In the season’s best competitive conditions, the Skaneateles boys track and field team won its OHSL Liberty division opener last Wednesday at Hyatt Stadium, beating Syracuse’s Institute of Technology Central 80-59.
What keyed the victory was a relay sweep, started in the 4×800, where the Lakers’ quartet of Walker Porter, James Hackler, Patrick Biver and Cooper Watt prevailed in 9:33.8.
Biver returned to help Matt Clymer, Max Dwyer and Nick Smolenski claim the 4×400 relay in a swift time of 3:49.4, while Dwyer and Smolenski teamed with Dan Wolfanger and Jeff Kringer in the 4×100, which Skaneateles won in 46.8 seconds.
Individually, several Lakers stood out. Biver, who was first in the 400-meter dash (52.9 seconds), also had a first-place triple jump of 39 feet, while Carson Schwab took the pole vault by clearing 12’6” and Nick Cook cleared 5’10” in the high jump.
Clymer was first in the 400 hurdles in 1:03.4, while Hackler took the 800-meter run (2:18 flat) and Watt won the 3,200-meter run in 11:30.2. Nick Kochan won the 100-meter dash (12.2 seconds) as Chris Neihbur beat the field in the mile in 5:33.37.
It was more lopsided in the girls meet, where Skaneateles beat ITC 119-19, led by Taylor Woodruff, who had a top long jump of 15’3” and also claimed the 400 sprint in 1:03.3.
Sweeping the distance events, the Lakers saw Morel Malcolm take the 3,000-meter run in 12:08.5, while Madeline Adams was first in the 800-meter run (2:32.3) and Liz Dwyer took first in the 1,500-meter run in 5:18.5.
Raenah Campbell, in 17.1 seconds, beat the field in the 100 hurdles, with Sophie Darovskikh victorious in the 400 hurdles (1:24.7) and Amanda Wetmore going through the 100 sprint in 13.8 seconds.
Adams, joined by Julia Willcox, Jane Gaffney and Elsa Soderberg, ran the 4×800 in 10:40.3. Wetmore and Woodruff both ran in the 4×100 (52.3 seconds) with Katelyn Ellison and Nikki Cole as Dwyer, Soderberg, Anna Barnett and Aubreah Lynn needed 4:37.8 to cover the 4×400.
Willcox, clearing 4’4”, was victorious in the high jump. Keely Gregg managed to clear 6’6” for first place in the pole vault, while Morgann Byrne was first in the triple jump, going 29’, and Rachel Baker had a top discus throw of 64’10”.
Two days later, the Skaneateles girls team made its way to the East Syracuse-Minoa Invitational, where the weather turned from warm and windy to cold and wet in the course of the night, cutting short events and compelling some teams to leave early.
Still, the Lakers managed to get 23 points and tie for sixth place in a 21-team field, just five points behind South Jefferson and Remsen (28 points), who tied for second behind Holland Patent (43 points) in the top spot.
Kaitlyn Neal contended in the 3,000, the freshman star getting to a time of 10:45.22, putting her in second place behind CBA’s Megan Ann Pierce (10:40.68) as Adams slid into third place in 10:59.05.
Woodruff, Wetmore, Katelyn Ellison and Laurel Parker nearly won the 4×100, but settled for second place in 54.16 seconds behind Mexico, who won in 53.99 seconds. Campbell got sixth place in the 100 hurdles in 17.48 seconds.
