For local indoor track and field teams, the post-season lasts a full month, with at least four different meets of increasing importance leading up to the March 3 state championships at Cornell University.
All of it started with Monday’s league championships at SRC Arena. There, Fayetteville-Manlius easily lay claim to the CNY Counties League American division crown as Jamesville-DeWitt beat East Syracuse-Minoa for OHSL Freedom division honors.
For the Hornets, who accumulated 162 points on the night (more than double that of runner-up Corcoran, who had 74 points), Jillian Fanning claimed both the 1,000-meter run in 2:57.32 and the 1,500-meter run in a time of 4:44.37. Christie Rutledge was second (4:55.15) in the 1,500.
Annika Avery won the 3,000-meter run in 10:33.02 as Jenna Farrell took second, while Katie Brislin (1:39.86) beat Hannah Smith (1:41.42) in the 600-meter run. Natalie Zazzara beat out Marri Ryu, 42.79 seconds to 43.08, in the 300-meter dash.
As if that wasn’t enough, Jessica Puro (9.97 seconds) and Caitlin Ferro (10.23 seconds) went 1-2 in the 55-meter hurdles, with Jordan Noble third in the 55-meter dash in 7.94 seconds.
To commence the relay sweep, Zazzara, Ryu, Brislin and Heather Martin took the 4×400 in 4:04.27, the same quartet winning the 4×200 in 1:49.31. Katie Sischo, Emily McGurrin, Mary Barger and Olivia Ryan ran the 4×800 in 9:35.65.
Also, Christabel Ezidiegwu was victorious in the high jump by clearing 4 feet 10 inches as Sarah Olick-Sutphen earned second in the long jump (14 feet 11 ¼ inches), with Puro third in the triple jump.
J-D had 180 points in the Freedom division to ESM’s 95, as Danielle Doss (8 feet 6 inches) and Liz Pieri (8 feet) swept the top two positions in the pole vault. Doss and Liz Pieri would team with Ally Fox and Katy Pieri to win the 4×400 relay in 4:14.03, with the Spartans second in 4:49.28.
Sweeping the relays, the Rams saw Emilee Carpenter, Laura Wengert, Sam Clemons and Rachel Fairbanks win the 4×800 in 10:28.56, with ESM second in 11:06.62. In the 4×200, Fox, Sierra Vasiliou, Maggie Fuller and Kayla Fulmer claimed the top spot in 1:53.51.
Vasiliou threw the shot put 31 feet 7 inches, beating Salwa El-Hindi (27 feet 5 ¾ inches), with Fuller clearing 5 feet 2 inches to win the high jump. Patrece Martin went to the top in the triple jump, going 34 feet 7 ¼ inches. Liz Pieri finished third, but got her own title in the 300-meter dash in 43.25 seconds.
On the oval, Wengert held off ESM’s Juliette Miller, 3:20.55 to 3:21.75, in the 1,000, with Katie Pinkes in fourth. Fox was second (7.73 seconds) and Martin fourth in the 55 sprint, with Clemons third in the 600. Noelle Novakowski rose to second (10.77) in the 55 hurdles,
For the Spartans, Amanda Wall, second in the triple jump (32 feet 9 ½ inches)to Martin, won the long jump by going 16 feet 4 ¾ inches, while Nina Zesky got second (4 feet 8 inches) in the high jump. Jessica Shane was fourth in the shot put.
Gabby Pallotta gave ESM a victory in the 3,000, her time of 11:04.70 better than J-D teammates Emilee Carpenter and Amber Blom. Pallotta settled for second in the 1,500, where J-D’s Rachel Fairbanks won in 4:58.94. Gabby Figueroa ran to third in the 300 sprint (49.18 seconds) as Bridget Benz was fourth in the 55 hurdles and Amber Miner took fifth in the 600.
