CENTRAL NEW YORK – Warmer temperatures meant that, rain or no rain, area high school track and field teams would be able to begin their respective 2024 seasons last Wednesday afternoon.
West Genesee began its foray through the SCAC Metro division by facing Henninger, and the girls Wildcats rolled to an 82-23 victory as the boys prevailed 72-32 over the Black Knights.
Keying the girls effort was a sweep of the distance races. Claire Griffin ran 800 meters in two minutes, 21.3 seconds, with Chloe Fietze taking the 3,000-meter run in 11:09 and Rebecca Dickey needing 5:16.9 to claim the 1,500-meter run.
Bella Togias claimed first in the 400-meter dash in 1:06.1 as Lily Pellegrino went 1:15.3 in the 400 hurdles. Togias also helped the 4×400 relay team win in 4:31.7 as Eliana Freeman prevailed in the discus.
Over in the boys meet, WG’s Dylan Frost went 11.0 seconds in the 100 sprint and 22.6 in the 200, winning both events, and helped WG’s 4×100 relay team get first place in 43.9 as Zach Hann took the 400 in 54.1 to James Mungro’s 54.8.
Dillan Holzwarth got a time of 4:52.5 in the 1,600-meter run, with Daniel Kernes taking the 800 in 2:18.5 and Sean Moser, in the 3,200, edging Archer Macholl, 11:13.9 to 11:15.3. Scott, Mungro, Hann and Logan Ginestro were victorious in the 4×400.
Westhill rolled past Homer 108-32 in its girls meet, with Emma Murphy going 16.5 seconds in the 100 hurdles and helping the 4×100 relay team prevail in 53.3. Reagan Talucci, also in that 4×100, claimed the 100 sprint in 13.9 as Izzy Young (400 hurdles), Eileen Mullen (1,500) an Abby Ruediger (400 sprint) also claimed titles.
The Westhill boys prevailed 90-49 over the Trojans, with Ladaryle Watkins going 11.8 seconds in the 100 sprint and adding a win in the high jump by clearing 5’10”. Ayden Williams also prevailed twice with a 200 of 23.9 and triple jump of 40’10” as Andrew O’Reilly (800) and Anthony Cardoso (1,600) won distance races and the Warriors swept all three relays.
Marcellus won its girls meet over Institute of Technology Central 96-17. Harmony Frost took first in the 200 (28.1 seconds) and shot put (28’5 1/2”), with Lorelei Reffler victorious in the 1,500 as she and Abby Bianchi cleared 4’8” in the high jump, Sophia Bianchi taking the 100 hurdles (17.8) and 400 hurdles in 1:06.9.
In boys track for Marcellus at Saturday’s Tully Coed Invitational, Owen Alexander won the 110 hurdles in 16.16 seconds. Joe Striffler was second in the 400 sprint in 52.87 to Clinton’s Tega Inho (52.86) as Liam Eldridge ran the 1,600 in 4:52.65 for a runner-up finish. Cameron Sadler had a third-place shot put of 44’10”
Back on Wednesday, Skaneateles ran into powerhouse Cazenovia and took a 122-19 defeat to go with a 78-49 loss to Auburn, though it still included Lucy Fleckenstein running the 1,500 in 5:05.53 to beat out the 5:09.44 from the Maroons’ Nora Burroughs.
As this went on, the Skaneateles boys lost 90-51 to Cazenovia, the main highlight for the Lakers a sweep of the throwing events by Will Feeney, who went 137’6” in the discus and then took the shot put with a throw of 49’1”.
Ryan McCrone added a pole vault title, clearing 10’6”, and at the Tully meet he topped 9’6” for third place as Feeney won the shot put with 46’5 1/4” and unleashed a discus throw of 153’7”. Tristan Boucher was victorious in the 800 in 2:07.03.
Solvay had a 90-51 defeat to Phoenix in its boys track season opener, but still got a throwing sweep from Dylan Mumford, who had a discus toss of 113’2 1/2” and a shot put throw of 39’5” that edged teammate Anthony McCormick’s 39’1”.
Alex Michalkow, Miguel Limia Vazquez, Deon Thomas and Tristan Hawley were victorious in the 4×100 relay in 46.8 seconds, with Redd Long taking the 3,200 in 11:38.4. Giovanni Cilani ran the 110 hurdles in 17.3 after a second in the 400 hurdles.
Jordan-Elbridge faced Hannibal, with the boys Eagles taking a 79-60 defeat as Bishop Ludden lost 69-20 to Pulaski despite Porter Sheen’s wins in the 1,600 in 5:08 and the 800 in 2:23.4. Jack Marvin went 11.6 seconds in the 100-meter dash. The Ludden girls had Grace Olivia win the 400 sprint in 1:07.47 and Lexi Sheen take the 400 hurdles in 1:15.07.
