Just like so many others, West Genesee’s track and field teams had to stay patient and wait for the weather to warm up, and dry up, before it could enter competition in 2016.
When it did, it came in the form of two meets in a 48-hour span, starting last Monday afternoon in Camillus when the Wildcats faced Corcoran and, sweeping all but one of the races on the oval, earned enough points to defeat the Cougars 87-45 on the girls side.
Kendall Dombroske and Madalyn Benson each won two races. Dombroske covered 1,500 meters in five minutes, 20.3 seconds, and went on to take the 800-meter run in 2:30.2, while Benson claimed the 100-meter hurdles in 18.8 seconds and the 400 hurdles in 1:12.3.
Carly Benson claimed first place in the 3,000-meter run in 11:00.3 as Maria Matkoski needed exactly one minute to prevail at 400 meters. Shelby Kiteveles was first in the 200-meter dash in 30.1 seconds.
In the 4×400 relay, Matkoski, Kelsey Fox, Avery Rydelek and Janet Nolan finished in 4:31 flat, taking that event as Sarah Ferranti, Bridget Spiddle, Madeline Lowry and Amanda Lowther got the victory in the 4×800 relay in 11:10.8.
The boys meet between WG and Corcoran was closer, but the Wildcats won here, too, holding off the Cougars 71-60 by getting contributions from all over its roster and in many different disciplines.
To begin a sweep of the distance races, Ryan Dunning covered the mile in 4:58.4. Russ Graziano went 2:13 flat in the 800 before David Leff, n the 3,200-meter run, roared to victory in 10:01.3.
Tim Huppman was first in the 400 hurdles in 1:06.8, while Evan Tuthill threw the discus 123 feet 8 inches and Damien Panek-Irvine cleared 5’2” in the high jump. Leff, Graziano, Sean Byrnes and Hunter Buza claimed the 4×800 relay in 8:55.5, while Buza and Graziano joined Mark Dellfave and Griffin Dombroske as WG took the 4×400 relay in a time of 3:49.4.
WG was at home again Wednesday for a three-way meet against Auburn and Henninger, and won on every side of that contest, too.
The girls Wildcats beat the Maroons 90.5-50.5 and topped the Black Knights 82-55, with Carly Benson claiming a pair of races, taking the 800 in 2;26.7 and the 1,500 in 5:04.8. Fox also won twice, in the 100 sprint (13.4 seconds) and long jump, where she had a top leap of 14’1 ½”.
Emily Young helped out with a top time of 10:59.3 in the 3,000 after Madalyn Benson went 1:12.6 to win the 400 hurdles. Auburn won four of six field events, but WG countered with a win in the 4×400 relay as Fox, Dombroske, Carly Benson and Avery Rydelek posted 4:24.8.
WG’s boys sides beat Henninger 88-52 and Auburn 94-38, with Huppmann and Tuthill each winning twice. Huppmann went 19.6 seconds in the 110 high hurdles and won the 400 hurdles in 1:06.9, while Tuthill unleashed a discus throw of 123’11” and won the shot put by tossing it 42’9”.
Peter Bowman stepped up in the pole vault, clearing 11 feet, with Leff going 9:43.3 at 3,200 meters and Graziano winning the 800 in 2:11.8. Dellefave was first in the 400 sprint in 54.5 seconds as Leff, Graziano, Byrnes and Buza improved to 8:37.1 in the 4×800, with Graziano, Dellefave, Buza and Griffin Dombroske going 3:48.3 to win the 4×400.
