Indoor track: state qualifier

Four county schools send kids to states

Liberty’s Schwartz, Eldred’s Anthony, Fallsburg’s Moore And Sullivan West’s Cooper qualify for states at Cornell

By RICHARD A. ROSS

WEST POINT, NY — At the Section Nine state qualifier, held on February 25, only the top two finishers in each event would move on to compete at the state meet. In addition, any third-place finisher who met the state standard would move on to the New York State Public High Schools Athletic Association (NYSPHAA) championship meet at Barton Hall at Cornell University on March 4.

For those athletes who did not qualify, their winter indoor season is over. A significant number of track athletes opt to continue in spring track, which begins on March 7.

Four Sullivan County indoor track athletes made it to states, based on their stellar performances at the Section Nine state qualifier.

Kyle Anthony of Eldred took first place in the triple jump (46-4½), surpassing his OCIAA championship jump last week of 46-1¼. He edged out Nasim Siddeeq of Goshen (45-11½). Anthony went on to win the long jump as well, with a leap of 22-8¾. Siddeeq beat Anthony at the OCIAA Championships, but finished second to him at the state qualifier (45-11½).

Anthony is a senior at Eldred and will be attending Bucknell University in the fall.

Donald Cooper of Sullivan West finished second in the high jump (6-0). He and Kevin Lees of Goshen (6-1) will represent Section Nine at Cornell in the event. Liberty’s Jacob Schwartz bested his first-place pole vault of 13 feet at the OCIAA championships, with an impressive 13-6 first-place flight at the state qualifier. Rob Quiller of James I. O’Neill (13-6) will also be heading to states.

Matt Moore, Fallsburg’s sole indoor track athlete, took second place in the shot put, with a heave of 45-1 to qualify for states. Dan Paladino of Monroe-Woodbury (47-6) took first.

Other local athletes who competed at the state qualifier and placed, but did not qualify for the state meet, include:

Tri-Valley’s Max Fiedler, who finished fourth in the 600-meters (1:26); Monticello’s Brendan Devine, who finished fourth in the 3,200 (9:57.3); Eldred’s Tyler Laput, who finished fourth in the 55 hurdles (8.2); Tri-Valley’s Jon Huppke, Nick Denman, Sean Messenger and Max Fiedler who finished third in the 3,200 relay (8:42); Sullivan West’s Eleanor Bryan, who finished sixth in the 1,500-meter walk (8:32.3); and Tri-Valley’s Courtney Roosa, who finished sixth in the 1,500 (5:09.9).

Tri-Valley’s 3,200 girls relay finished sixth (10:34.1). Eldred’s Jamie Schombs finished fifth in pole vault (7-0) and sixth in the weight throw, which is not a state event (27-11½).