Track

Beyond belief

Determination and relentless effort propel Sullivan West’s girls to first-ever Section Nine track title; Ellenville boys hold off Liberty in late drama

By RICHARD A. ROSS

WEST POINT, NY — Sometimes you want something so badly that it hurts.

When such a fervent desire couples with an indomitable will to succeed, then, even in the face of unimaginable travail, what may have once seemed unreachable can be attained.

But, before all else, you’ve got to believe in yourself and the others who share a common goal.

Such was the saga of the Sullivan West girls indoor track team that completed a multi-year quest to acquire its first-ever Section Nine track championship with its dramatic 132-87 victory over Millbrook on February 20.

At meet’s end, the Lady Bulldogs basked in the resplendent light of their greatest victory, making dim by comparison their already brilliant successes begun this past December.

Though their 21-0 league season and the successful defense of their Sullivan County Championship title was heartwarming for coach Joe Seidl and the supportive parents and relatives who saw these young women through, the back-to-back division and county championships were deemed not luminous enough by a dedicated sisterhood that yearned for the heavenly light that had always eluded them.

But no more.

After receiving their Section Nine plaque, the Lady Bulldogs took their victory lap celebrating with whoops and hollers the realization of their long-sought-after hopes and dreams.

The dominant win was the terminus of a two-year quest to beat Tri-Valley, the team from the Town of Neversink. The Bears’ flotilla may have shipped water on some of its recent division voyages, but in the arduous Section Nine rites of passage, it had remained unsinkable.

But no ship, not even the Titanic, is immune to slipping beneath the waves.

Last winter, Sullivan West garnered its first-ever division title by out pointing the Lady Bears. Then in the spring, they broke Tri-Valley’s streak of 129 consecutive dual meet wins with a one-point victory to add a spring division crown to their winter triumph. But in the Section Nine meets, the Lady Bears trumped their rivals, leaving them frustrated and hungrier than ever.

This winter, Sullivan West had one unwavering goal: to win it all.

The details of Sullivan West’s commanding win over Millbrook, which reversed last year’s loss to three-time defending champion Tri-Valley, is a saga of remarkable individual efforts. Taken in concert, the panoply of astounding finishes and personal-best performances allowed Sullivan West to surpass its rival just one year after losing to Tri-Valley 109.50 to 87.

This year, Tri-Valley, stung by the loss of an injured Rachel Sanborn, came in third with 85 points.

Sullivan West got great performances from junior Katie Manzi, who racked up 26 points. She garnered first place in the 300 (44.78), a PR over her seed time of 45.05. Manzi ran legs in Sullivan West’s second-place finishes to Millbrook in the 800 relay (2:03.05) and the 1600 relay (4:36.10).

Morgan Hawkins added 24 points to the Bulldogs’ tally with a first place in the pole vault (8-00) and a stunning come-from-behind win in the 1000 by sprinting to a PR of 3:12.13. That was more than seven seconds faster than her previous best of 3:19.70. Hawkins credits her work in cross-country with her middle-distance success.

She added a fourth-place finish in the 600 (1:50.28), another PR over her prior best 1:51.24.

Rianne Erlwein accounted for 22 points, despite suffering pain from plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the sole. She began the meet with a win in the 3000 in 11:38.64. When time trials for the 55 were scratched, she had to run the 1000 on little rest. She took second with a PR of 3:14.01, beating her prior best of 3:21.24. Fighting back pain, she took fourth in the 1500 in 5:29.17.

Kendra Barker, the season points leader, accrued 17 points with second place in the high jump (4-10), won by Millbrook’s Avery Evans (5-02). Barker took second in the triple jump (30-01), also won by Evans (36-07.50), and took sixth place in the long jump (14-00.50). Tri-Valley’s Mareena DiMilia was fourth in 14-05.

Sullivan West senior co-captain Sara Alsdorf finished second to Evans in the 55 hurdles in 9.71. Evans won it in 8.45. Evans was the only athlete to win three events.

Alsdorf took fifth in the 55 (8.12). Teammate Brittany Reddish broke her PR in the shot-put by more than a half of a foot as she took fourth with a throw of 30-06, besting her seed distance of 29-11.

Drama surrounded the 1500-meter race walk after a judge had disqualified all of Sullivan West’s place-holding finishers. The misunderstanding was soon cleared up. Three judges must concur. Tri-Valley’s Ashley Weintraub (8:03.61) won. She also ran a leg in the Bears’ second-place finish in the 3200 relay. Millbrook swept the relay events. Sullivan West’s Olivia Seidl broke the school record in the race walk, taking second (8:05.81). Tri-Valley’s Michelle McNutt was third (8:08.98) and Sullivan West eighth grader Rachel Deppa took fourth, setting a new PR with a time of 8:13.79.

Westie eighth grader Dani Meyers took third in the 3000 with a time of 11:54.90.

Tri-Valley’s Caroline Bertholf took third in the 1500 (5:25.70). Shannon Hornbeck ran a leg in the Lady Bears’ second-place finish in the 3200 relay, after taking second in the 3000 (11:47.45). Tri-Valley’s Tehnyat Kahn took second in the shot put (31-11.75). Tri-Valley took third and fifth in the event with throws by Dominique Darby (30-08) and Kaitlyn Torres (29-01) respectively. Eldred’s Christina Watts took second in the 55 (7.81).

In the triple jump, Sullivan West eighth grader Hannah Feinman shattered her previous best by more than three feet. She took third (29-09.25).

Seidl said his team made a big breakthrough last year with its division wins and he was a bit nervous this year as the division swelled to 18 teams. “But we rose to the occasion and we were able to do that because 24 girls came out for track this season. That allowed us to spread people out.” Seidl was overwhelmed by the surge he got from his youngest team members Deppa, Meyers and Feinman. With great leadership from Alsdorf, co-captain Kasi Pilny and Erlwein, Seidl credits the team with engendering its own sense of enthusiasm and purpose.

Seidl repeats as double winner; Ellenville overtakes Liberty to retain boys title

Sullivan West’s Colin Seidl gave new meaning to the expression, “There’s gold in them thar hills,” last spring when he captured his school’s first-ever gold medal at states with a win in the steeplechase.

Seidl, who is still mining track treasures, hit the mother lode with a pair of gold medals derived from repeat wins in the 3200 (10:06.21) and the 1600 (4:48.89). He won both in 2008. Though he has not yet met the state standard in either event, he hopes to do so at the state qualifier on February 27. He can reach states by capturing one of the top two spots in either event.

The ongoing track wars between Ellenville and Liberty grew tense as the Indians hoped to ride their spring Section Nine crown into the winter and defeat the nemesis that bested them a year ago. Liberty came closer this time than it did in 2008, but a pair of disqualifications in the 1600 and 3200 relays stopped them from overtaking Ellenville, who surged ahead just prior to the final three relays.

Extending out of the zone to pass the baton to Elijah Torres, Ryan Harnish fell in the 1600 relay after regaining the lead from the Blue Devils. Ellenville’s first-place finish in the 3200 relay, third in the 1600 relay and fourth in the 800 relay afforded it a 20-8 margin over Liberty that got second in the 800 relay. That propelled Ellenville to the narrow 75-66 win over the Indians, far less than 95-79 margin they won by in 2008.

Liberty’s Malcolm Strother won the high jump (5-10) and took third in the 55 (6.95). Strother ran in the 800 relay along with Tim Burgio, Robert Davidson and Scott Kaplan.

Burgio won the long jump (19-05) and took second in the triple jump (40-02), while teammate Greg Castro captured the pole vault (11-6). Kaplan (11-0) was second. Liberty hoped its field-event boost would offset Ellenville’s depth in other events, but it was not to be.

Tri-Valley’s Bob Fiedler took third in the shot-put (44-10.25) and won the non-scored weight throw with a heave of 53-02.50. Sullivan West’s Mark Tesseyman took fourth in the shot put. The Bears claimed fifth and sixth with throws by Alan Moss and Ross Bonnell.

Eldred’s Joey Counts took second in the high jump (5-08). Sullivan West’s Austin Erlwein was third (5-06). Counts took fourth in the 55 hurdles.

In team scoring, Marlboro (56) was third and Sullivan West came in fourth (43.50).

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