Track

Stunning group efforts define Tri-Valley relays

Loughney sets a new mark in Section 9 hammer; Sullivan West girls and Tri-Valley boys prevail in Division II

By RICHARD A. ROSS

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY - Cashing in on the debt paid to Mother Nature for enduring last year’s monsoons at his home track meets, Tri-Valley athletic director/track coach Joe Iatauro redeemed a gorgeous spring day for this year’s Tri-Valley Relays on May 5. The Bears hosted 15 schools and offered a panoply of events, milestones and fan favorites.

On a day when some of the older students spent their morning poring over their SATs, the track meet got started with seventh- and eighth-grade events. Many varsity races were deferred until later arriving scholars ditched their pencils for their track shoes, shot put, pole, hammer or discus.

The schools were grouped into two categories: large (Division I) and small (Division II). Onteora won the Divison I boys title with 130 points. Second-place Ellenville had 95 and third-place Rondout Valley compiled 74 points. Saugerties (63), New Paltz (60), Goshen (49), Clarkstown South (48.5), Liberty (48), Red Hook (34), Spring Valley (11) and Monticello (7) rounded out the remainder of the large group field.

Tri-Valley won the Division II crown with 94.5 points, besting rival Sullivan West (75) and third-place Eldred (21). Chapel Field (10) and John A. Coleman Catholic (7) finished thereafter.

Tri-Valley’s Ryan Loughney continued his ascendancy in the hammer throw. Following up on this Section 9 best toss of 177-01 at the Penn Relays on April 28, Loughney tossed the weighty object 211-08 for a new school and Section 9 mark. He teamed up with Garrett Grey to win the hammer relay with a combined distance of 368-11½. Sullivan West’s Alan Ackermann had a lifetime best in the event with a heave of 158-9. He and Eric DeLaurencio combined for a fourth-place finish with 243 feet. The duo took first in the discus relay.

Ackermann had the longest throw of the day (159-1), which meets the standard for the state meet. He and DeLaurencio combined for 292.5. Loughney also met the standard with his mark of 154-9. He and Grey garnered second with 292-3. Qualification for the state meet also requires that the standard be met in a meet with at least five schools at this juncture.

Loughney and Grey won the shot put relay with a total distance of 93-5. Other milestones in the boys events included a win by Tri-Valley in the 1200 intermediate hurdle relay. Max Fiedler, Sean Messenger and Gavin Perrella combined for a 2:54.8. Sullivan West’s Colin Seidl captured the 2000-meter steeplechase with a time of 6:45. Last week, he won the 3000 steeplechase at the Monticello Games.

Sullivan West’s 1600 relay team of Colin Seidl, Matt Layman, Brett Cucci and Mitch Ellmauer took first among the Division II schools with a time of 20:19.6.

Where’s Tobin?

Ellenville transfer student Matt Tobin, formerly of Tri-Valley, had the day’s largest fan base eagerly assembled by the steeplechase water pit. Rumors of Tobin making a big splash (literally) began to circulate earlier in the day and Tobin didn’t disappoint. Despite finishing last, Tobin’s water immersions were impressive. On one lap, he disappeared completely beneath the waves of the pit as this photographer snapped a picture that attested to his complete submersion to be found in the meet’s album forever captioned, “Where’s Tobin?”

Tri-Valley’s Bryan Edwards took the seventh/eighth (7/8) shot put with a mark of 33-8¼. Grey and Fred Moore hooked up to win the javelin relay for the Bears with a combined distance of 282-5. Grey’s throw of 142-11 was the day’s best.

Tri-Valley’s Alex Dudec won the 7/8 pole vault with a mark of 6-0.

Sullivan West girls win Division II

In the girls meet, Sullivan West shocked Tri-Valley by besting the Lady Bears for the first time this spring. The Lady Bulldogs won Division II with 62 points. John A. Coleman Catholic was second (61). Tri-Valley (56.5) finished third with 56.5. Eldred (44) and Chapel Field (16) completed the field.

Rondout Valley (100) outscored rapidly improving Monticello (70) to take the Division I crown. New Paltz (67.5), Clarkstown South (60), Ellenville (57) and Liberty (49.5) rounded out the top six schools.

Sullivan West’s 6400 relay won for the third time in four years. (The only year they didn’t capture the event was on a day when two of the team got back too late from the SATs.) This year’s group of Chelsea Schadt, Kasi Pilney, Rianne Erlwein and Jamie Moran turned in a time of 24:39.1.

The Lady Bulldogs also got points from their win in the 1200 intermediate hurdles (3:48.6) turned in by Sara Alsdort, Lindsey Murphy and Morgan Hawkins. The trio combined again to win the 300 shuttle hurdles (52.7). Liberty’s Caity Baker and Maggie Sauchuk won the hammer relay with a mark of 182-7.

Monticello’s speedy quartet of Rebecca Concors, Nyoki Tate, Donia Vankeuren and Jessica Fingers won the freshman/sophomore (f/s) sprint medley relay comprised of legs of 400, 200, 200 and 800 meters in a time of 4:37.7. Concors took second in the 1500 and ran a leg in the Lady Panthers’ winning distance medley relay (13:45.6) also run by VanKeuren, Danielle Schnitzer, and Marisela Acevedo.

More points for Monticello came via a win in the varsity 1600 relay (4:20.3) turned in by Tate, Ty’nessa and Te’nesha Washington and Vankeuren.

Eldred won the f/s 1600 relay in 4:38 with a combination of Erika Bowring Meaghan Hazen, Christine Donnelly and Christina Watts.

Tri-Valley’s Kanacia James had the day’s longest throw in the javelin with a mark of 100 feet.

Tri-Valley’s Heidi Furman (20-3—) won the 7/8 shot put while Livvy Rehm, Sarah Heikkenin, Alex Huncosk and Heidi Furman teamed up to win the 7/8 400 relay. Kristen Weintraub, Emma Tingley, Kristi Offringa and Heikkenin won the 7/8 800 relay (2:11).

Tingley took the 7/8 long jump.

Both Eldred and Tri-Valley have a large group of promising young runners. Monticello’s varsity girls team is becoming better day by day.

Visit riverreportersports.com for more results and an album of meet pictures .