This would be a busy and important week for the Oneida boys track and field team, with three events in five days, culminating with its own invitational meet.
Right in the middle, the Indians met New Hartford Wednesday afternoon and, by beating the Spartans 79-62, atoned for its loss to Vernon Verona Sherrill a week earlier.
Oneida had just the right combination of efforts, from Mike Rabbitt’s quartet of wins to nine runner-up finishes in the 13 events.
In the high jump, Rabbitt tied his best clearance of the season with 6 feet 6 inches. He also ran the 400-meter hurdles in 59 seconds flat, prevailed in the 110 high hurdles (15.3 seconds) and unleashed a top long jump of 21 feet 2 inches.
Help came from many places, including Eric Riley’s 400-meter dash title in 52.3 seconds, but a sweep of the field events helped.
Kyle Blessing threw the discus 136 feet 3 inches, while Dan Margo won the shot put with a toss of 39 feet 4 inches. James Moyer went 40 feet 5 1/2 inches in the triple jump as Connor Lomonaco cleared 9 feet 6 inches in the pole vault.
Two days before, Oneida’s boys dominated its meet against Whitesboro, earning a 101-40 victory over the Warriors.
Rabbitt ran the 100 in 11.1 seconds and the 400 55.4 seconds, had a top long jump of 20 feet 1 3/4 inches and tore through the 110 high hurdles in 15.5 seconds for four individual titles.
Moyer offered another big highlight, clearing 6 feet 4 inches in the high jump. Other wins went to Riley (400), Lomonaco ( pole vault), Blessing (discus), Zach Hall (200 meters), Connor McCarthy (3,200 meters), Tyler Neal (triple jump) and Tyler Burton (shot put).
In a relay sweep, Oneida took the 4×100 (47.9 seconds), 4×400 (3:56.9) and 4×800 (9:18.2) events with Riley, Neal, Hall, Lomonaco, Ben Adams, Mike Ellsworth, Keith Johnson, Matt Barlow and James Barr all taking part.
Vernon Verona Sherrill ran into Holland Patent last Monday and lost, 106-35, to the Golden Knights. Tyler Curtis won the 100-meter dash (11.5 seconds), while Robert Romeo took the 110 high hurdles (16.8 seconds) and Matt Anthony threw the discus 101 feet 9 inches. HP won every other event.
But the VVS girls team had a better time Wednesday, sweeping Utica-Notre Dame 123-14 and Whitesboro 89.5-51.5.
Rachel Brown set the tone, breaking her own school record with a time of 16.4 seconds in the 100-meter high hurdles. Maggie Curtis took the 400 (1:07.3), while Casey Kane prevailed in the 400 hurdles (1:11.1) and Elaine Slaven ran the 200 in 26.7 seconds.
Slaven also won the high jump, clearing 5 feet 2 inches as Jenna Fiacco took both the discus (88 feet 4 inches) and shot put (28 feet 5 inches). Alyssa Durant had a top triple jump of 31 feet 6 inches.
Kerry Miley, Emily Hudson, Lauren MacDonald and Brooke Waite worked together to win the 4×800 relay in 11:33.9 as Miley joined Curtis, Tammy Beal and Gabbie Koons to claim the 4×400 relay in 4:29.9.
