In a gesture of unity and support, Jordan-Elbridge High School students streamed out into the hallways last Wednesday to cheer on Marion Quigley and wish him luck as he left for Middletown and the New York State Public High School Athletic Association track and field championships.
Perhaps they sensed that something special was about to happen – and they were right.
Quigley, a fourth-place finisher in Division II (small schools) during the 2018 state meet in Cicero-North Syracuse, was second-ranked heading into the state meet with 3,332 points behind the 3,489 put up by Clymer’s John Swabik.
And after five grueling events, Quigley was fourth overall, third in Division II and second in the NYSPHAA portion of the Division II even by finishing with 3,255 points.
In the 110 hurdles, Quigley had the second-fastest time of 15.42 seconds. He also cleared 5 feet 10 inches in the high jump, had a shot put throw of 35’10 ½”, was third among all competitors in the long jump with 20’1 ¾” and ran 1,500 meters in 4:38.86.
All of this left Quigley trailing only Swabik in the NYSPHSAA Division II portion as Swabik finished with 3,411 points. Walt Whitman’s John Poplawski was the overall champion with 3,477 points.
Elsewhere at the NYSPHSAA meet, Solvay had its 4×100 relay team of Brendon Carolina, Allen Cawthon, X’Zavier Morris and Eljiah Wright on hand, looking to improve upon the 45.18 seconds they had put up this season.
It didn’t quite happen as the Bearcats finished in 45.47 seconds, but it still gave them a 14th-place showing. University Prep, from Rochester, won the state Division II title in exactly 42 seconds.
Westhill had two of its girls athletes on hand, with Lennah Abraham taking part in the discus and Ashley Heffernan competing in the pole vault.
Abraham, looking to improve upon her best throw of 107 feet 5 inches this spring, did so by heaving in 109’3”, which put her in seventh place by competition’s end. Wellsville’s Emma Kinnicutt won with a toss of 124’4”.
Heffernan had cleared 10 feet in the pole vault this spring. Now, she cleared 9 feet, but no higher as she tied for ninth place in Division II. South Jefferson’s Marlena Jacobs was second in Division II with 11’6”, just behind the winning 11’9” from Lansing’s Gwen Sisler. Warwick Valley’s Kaeli Thompson won overall by clearing 13 feet.
