In the middle of the school break, each of the Liverpool track and field teams took giant steps toward earning CNY Counties League titles.
The Warriors went to Baldwinsville’s Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium last Wednesday afternoon and swept that meet, with the boys needing every point possible to pull out a 71-70 decision and the girls far more decisive in handling the Bees 92-45.
During the boys meet, Liverpool proved strongest in distance races. Ty Brownlow ran the mile in four minutes, 40.61 seconds and also won the 3,200-meter run in 9:59 flat, with Steve Schulz going 2:04.57 to take the 800-meter run. Also, Schulz, Brownlow, Josh Hickmott and Nathan Reeves won the 4×800 relay in a swift 8:10.61.
Nazir Murray, with his winning time of 17.79 seconds in the 110 high hurdles, prevented a B’ville sweep of the sprints that had already seen Jack Buis win the 100-meter dash, Greg Porceng the 200-meter dash and Kieran Sheridan the 400-meter dash, plus Justin Goodridge taking the 400 hurdles.
Needing to win three of six field events, the Warriors did exactly that, starting with Antwan Kelly unleashing a winning discus throw of 116 feet 1 ½ inches. Tyler Goss cleared 10 feet in the pole vault, while Paul Dewan won the triple jump by going 36’6”.
Liverpool’s sheer depth was on display in the girls meet, as it won five of six field events and swept the distance runs. Jenna Schulz helped in the latter, taking the 1,500-meter run in 4:58.66 and also beating the field in the 3,000-meter run in 11:09.04 as Windsor Ardner won the 800-meter run in 2:30.17. Ardner, Schulz, Vanessa Eberhard and Kendra Moore claimed the 4×800 relay in 10:56.63.
Kelley Townley’s 9-foot pole vault was part of an effort where Marissa Baskin went 30’2” in the triple jump and Alexia Ostrander took the long jump by going 15’ ¼”. In the shot put, Trinity Gray had a top throw of 29’7”, while Sarah Lavalley won the discus by heaving it 97’6 ½”.
Though B’ville’s Adrianna Straughter (100 hurdles) and Karen Ekure (200) claimed two of the sprints, Liverpool’s Kierra Richardson was victorious in the 100 sprint in 13.24 seconds, while Annie Gullo took the 400 sprint in 1:07.5.
A day earlier, Jeremiah Willis showed his individual value to the Cicero-North Syracuse boys track and field team all through the course of the Northstars’ 94-40 victory over the West Genesee Wildcats at Bragman Stadium.
It started in the sprints, where Willis was victorious in the 100-meter dash in 11.26 seconds and then took the 200-meter dash in 22.60 seconds. And it continued with Willis going 20 feet 6 inches in the long jump and then unleashing a top triple jump of 42’1”.
Joe Williams had his own double, roaring to first place in the 110 high hurdles in 15.17 seconds and the 400 hurdles in 59.16 seconds. Zak Kennedy went 53.51 seconds to win the 400-meter dash as Ryan Bristow cleared 12 feet in the pole vault and Joe Tricarico took the 3,200-meter run in 10:22.04.
Kennedy, joined by Ryan Massena, Derek Harned and Ryan Williams, claimed victory in the 4×400 relay in 3:42.41. Massena, Matt Kilian, Conner Hayes and Malcolm Christian ran the 4×100 in 45.12 seconds as Sam Barber, Brandon Martin, Aidan Deitz and Michael McBride took the 4×800 in 9:10.88 to open the meet.
It was a far different story in the girls meet between C-NS and West Genesee. Here, the Northstars claimed most of the field events, yet nearly got swept in the races during an 86-54 defeat to the Wildcats.
Kierrah Butler swept the throwing events, tossing the shot put 34 feet and claiming the discus with a heave of 86’6”. Haley Schwarz took the pole vault, clearing 8 feet, while Liliana Klemanski topped 4’10” to prevail in the high jump.
However, C-NS claimed just two races – Annina Marullo’s time of 10:51.39 in the 3,000-meter run and Emily Dembowski’s clocking of 1:02.65 in the 400 sprint. The Wildcats won all the others, led by Megan Delia, who not only claimed the 200 (27.76 seconds) and 400 hurdles (1:08.22), but also set a WG school record with a 36-foot triple jump.
The C-NS girls fared better in Friday’s meet against Henninger, winning 103-33, Mia Pestle ran the 1,500 in 5:40 flat and the 400 sprint in 1:04.6 before gaining a third title in the 3,000 in 11:24.0.
Leah Bisgrove took the 800 and helped in the 4×800 (12:38.0), with Abbey Szumloz going 1:18.6 in the 400 hurdles and helped the 4×400 relay team win in 4:35.5.
A sweep of the field events saw Cassie Baldwin go 14’9 ½” in the long jump, with Sarah Davis winning the triple jump (31’10”) and Liliana Klemanski clearing 4’8” in the high jump. Jessica Clary threw the discus 78 feet and Julie Phillips tossed the shot put 26’5”.
