Track

Greats rate states

Seidl, Strother and Khan head to states

By RICHARD A. ROSS

WEST POINT, NY — Winning one of the two top spots in your event at the Section Nine state qualifier to punch a ticket to the state meet at Cornell University on March 7 is a tremendous accomplishment. Unlike the sectionals, where athletes only compete against schools in their size division, the state qualifier is a one-size-fits-all affair.

For the smaller Division II schools, the odds of beating out athletes from the larger schools are often a long shot. But for three Sullivan County athletes, the state meet is the next thing on their agenda, following great performances at the state qualifiers held on February 27 and 28.

At the boys meet, Liberty’s Malcolm Strother’s 6-0 high jump, a season-tying best, availed him of a great 18th birthday present, a ticket to the state meet. Strother just missed at 6-3, a leap that would have bested the 6-2 PR he set last spring. The Liberty school record is 6-3. Strother is the reigning Section Nine Class B champ in the high jump. At last year’s state qualifier, Strother finished fifth with a leap of 5-8.

Sullivan West’s Colin Seidl ran the 3200 in 9:48.19. His first-place finish propels him back to state competition. Seidl finished third at states in cross-country this past fall, after winning a gold medal in the steeplechase last spring. He did not qualify for states during the 2008 indoor track season, after finishing seventh in cross-country at states in the fall of his junior year.

Tri-Valley’s Tehnyat Khan took first in the shot put at this year’s state qualifier with a throw of 34-3. This will be Khan’s first trip to states. Last year, her brother Tanzeel competed at states, along with teammate Garrett Grey. They both graduated this past June. Grey is currently throwing for Slippery Rock University.

Last year, five Sullivan County athletes qualified for the indoor state championships.

A number of county athletes did well but did not earn a trip to the state meet.

In the boys competition, Monticello eighth grader Shane Jackson took fifth in the 55 (6.76) and fifth in the 300 (38.97). Liberty’s 800 and 1600 relays, both of which DQ’d at sectionals, took fifth with times of 1:39.29 and 3:53.29, respectively. Liberty pole-vaulter Greg Castro was fourth with a leap of 12-6. Teammate Brent Kaplan was sixth with 11-0.

Tri-Valley’s Bob Fiedler was third in the shot put (45-6.5). Sullivan West’s Mark Tesseyman was fifth (44-0.75). Fiedler was second in the weight throw, which is not a state event. He tossed it 57-4.75.

In girls events, Eldred’s Diana Schombs took fifth in the pole vault (7-0). Sullivan West’s Kendra Barker, the Class B champ in the high jump, took fourth in 4-8. Tri-Valley’s Michelle McNutt took fourth in the 1500 race walk with a time of 8:19.20. Eldred’s Christina Watts was fourth in the 55 (7.71). Tri-Valley’s freshmen/sophomore sprint-medley relay team won the non-state competing race in a time of 4:46.70. The quartet was comprised of Sarah Heikkenin, Bekah Polanksy, Agnes Pompeii and Caroline Bertholf.

Tri-Valley’s Kaitin Exner won the weight throw (not a state event) in 35-3.5. Teammate Heidi Furman was second with 35-2.5. Eldred’s Shannon Hanson was third (32-10.5) and Khan took fifth (31-6.25).