Wins from Malik Merritt and Khiary Gale highlighted a strong showing by the Skaneateles boys track and field team during Monday’s Tully Spring Break Invitational.
All told, the Lakers managed 46 points, topping host Tully (41 points) for third place in a 15-team field. Hannibal won the event with 89 points, with Liverpool earning 81 points for second place.
Merritt was the fastest qualifier for the 100-meter dash in 11.76 seconds. Then, in the final, Merritt improved to 11.54 seconds, more than enough to hold off Herkimer’s Casey Scalise (11.81 seconds) and the rest of the field.
Going to the triple jump, Gayle ignored the cold, windy conditions and took off 43 feet 11 ¾ inches. That was more than six feet better than any of the other 24 competitors, with Newark Valley’s Conor Young (37’ 7 ¾ ‘’) in the second spot. Gayle also tied for fourth (5’ 8”) in the high jump.
As if that wasn’t enough, Gayle and Merritt joined Nick Simmons and Nick Hook to win the 4×100 relay, their time of 47.48 seconds well clear of runner-up Homer, who had 48.66 seconds. In the 4×400 relay, Dan Sakal, J.J. Gregg, Dan Wolfanger and Matt Short were third in 3:52.09.
Carson Schwab got to fourth in the pole vault, clearing 9’ 6’’. Hunter Dickinson took fifth in the discus with a throw of 107’ 3’’, while Ari Hristodulou went 16’ 5 ½’’ for fifth place in the high jump.
The OHSL Liberty division schedule for Skaneateles begins next Wednesday with a trip to Jordan-Elbridge for a three-way meet that also includes Westhill/Bishop Ludden. Then the girls Lakers compete in the Tully Girls Invitational on April 20.
