CICERO – Whether it was short or long distances, jumps or vaults, area high school track and field events claimed lots of honors during last weekend’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships.
Competing in the familiar surroundings of Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium, East Syracuse Minoa senior Michael Parks conquered the field in the Division I (large school) 110 high hurdles.
Parks, the sectional record-holder in 14.06 seconds, was the fastest qualifier on Friday in 14.12, while Jamesville-DeWitt senior Nick Dekaney qualified third in 14.40 and Rocky El went 14.86 to join Parks in Saturday’s finals.
Remembering how a stumble had cost him in the 55 hurdles as the state indoor meet in March, Parks stayed upright this time and, in a time of 14.31 seconds, claimed that state Division I title, with Dekaney fifth in 14.69.
Later that day, Parks repeated his triumph in the Federation final against Division II and other athletes. Though his time slowed to 14.49 seconds, Parks still beat North Rockland’s David Joseph (14.69) by two-tenths of a second.
El was part of the 4×100 relay team with Parks, Aidan Hirt and Dan Tovar, finishing seventh in 43.68 seconds as Shenendehowa prevailed in 42.33.
Meanwhile, ESM’s 4×400 side, composed of Tovar, Hirt, LeShaun Benjamin and Caleb Byrd, looked to improve upon its previous 3:27.35, but got disqualified. El, in the 100-meter dash, finished 16th in 11.08 seconds.
On the girls side for ESM, three Spartans – Rhiannon Butchko, Arianna Brennen and Akuot Kuany – competed in the high jump. And Kuany did best, clearing 5 feet 5 inches for fourth place in Division I as Butchko and Brennen could not surpass 5 feet.
Kuany, on her own in the 100 hurdles, could not improve on her school record of 15.56 seconds, finishing in 16.07, while ESM’s 4×100 relay team of Sophia Jackson, Rylie King, KaleighMaloof and Evanni McDuffie was 10th in 50.96.
Fayetteville-Manlius expected great efforts from its distance runners, ‘including the 4×800, where Hannah Kaercher anchored a group that inlcuded state Class A cross country champion Izzy Sullivan, Isabella Adrian and Amelia Amack.
In 9:21.83, the Hornets finished second in Division I and third overall, topped only by the 9:07.24 from Saratoga Springs and 9.14.76 from Bronxville.
Sullivan and Kaercher were the second and third-ranked runners at 3,000 meters, where it was close at the line but Sullivan, in 9:49.54, edged Kaercher (9:50.75) for the runner-up spot, the two only topped by the 9:37.50 from Cornwall’s Karrie Baloga.
Kaercher, in the 1,500-meter run on Saturday, chased C-NS teammates Kate Putman and Hannah Boyle, who had gone 1-2 in the Division I portion of the 800-meter run the day before. In 4:28.63, Kaercher finished fourth, with Boyle (4:22.48) and Putman (4:24.66) again pulling off a top-two sweep.
Christian Brothers Academy had Cooper Groat run in the boys 800-meter run, where his 1:54.48 was fourth-fastest in the state this spring. Posting 1:55.84 here, Groat took second place in Division II, behind only the 1:54.87 from Pawling’s Noah Brightman, so Groat was less than a second from earning a state title.
In the boys Divison II 4×400 relay, CBA medaled as Groat, Chris Zajdel, Bruce Broadwell and Aiden Duggan raced and, in 3:29.02, got to fourth place overall and second in NYSPHSAA, trailing only the 3:28.50 from Valhalla.
CBA’s girls team took part in the 4×800, where Grace Fletcher, Claire Krueger, Mia Ludington and Bella Cannizzo finished fourth among Division I sides and medaled in 9:51.77.
J-D also got a great finish from Caleb Smith in the long jump, having gone 22’3 1/2” to rank sixth among qualifiers. Though he only went 21’10” here, Smith still finished fifth overall.
Bishop Grimes junior Rosalie Vincent was a top-10 qualifier in the Division II 100-meter dash in 12.52 seconds. At the state meet, Vincent improved to 12.49 and was ninth, missing the final by just one-hundredth of a second.
Over in the girls pole vault, F-M’s Wren Usiyatynski was a top-10 qualifier, having gone 11’6” this spring, but could not top 10’6”on three tries here as Central Square’s Ella Dolce took the state title by topping 12’6”.
F-M also had, on the boys side, Denim Hall compete in the high jump, where he had cleared 6’3 1/4” to emerge as a top-five Division I qualifier and top 10 overall. Nolan McGinn, running at 1,600 meters, finished in a season-best 4:23.18.
