:32, Loomis (VV), Boshman (VV); 200: Chloe Mancuso (SP) 28.9, Collura (VV), Frable (VV); 3200: Riley Mackrell (VV) 14:26, Davis (VV); 1600 Relay: Valley View (Collura, Bohnenberger, O’Donnell, Loftus) 4:45; Shot: Sadie Cardoni (VV) 25-11.5, Sprague (VV), Ciullo (VV); Discus: Addison Howanitz (VV) 65-3, Cardoni (VV), Ciullo (VV); Javelin: No Contest; Long: Katie McIntyre (VV) 13-9.25, McDonnell (SP), Sylvester (VV); Triple: Natalie Cole (VV) 29-5.25, Pfeil (SP), Sylvester (VV); High: Katie McIntyre (VV) 4-6, McDonnell (SP), Snyder (VV); Pole: Taylor Shaheen (VV) 7-6, Sylvester (VV), Celli (SP); Records: VV (2-1, 2-0), SP (1-2, 1-1).