Empire State Games

Tri-Valley’s Wolfe takes gold at Empire State Games

Former NFA standout Elzie Coleman wins three in a row

By RICHARD A. ROSS

BINGHAMTON, NY — When it comes to running the 3000 steeplechase, Travis Wolfe of Tri-Valley is Section Nine, Class C’s premiere runner. After capturing the Sectional title this past spring with a time of 10:19.4, Wolfe continued to train into the summer. The work paid off. The Tri-Valley senior won a gold medal at this year’s Empire State Games Scholastic Boys division with a time of 10:1.78. He beat out county rival Mike VanWagenen of Sullivan West, who took the silver medal with a time of 10:19.94. The two will be competing against each other during the course of the coming year, which should make for an interesting rivalry.

Elzie Coleman, a recent graduate of Newburgh Free Academy and soon-to-be freshman at Mississippi State showed his dominance in the men’s open 400 in 46.90. Coleman, along with Tom O’Neill of New Rochelle, former NFA teammate Justin Pearson and Michael Clay of Mount Vernon, took the gold medal in men’s 4x100 relay with a time of 41:59. Coleman earned his third gold medal in the 4x400 relay, where he ran with Pearson, Clay and former NFA teammate Kevin Loadholt. The quartet ran 3:13.36.

Other local athletes filled out a record number of Sullivan County participants on this year’s Hudson Valley team.

Recent Tri-Valley graduate Adam Wilson garnered seventh place in the 110 high hurdles in the open men’s division with a time of 16:38. Wilson won this past spring’s Sectional Nine Class C title with a time of 16.2.

Standout triple jumper Kyle Anthony of Eldred leaped 42 feet, 6¾ inches to take sixth in the scholastic men’s division. Anthony’s best leap of last year came during indoor season when he jumped 44 feet, 8½ inches.

In the scholastic women’s 1500, Tri-Valley’s Courtney Roosa took 11th place with a time of 5:25.39. She finished just ahead of teammate Erin Beach, who ran the distance in 5:32.39.

Carrie Gorton, a graduate of Roscoe failed to continue her 12-year winning streak in the javelin. This year Gorton took second with a hurl of 143 feet, 7 inches.

In the open men’s long jump, Randolpho Simms of Monticello took third place with a leap of 21 feet, 8¾ inches. Tim Benson, a former graduate of Delaware Valley took third in the open men’s discus with a throw of 46.63 meters. Jim Moore, a graduate of Fallsburg High School threw 117 feet, 8 inches to take 12th place in the event.

Eldred’s Katie Hanson took seventh place in the scholastic women’s division discus with a throw of 98 feet, 7 inches.

Tri-Valley track coach and athletic director Joe Iatauro, along with Newburgh’s Malcolm Burks shared the coaching duties for the Hudson Valley’s men. Missy Iatauro worked with the women.

Next year’s games will be held in the Hudson Valley Region. The track events will take place at Arlington High School.