Normally, the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse track and field teams would wait until later in the spring before having their big showdowns.
But in 2014, traditions got cast aside, and the Northstars and Warriors found themselves opening their respective seasons in each other’s company, and both sides would take away something.
Liverpool took a lot more away from the boys meet last Wednesday afternoon at Bragman Stadium, counting on the likes of Mark VanMarter to set the tone in a 91-50 romp over C-NS.
Taking off in the 100-meter dash, VanMarter prevailed in 10.9 seconds as teammate Brandon Mayfield (11.3 seconds) got second place. Then, in the long jump, VanMarter had a best attempt of 20 feet 9 inches to again finish on top as he tied Rashan Crenshaw in the high jump, both of them clearing 5’4”.
A close 800-meter battle saw Liverpool’s Dan Muldoon prevail in 2:06.3 over C-NS’s Brian Bausinger, who was second in 2:07.2. Dylan McCarthy, in 4:31.9, pulled away from teammate Nick LeClair (4:35.0) during the Warriors’ 1-2 finish in the mile. Geoffrey Bell threw the shot put 49’3” to win that event, while Chris Grannell emerged in the discus with a top throw of 132’7”.
Alex Christensen got a victory in the 400-meter dash in 53.2 seconds, and he also teamed with Muldoon as Liverpool ran the 4×800 relay in 9:01.2. Christensen paced the Warriors to another win in the 4×400 (3:42.6), though C-NS did take the 4×100 relay in 48.9 seconds.
C-NS did have good moments, though. Pete Girardi edged Morgan Austen, 14.9 seconds to 15.0, in the 110 high hurdles, and Girardi went on to cover the 400 hurdles in 58.7 seconds, again with Austen (59.7 seconds) in the runner-up spot.
In the pole vault, the Northstars went 1-2 as Connor Osborne cleared 11 feet to beat Mark Hentges (10’6”) for the top spot.
By contrast, the girls meet at LHS Stadium would belong to C-NS, who nearly swept the field events and used that as the foundation for an 86-50 victory over Liverpool.
Javielle Fanizzi would put together a top long jump of 16 feet 7 ½ inches and, in the triple jump, prevail by going 32 feet. Meanwhile, Northstars teammate Nicole Harrington won the high jump, clearing 5’1”, with Shannon Shanmer throwing the discus 87’10” to win that event.
Hannah Szumloz chimed in with a victory in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.9 seconds, just after C-NS’s 4×800 relay team of Madison Kolakowski, Jilliann Norris, Taylor Parry and Amanda Shuman earned the victory in 10:14 flat. The Northstars also won the 4×400 relay in 4:28.0.
Ore Akinpelu still had a tremendous meet for Liverpool, going 13.9 seconds in the 100-meter dash and then tearing through the 400-meter hurdles in 57.7 seconds, setting an early mark for other Section III stars to catch.
Morgan Mahoney was first in the 3,000-meter run in 11:11.0 and also prevailed in the 1,500-meter run in 5:09.9, this before Destinee Luciano threw the shot put 33’7”. Danelle Sims roared to first place in the 400-meter dash in 54.2 seconds, with Morgan Chewning-Kulick needing 2:31.7 to grab a victory in the 800-meter run.
