Track

Depth charge

Tribe’s numbers too great for SW boys; Ladies of the West breeze by Liberty in chilly Division IV encounter

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LIBERTY, NY — Track meets are all about the numbers. Time, distance and height are the measures of success in the individual running, jumping and throwing events as legions of fine athletes test their mettle against others as they seek to evince improvement week after week.

Track is both an individual and a team sport. While each competitor marshals his or her strength and will for specific events, their efforts are collectively accounted for team-point tallies based on standings in each event.

Thus, by day’s end, both personal milestones and team totals are matters of note.

This spring, another numerical factor is surfacing in addition to speed, height and distance. The depth factor defined by a team’s number of participants may well determine which teams are crowned as division and Section Nine champions.

Depth was indeed an issue as a massive Liberty boys team prepared to host Sullivan West on Earth Day. Last year, Liberty surpassed Tri-Valley and Sullivan West for its first-ever Division IV boys track title. A week ago, they prevailed over the Bears and now the gathering horde prepared to quash the Bulldogs, a team they bested by a single point a year ago. Liberty is fielding its largest team in years. The Indians also feature several outstanding performers who can win their events and rack up points.

The combination of quality and quantity was too much for the talented Bulldogs as Liberty prevailed 78.5-62.5 on a day that was a weather throwback to the chilly early days of the month.

“April is the cruelest month,” wrote T.S. Elliott and as is to prove the poet laureate correct, Mother Nature sent clouds, chill and eventually rain but none of that could hinder the stalwart competitors from giving it all they had.

Liberty’s Malcolm Strother was a one-man wrecking crew. He won the 100 (11.3) catching Westie speedster Dan Figueroa and edging him at the finish. Strother went on to win the 200 (22.8), the high jump (5-10) and to evince stunning speed in the anchor leg of the 400 relay that overtook Sullivan West’s Manolatti Rabii.

Earlier, Sullivan West had accomplished one of its stated missions by holding off Liberty in the 3200 relay. Not wanting to be swept in the relays, the Bulldogs schemed to win the long distance race at the outset of the meet. With a great start by Sullivan West’s Colin Seidl and a good leg from Dallas Ripley, the Bulldogs seemed en route to an easy win but all that came into question as Liberty’s Tim Burgio took the baton for the final leg, trailing Sullivan West’s Russell Bryan by an immense margin. A choppy exchange cost Liberty what would have been an astounding comeback win. Burgio made up enormous distance and came up just short of beating Byran to the finish line. Burgio won the triple jump with a mark of 38-3—, short of his winning leap of 39-— a year ago against Sullivan West.

As expected, Seidl would do his best to try to propel his team to victory. Liberty knew they had no answer for him and they were right. The outstanding distance maven won the 1600 (5:08.5) and the 3200 (10:56.7). Liberty’s Ethan Meadow recorded a win in the pole vault with a PR of 11-6. Figueroa prevailed in the long jump (17-6 ½), while teammate Vaughn Schlott won the shot put (38-7½) and Brandon Wagner won the discus (116-0).

Sullivan West girls overrun Liberty as winning streak continues

With their immense talent and confidence wrought by season after season of success, Sullivan West’s girls track team is a force to reckon with. Featuring a plethora of some of the finest female athletes in the region, the Lady Westies have been on a multi-season tear in division meets that has seen them emerge victorious close to 40 straight times.

The Western gunslingers put another notch on their guns as they exploded against Liberty. Sullivan West’s dominance aside, they had no answer for sprinter Jessica Dunnigan, who won the 100 (13.1) and the 200 (27.4). Last weekend at the Tri-Valley invitational, Dunnigan eclipsed Millbrook’s Rachel Pierantozzi and Eldred’s Christina Watts, two formidable foes. This time out, she beat Sullivan West’s Sara Alsdorf. Alsdorf countered with a win the 100 hurdles (16.5) and running a leg in the uncontested 400 relay with Liz Peters, Lindsey Murphy and Katie Manzi. Rianne Erlwein won the 800 (2:48.3), the 1500 (5:52.6) and the 3200 (12:33.2). Erlwein was part of the winning 3200 relay with Stephany Robison, Rachel Deppa and Dani Myers. Morgan Hawkins took the pole vault (8-6) and the 400 hurdles (1:12.1). Brittany Reddish won the shot put (25-10) and the discus (81-2). Kendra Barker won the long jump (13-9½), while Dunnigan won the triple jump (31-10—).

Visit riverreportersports.com for a complete list of top finishers.