Jordan-Elbridge junior Abby Gugel can now call herself a state champion.
That’s because Gugel was part of the Section III quartet that prevailed in the distance medley relay during last Saturday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship meet at Cornell University’s Barton Hall.
Due to her strong work all season, Gugel joined a relay team that included Liverpool’s duo of senior Ore Akinpelu and junior Juliana Basla, plus Cicero-North Syracuse junior Jilliann Norris.
Working together, Gugel, Akinpelu, Basla and Norris would cover the distance medley in 10 minutes, 33.54 seconds, hitting the line more than two seconds ahead of runner-up Section II (Capital District), who finished in 10:36.25.
This victory by Gugel highlighted the local effort at Cornell, which also featured Solvay’s Isaiah Lee breaking his own school record in the boys triple jump.
Lee, who who had gone 42 feet 1 inch to qualify for the meet, improved that mark by more than a foot, to 43 feet 4 inches, finishing second in his flight and 16th overall. Archbishop Malloy’s Jared Lovelace won with a top attempt of 50’4 ½”.
West Genesee had a pair of freshman runners – Carly Benson in the 1,000-meter run and Megan Delia in the 300-meter dash. Benson was unable to finish her race, but Delia posted 42.45 seconds to finish fourth in her heat, and 24th overall. CBA’s Anna Schug was eighth in 41.04 seconds.
Westhill-Bishop Ludden’s Tatiana Monds was in the 55-meter dash. Having gone 7.43 seconds in the Feb. 25 Section III state qualifying meet at SRC Arena, she nearly matched that time, going 7.47 seconds here, but did not make it out of the opening round.
Meanwhile, in the pole vault, the Warriors’ Katherine Doherty arrived with a top clearance of 9 feet 6 inches this winter, but could only get to 9 feet here and tied for 20th, with Vestal’s Kari Stromhaug winning with a 12-foot clearance.
