Track

Point of order

Great performances abound as Sullivan County athletes come up big

By RICHARD A. ROSS

WEST POINT, NY — The hard work is paying off and the cream is rising to the top. In just three weeks, the OCIAA league meet will have its day.

A week later, the Section Nine Championships will grab the headlines, followed by the state qualifier and states, as the indoor track and field season winds down.

Across the board, athletes are looking forward to spring and an end to the grueling rigors of indoor, all the while acknowledging the value of these winter endeavors.

On January 23, a B format meet was staged at Gillis Field House. Small school division battles were staged as Sullivan West, Tri-Valley, Liberty and Eldred went at each other. Monticello was on hand too, facing a far less daunting field with the absence of the larger powerhouse schools.

A hotly contested rivalry was unfolding between the girls of Sullivan West and Tri-Valley, as each vied for OCIAA Division IV dominance. Last year, Sullivan West emerged as the division winner. Tri-Valley bounced back to defend its Section Nine title.

In this meet, Sullivan West won by riding great performances from Kendra Barker, who won the triple, long and high jump. Rianne Erlwein broke a school record set by Chelsie Schadt in the 1500. Erlwein also won the 600. Morgan Hawkins won the pole vault and took second in the 55 hurdles, won by Sara Alsdorf. The Lady Bulldogs remain undefeated in Division IV at 8-0. This was the second time they beat the Lady Bears (6-2) this season. Eldred’s Diana Schombs had a big day by tying for first in the pole vault, taking second in the high jump and fifth in the long jump. Christina Watts won the 55.

Liberty’s boys are currently in first place in Division IV. For scoring purposes, teams are assessed by their state classifications: Division I (600 students and up in grades 9-11, which includes Monticello). All the rest of the Sullivan County schools are in Division II. Places listed as follows are by those classifications.

Boys

800 relay: Liberty took first overall in 1:39.76. 1600 relay: Liberty was second with 3:57.42. Sullivan West (3:57.59) was third. Tri-Valley (4:06.79) was fifth. 55H: Mike Sheldon (SW) finished sixth in the division in 9.67. 55: Malcolm Strother (Lib) took second in 6.85. Shane Jackson of Monticello was first in his division with 7:00. 300: Jackson was second (38:81). Tim Burgio (Lib) was fourth among Division II runners with 39:91. Dominc Martinez (Mon) was fifth in 41:22. 1600: Colin Seidl (SW) finished first in 4:40.17. Long jump: Burgio (Lib) was first with 18-08.50. Pole vault: Greg Castro (Lib) was first (11-6). Teammate Brent Kaplan took third (10-0). 55: Malcolm Strother (Lib) was second (6.85). Jackson was tops in Division I (7.00). 600: Seidl took fourth (1:32.02). High Jump: Strother was first (5-8). Shot Put: Bob Fiedler (T-V) took fourth (41-09.50). In the non-scoring weight throw, Fiedler topped all throwers with a mark of 55-06-.50. Tri-Valley swept the top five places in the event.

Girls

800 relay: Liberty was first (2;04.19). Tri-Valley was second (2:04.32) and Eldred was fifth (2:08.71). 1600 relay: Sullivan West was first overall with 4:32.74. Tri-Valley was second (4:47.73). Liberty was third in the division (4:49.87), while Eldred finished fourth in the division in 5:06.03. 3200 relay: Tri-Valley finished second in 11:30.13. 55H: Sara Alsdorf (SW) was first (9.51). Morgan Hawkins (SW) was second (10:10). Jasmine Walizadeh (Lib) was third (10.28). Emma Tingley (T-V) was fourth (10.97). 55: Christina Watts (Eld) took first beating out Millbrook’s Rachel Pierantozzi. Watts finished in 7:79. Alsdorf (SW) was third (8:15). Mareena DiMilia (T-V) was fourth (8.34). Long jump: Kendra Barker (SW) took first (14-02). DiMilia (T-V) was second (13-01). Kaitlin Torres (T-V) was third (12-11.75) and Diana Schombs (Eld) finished fourth in the division and 12th overall (12-03.50). High jump: Barker (SW) was first in the division with 4-10. She finished third overall. Schombs (Eld) was second at 4-8. Liberty’s Christina McCarthy, Tri-Valley’s Agnes Pompeii and Karyn Sheeley all tied for third at 4-6. 600: Rianne Erlwein (SW) was first (1:49.72). Hawkins (SW) was second (1:50.20). Rebecca Concors (Mont) was third in Division I (1:52.86). 1500: Erlwein took first and set a new school record with a time of 5:11.64. Emma Cohen (Mont) took third among Division I runners (5:26.36) Shannon Hornbeck (T-V) was fourth in Division II (5:27.97). 300: Katie Manzi (SW) was first in 46.10. 1500 racewalk: Ashley Weintraub (T-V) was first (8:30.76). Sullivan West’s Rachel Deppa was second in 8:31.32, followed by teammate Olivia Seidl (8:35.26). Tri-Valley’s Michelle McNutt was fourth (8:38.83). Pole vault: Hawkins (SW) and Schombs (Eld) tied for first with leaps of 8-0. Shot Put: Dominique Darby (T-V) was first (30-03.25). Sullivan West’s Brittany Reddish (29-11) finished third. In the non-scoring weight throw, Darby topped all throwers with a mark of 37-07-25.

Absent from participation in this meet were a number of key runners including Monticello’s Jessica Fingers, Tri-Valley’s Rachel Sanborn and Pine Plains’ Avery Evans.

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