The only way this spring could prove more memorable for senior Raenah Campbell and the Skaneateles girls track and field team would be to find some success during the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships at Union-Endicott.
But it proved more than just successful – it was historic.
Campbell emerged as the state Division II (small school) champion in the 400-meter hurdles, while Mia Grasso, Angela Krause, Maddie Peterson and Emme Conan would pair up to set a Section III record in the 4×100 relay and nearly claim their own state title, too.
Perhaps motivated by finishing behind Grasso in the sectional state qualifier a week earlier, Campbell took to the track at U-E Friday in the 400 hurdles and made sure no one caught her.
In one minute, 3.63 seconds, Campbell won the Division II race over Letchworth’s Kelsy Hastings, who was second in 1:03.20. Grasso would reach the medal podium, too, making her way to third place in 1:04.75.
When they held the state Federation championships a day later, Campbell, pushed by the top Division I (large school) runners, went even faster, finishing in 1:02.55. That put her in fourth place, not far from the winning 1:01.05 by Warwick Valley’s Greer Ligouri.
Back on Friday, Campbell qualified for the Division II finals of the 100-meter hurdles by posting a time of 15.70 seconds. Then she ran 15.70 again in the finals, but that put Campbell fifth as Ama Boham (Ichabod Crane) won in 15.33 seconds.
The 4×100 relay was contested on Friday afternoon. In pursuit of a state title, Conan, a freshman, took the first leg, with juniors Peterson and Grasso in the middle and Krause, a senior, handling the anchor leg.
Together, they would go 48.74 seconds, breaking the sectional mark of 48.92 that Rome Free Academy set in late May during the sectional Class AA meet. The Lakers just missed out on the state title, though, as Tapestry Charter won in 48.42 seconds. Krause also competed in the 100-meter dash, gaining 15th place in 13.22 seconds.
On the boys side, Skaneateles senior Chase Corcoran finished eighth in the Division II discus, his best throw going 145 feet 1 inch, just short of the 146’7” he threw earlier this season. Corcoran finished eighth as Broadalbin-Perth’s Jeff Derwin won with 172’5”.
