A full group of top area track and field athletes will challenge for state championship honors this weekend at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium.
First, though, they warmed up by aiming for top spots during Thursday’s Section III state qualifying meet at that same facility, highlighted by emphatic victories by Jamesville-DeWitt on the girls and boys sides.
Alexandria Payne won the girls pentathlon. The Red Rams senior went 15.11 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, faster than the competitors in the individual event, and cleared 5 feet 1 ¾ inches in the high jump on her way to 3,329 points.
For the J-D boys, David Fikhman first helped Joey Armenta, Mike Potamianos and Haberle Conlon set a school record while winning the 4×400 in 3:23.32.
Fikhman went on to win the 200-meter dash in 22.23 seconds, with Armenta third in 23.20 seconds. Marcus Johnson got second place in the triple jump, going 44’3 ¼” to finish behind C-NS’s Jeremiah Willis (47’7 ¾”). Laetticia Bazile was third in the high jump, clearing 5 feet.
Fayetteville-Manlius had its share of winning efforts, including the girls 4×400 relay where Phoebe White, Cady Barns, Susan Bansbach and Fiona Mejico posted 3:58.77.
White then won a close 800-meter battle with West Genesee’s Emily Young in 2:14.26 to Young’s 2:18.26, while in the 3,000-meter run Claire Walters, in 10:00.89, pulled away from the field.
In the 4×800, Grace Kaercher, Rebecca Walters, Claire Walters and Alex Villalba won Division I in 9:27.31, but were second overall to Tully’s 9:26.18.
The 100-meter hurdles was settled at the line as F-M’s Gwen Shepardson, in 15.94 seconds, was inches behind Corcoran’s Kiari Hameed (15.93) for the top spot.
F-M’s Peyton Geehrer won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:073, with Eli Capri fifth in 10:34.10. Garrett Brennan claimed the 3,200-meter run in 9:30.77 over teammate Sam Otis (9:52.73) as Nolan Chiles got third place in the mile in a clocking of 4:31 flat.
The Hornets’ 4×800 boys team of Brennan, Jack Duncanson, Nolan Chiles and Max Perry were second in 8:08.84 to Central Square’s winning 8:02.92.
East Syracuse Minoa swept the boys throwing events as Gabe Holloman threw the shot put 48’5 ½” to claim honors before a discus where Gavin Stevens heaved it 144’6” to beat F-M’s Sawyer Dereszynski, whose top throw went 130 feet.
ESM also had Mackenzie Bourdon finish fifth in the girls 100 hurdles in 17.40 seconds as Sophie Hartz was sixth in the 100-meter dash in 13.50 seconds.
Myles Riggins got third place in the 110 high hurdles in 16.32 seconds to beat out J-D’s Alex Carbacio (16.47) for that spot. Mia Montgomery was sixth in the triple jump, going 36’7 ½”.
Christian Brothers Academy had Avion Othman win the Division II (small school) 100-meter dash, edging Sherburne-Earlville’s Lincoln Owen though both finished in 11.66 seconds. Also, CBA was third in Division II in the boys 4×800 in 8:13.76.
For the CBA girls, Olivia Morganti, with her second-place time of 7:15.15 in the 2,000-meter steeplechase, easily met the state meet qualifying standard of 7:24.04.
Cory Knox got sixth place in the 100 hurdles in 17.50 second and also was sixth (1:10.37) in the 400 hurdles. Lea Kyle and Claire Bargabos were seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 3,000 as Bri Pucci was 10th in the 1,500-meter run.
Bishop Grimes standout Wenjing Chen qualified for the state meet in the long jump with a top leap of 17’5 ½” for second place behind Oneida’ Julianna Cavanagh (17’9”).
