Track and field athletes from four area high schools ventured one more time to Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium, taking part in this weekend’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship meet.
And no one did better than Marcellus senior Rachel Garn, who would race twice – and emerge as a state Division II (small school) champion in the 2,000-meter steeplechase.
In that steeplechase on Saturday morning, Garn competed in the feature race, where she would cross the finish line in seven minutes, 1.12 seconds, easily prevailing over Megan Caltagirone (Holland), who was second in 7:08.83. Overall, Garn finished fifth, just behind Fayetteville-Manlius runner Alana Pearl (6:58.78) in fourth place.
Garn also topped the NYSPHAA standings in the Division II 800-meter run, where she won her heat in 2:13.91. That put her in second place in Division II to Holy Names’ Leah Triller, who won in 2:13.10, and sixth overall, counting the large-school runners.
Meanwhile, West Genesee eighth-grader Carly Benson was sixth in the same 800 heat as Garn, and ninth in Division I with a time of 2:16.53.
Benson’s WG teammate, Brianna Richardson, competed in the pentathlon, where she ran the 100-meter hurdles in 15.75 seconds, cleared 4 feet 8 ¼ inches in the high jump and threw the shot put 23’6” to stand 16th overall with 1,634 points and 10th in Division I at the end of the first day.
On the second day, Richardson went 15’10 ½” in the long jump and ran 800 meters in 2:41.05, which ultimately gave her 2,711 points and a 19th-place overall finish, 11th among Division I entrants. Altmar-Parish-Williamstown’s Kylee Bartlett won the overall state title with 3,337 points, a new Section III record.
Jordan-Elbridge freshman Julie Hines was 13th in the Division II 200-meter dash in 26.09 seconds, unable to reach the finals. Marcellus senior Abbie Fallon, with a time of 12.88 seconds, did not make it out of the first round of qualifying in the Division II 100-meter dash, finishing 18th.
Senior Jack Gugel represented J-E in the mile, running to sixth place in his heat, 24th overall and 11th in Division II with a time of 4:36.96. Later, in the 4×800 relay, Gugel joined senior Dylan Whittico, junior Nate Hollis and sophomore Russell Hines as the Eagles, in 8:19.97, finished fifth in its heat, eighth among Division II quartets and 24th overall.
Westhill/Bishop Ludden’s lone representative, Bella Sterly, did quite well in the girls shot put, tossing it 35’ ½” to finish eighth in Division II as Cheektowaga’s Stephanie Lombardo prevailed with a heave of 42’3”. WG’s Abby Uczen cleared 9’6” in the pole vault to finish 21st overall and 13th among Division I competitors.
