Both in relays and in individual races, West Genesee track and field athletes set personal and school marks and earned spots on the medal podium during last weekend’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium.
In the girls 4×800 relay on Saturday, the Wildcats’ quartet of senior Maria Matkoski, sophomores Carly Benson and Emily Young, and freshman Kendall Dombroske finished in nine minutes, 8.19, setting a school record. WG finished fourth in Division I (large schools) and fifth overall as Mamaroneck won in 8:54.33.
A day earlier, Benson got seventh place in the Division I 800-meter run in 2:13.08, an event Hamilton’s Sage Hurta won overall in 2:08.57. She also paired with Matkoski, Kelsey Fox and Megan Delia to help the Wildcats finish 15th in the 4×400 relay in 4:02.81, yet another school record.
WG junior David Leff had his own start turn in the boys mile on Saturday afternoon. After waiting out a two-hour weather delay, Leff, who had gone 4:19.70 to qualify for this race a week earlier, improved to 4:17.35, putting himself in fifth place in Division I and sixth overall. Maine-Endwell’s Dan Schaffer was victorious in 4:09.58.
Moving to Division II (small schools), athletes from Westhill-Bishop Ludden, Jordan-Elbridge, Marcellus and Solvay all represented Section III.
Westhill-Ludden’s Katherine Doherty medaled in the Division II pole vault as she cleared 10 feet 6 inches to finish fourth in the division and 13th overall, the event won by Central Square’s Bethany Cripps when she cleared 12’8” as no one else topped 12 feet.
The Warriors’ Keandre Sanders had a strong showing in the Division II long jump. Though conditions made equaling his season-best 21 feet 11 ½ inches too difficult, he did jump 21’4 ¼” on his final attempt to get to 10th place, two spots behind Central Valley’s Zach Crim (21’5 ½”) as Southampton’s Jesse Scanlon won with 22’8”.
In the girls 100-meter hurdles, Katie DeVeyra would finish in 16th place in 12.79 seconds. The Warriors’ 4×800 relay team, composed of Annibel Coolican, Haylei Coolican, Genny Corcoran and Olivia Daigneau, finished in 10:04.90, just off their-season-best 10:02.23 to place 28th overall and 13th in Division II.
Abby Gugel ran twice for Jordan-Elbridge. In the 3,000-meter run Friday night, Gugel was eighth in Division II and 21st overall, but improved her season-best time from 10:25.18 to 10:14.56.
A day later, in the 2,000-meter steeplechase, Gugel would get eighth place in Division II, and 14th overall, posting a time of 7:16.45. J-E also had Russell Hines go 51.27 seconds in the 400-meter dash and gain 15th place.
Marcellus senior Mary-Catherine Coon would go 12.79 seconds in the girls 100-meter dash, when it would take 12.57 seconds to reach the finals. Coon took 15th place as Newark Valley’s Courtney McNeil won in 12.49 seconds.
Solvay’s lone representative at the state meet, senior Colton Francemone, had gone 57.84 seconds in the boys 400-meter hurdles to reach the state meet, but went 58.73 seconds here, ending up in 12th place as Holland’s Zachary Jones (55.04 seconds) prevailed.
