Track

Spring

Bulldogs open track season with boys and girls wins over Chester and Chapel Field

By RICHARD A. ROSS

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — There’ll be no more running in stuffy fieldhouses or pounding miles on hard gym floors and stairs, aspects of winter track that make it less appealing than cross-country or spring track. But that’s not to debunk the value of the indoor season, which is a great way to maximize conditioning for year-round runners and tune up for the main course of the running year: spring track.

Hungry to compete, Sullivan West runners, jumpers and throwers warmed up on a mild, clear April 9 and waited for the teams from Chester and Chapel Field to arrive for the season opener.

Not at full strength yet with several athletes unavailable at this early juncture, the Bulldogs showed their prowess, nonetheless, in both the boys and girls meets and registered wins over the Chester Hambletonians and the Chapel Field Lions with relative ease.

Soon the ante will be raised immeasurably as Sullivan West travels to Tri-Valley on April 16 to wrestle with the Bears for Division IV bragging rights. This will be the first meet for Sullivan West, but Tri-Valley has been busy with jaunts to Virginia and elsewhere as they geared up to receive the team they most look forward to competing with.

The Sullivan West boys team, coached by Ron Bauer, has begun the process of trying to figure out how to maximize its points. While such methodical tinkering was not necessary in the 114-26 win over Chester and the 97-42 win over Chapel Field, against Tri-Valley every point will matter.

Distance maven Colin Seidl has been diligently working on the 400, giving the Bulldogs an option to deploy him at that distance and possibly in the 1600 relay. But when athletes are limited to three events, as they often are, the choices of where to put Seidl will be part of Bauer’s strategy as he tries to match wits with Tri-Valley’s Joe Iatauro.

Seidl finished second to teammate Austin Erlwein (4:05.9) while winning his mainstays in the 1600 (4:54.6) and the 3200 (10:56.6). Seidl also took first in the 800 (2:11.3). Erlwein won the pole vault with a leap of 8-6 and ran a leg in the winning 1600 relay. The Bulldogs took two of the three relays, beginning with the 3200 (9:47.2) as Matt Layman, Dallas Ripley, Mike Sheldon and Russell Bryan combined for the win.

Later in the meet, the Dawgs (2-0) ran away with a victory in the 1600-relay run by Layman, Ripley, Bryan and Erwein.

In field events, Sullivan West’s Vaughn Schlott took the discus (90-3) and the shot put (38-2—). His older brother, Will Schlott, added points with wins in the 200 (24.6) and the triple jump (37-2½).

Chapel Field (1-1, 1-1 OCIAA) registered wins in the 100 with Mike Baker (11.8), the 400 relay (48.3) and the high jump and long jump with Ben Kelly leaping 5-6 and 18-5¼) respectively. Chester (0-2, 0-2 OCIAA) had no first-place finishers in the boys meet.

Boys meet results:

3,200-meter relay: Sullivan West (Matt Layman, Dallas Ripley, Mike Sheldon, Russell Bryan), 9:47.2. 110 hurdles: Justin Harrington (CF), 18:4. 100: Mike Baker (CF), 11.8. 1600: Colin Seidl (S), 4:54.6. 400 relay: Chapel Field (Baker, Wakeman, Capelbo, Kelly), 48.3. 400: Austin Erlwein (S), 58.5. 400 hurdles: Justin Harrington (CF), 65.3. 800: Colin Seidl (S), 2:11.3. 200: Will Schlott (S), 24.6. 3200: Colin Seidl (S), 10:56.6. 1600 relay: Sullivan West (Matt Layman, Mike Sheldon, Russell Bryan, Austin Erlwein), 4:05.9. High jump: Ben Kelly (CF), 5-6. Long jump: Mike Baker (CF), 18-5¼. Triple jump: Will Schlott (S), 37-2½. Shot put: Vaughn Schlott (S) 38-2—. Discus: Vaughn Schlott (S), 90-3. Pole vault: Austin Erlwein (S), 8-6.

Team records: Chester 0-2 (0-2 OCIAA); Chapel Field 1-1 (1-1 OCIAA); Sullivan West 2-0.

The Lady Bulldogs prevailed over Chester and Chapel Field with victories across the full spectrum of events. Big winners on the day included Morgan Hawkins, who won the 400 hurdles (76.5), the pole vault (8-6) and ran a leg in the winning 400 relay (56.8) with teammates Liz Peters, Kendra Barker and Katey Dnistrian. The Lady Bulldogs began the afternoon with a win in the 3200 rely (11:36.9) run by Chelsie Schadt, Stephany Robison, Kasi Pilny and Dnistrian. A win in the 1600 relay (4:43.4) completed the relay sweep as Katie Manzi, Barker, Pilny and Rianne Erlwein bested runners from the other two schools. Schadt was the winner in the 300 (11:49.5).

Brittany Reddish swept the discus (73.7) and the shot put (28-2) to help the Dawgs pile on the 101-36 victory over Chester and the 102-26 bulge over Chapel Field. Chapel Field got wins in the 100 (13.8) from Angel Kelly and Shaina St. Germain (2:38) in the 800 and Sarah Girodin in the 400 (65.8). Chester’s Nina Studer won the 100 hurdles in 18.2 by just edging out Sullivan West’s Morgan Hawkins.

Girls results:

3,200-meter relay: Sullivan West (Chelsie Schadt, Stephany Robinson, Kasi Pilny, Katie Dnistrian), 11:36.9. 100 hurdles: Nina Studer (C), 18.2. 100: Angel Kelly (CF), 13.8. 1500: Rianne Erlwein (S), time unavailable. 400 relay: Sullivan West ( Liz Peters, Kendra Barker, Katey Dnistrian, Morgan Hawkins), 56.8. 400: Sarah Girordin, (CF) 65.8. 400 hurdles: Morgan Hawkins (S), 76.5. 800: Shaina St. Germain (CF), 2:38. 200: Katie Manzi (S), 28.4. 3000: Chelsea Schadt (SW), 11:49.5. 1600 relay: Sullivan West (Katie Manzi, Kendra Barker, Kasi Pilny, Rianne Erlwein), 4:43.4. High jump: Kendra Barker (S), 4-8. Long jump: Liz Peters (S) 13-5—. Triple jump: Kendra Barker (S), 29-4½. Pole vault: Morgan Hawkins (S), 8-6. Shot put: Brittany Reddish (S), 28-2. Discus: Brittany Reddish (S), 73-7.

Team records: Sullivan West 2-0; Chester 1-1 (1-1 OCIAA); Chapel Field 0-2 (0-2 OCIAA).