KARNS CITY GIRLS' BASKETBALL; CLARION AREA BOYS' TRACK BRING HOME STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

    District 9 is the proud home of two defending state championship teams, as the Karns City girls' basketball team won the PIAA Class AA title with a 53-39 win over Bishop Hoban March 24 at Hershey Park Arena, and the Clarion Area boys' track and field team won the PIAA Class AA title May with 52 points outdistancing its the second-place team Mount Carmel by 28 points.

     The Lady Gremlins, who also cruised to both the KSAC and District 9 titles, finished the 1999-2000 campaign with a 31-1 record losing only to WPIAL AAAA Champion and state-runner-up Oakland Catholic.

     Clarion Area, meanwhile, won its third consecutive District 9 title, but lost out on its bid for a third straight KSAC title when Keystone edged the Bobcats out for the top spot in the conference.

    In addition to the two team state championships, seven individuals from District 9 won state titles in their sports during the 1999-2000 season.

    Track and field had the most with four individual state championships, while wrestling crowned three individual state champions from District 9.

    The track and field champions in 2000 were all in Class AA and included Ashley Colley, a junior from Smethport, in the javelin with a throw of 160'1"; Brent McNeil, a senior from Clarion Area, in the 800-meter run in a time of 1:55.67; Mario Bernardi, a junior from Clarion Area, in the high jump with a leap of  6'6"; and the Clarion Area 4X100-meter relay team with a time of 43.29.

    The wrestling champions in 1999-2000 were also all in Class AA and included Greg Puncheon, a senior from Ridgway, at 152 pounds; Kyle Cathcart, a sophomore from Clarion Area, at 171 pounds; and Doug McGraw, a senior from Cameron County, at 135 pounds.