Track

D-Day

Undefeated Sullivan West girl dynamos retain Division IV track title with powerful win over Tri-Valley

By RICHARD A. ROSS

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — May 6 doesn’t bear the same date recognition as May Day (May 1), or Cinco De Mayo, but for the girls track teams from Sullivan West and Tri-Valley, that date has been circled on their calendars for months as D-Day.

For Sullivan West that D stood for defend, as the Lady Bulldogs looked to win their fourth consecutive Division IV track title and extend their league winning streak to 44. Since first wresting the Division IV crown from their arch-rivals in the winter of 2007-08, Sullivan West has been unstoppable in dual meets, an honor Tri-Valley had owned until the Lady Westies broke their 23-year streak of 129 straight spring track wins last May

For Tri-Valley, the D stood for dethrone, as they looked to put Sullivan West back in a place it had occupied until two years prior, namely second best.

Sullivan West’s girls had no such intention of being demoted.

Last May, the Lady Bulldogs won their first-ever spring Division IV title by besting Tri-Valley by a single point. The Lady Bears responded by winning the Section Nine crown.

Then, this past winter, Sullivan West won its third straight division title and, then, its first-ever Section Nine title as well.

The two schools’ indoor track teams left Gillis Field House at West Point in February already eyeing their next encounter.

And on May 6, after weeks of Facebook musings, muttered prayers and queasy stomachs, they got set to go at it again.

Behind last winter’s defeat, Tri-Valley’s ranks swelled from a platoon to a battalion. In addition to the usual suspects, the team gained strength from a couple of former softball players who traded in their cleats for track spikes.

But Sullivan West’s track is a spike-free zone. Tri-Valley coach coach/athletic director Joe Iatauro wanted the encounter moved to a neutral site, but the meet was held in Jeffersonville and without spikes.

The Lady Bears brought their army of throwers, figuring to sweep the shot put and discus for an 18-0 bulge in the win column.

Sullivan West looked to counter on the track with its speed demons and, hopefully, to gain some oomph from its jumpers and its pole vault queen.

Strong rivalry is the engine of great competitive sports. Rivalries such as Yankees vs. Red Sox in baseball is a case in point. Sullivan West and Tri-Valley have become fierce adversaries in girls track, and that will continue in the sectionals later this month and for years to come.

The teams took to the track for the 3200 relay and Tri-Valley drew first blood. Rachel Sanborn joined Carline Bertholf, Sarah Heikkinin and Shannon Hornbeck for the win. Sanborn’s return from her winter injury figured to be another plus for the Lady Bears.

In dual meets, relay wins are worth five points. Other events are accorded five, three and one point each for first, second and third place.

Tri-Valley’s 5-0 lead was short-lived.

In the 110 high hurdles, Sullivan West’s senior captain Sara Alsdorf took first (16.4), followed by teammate Lindsey Murphy. Tri-Valley’s Amanda Martin was third but the 8-1 point accrual put the Lady Westies in the lead 8-6 and they never trailed again.

At one point, they led by as much as 62-25, but Tri-Valley closed within four with a late surge in the throws and by holding sway in both the long and triple jumps.

Alsdorf posted a win in the 100 (13.4) and Katie Manzi was second, just a 10th of a point behind. Tri-Valley’s Emma Tingley took third. Sullivan West’s Rianne Erlwein won the 1500 (5:12), besting Heikkinin and Bertholf as the point differential began to swell.

Alsdorf, Liz Peters, Murphy and Kendra Barker blazed to a win in the 4x100 relay (53.9). Then Manzi turned in a blistering 61.4 to win the 400. Teammate and co-captain Kasi Pilny was second. Tri-Valley’s Agnes Pompeii took third.

Morgan Hawkins won the 400 intermediate hurdles (68.7), and Murphy took second for yet another one-two punch for the Lady Bulldogs.

After Erlwein out-kicked Sanborn to take a convincing win in the 800 (2:24), Sullivan West pulled off a sweep in the 200 with Manzi (27.7), followed by Alsdorf and Peters. Sullivan West led 56-17.

The Lady Bears won the 3000 with Heikkinin posting an 11:28. Hornbeck was second, ahead of a tiring Erlwein. Then, the Bears went one-two in the long jump. Mareena DiMilia stunned with a 14-5½ foot leap and teammate Kaitlin Torres took second over Barker. Tri-Valley piled on with a win in the triple jump by Kaitlin Connor (29-11½) over Barker. Torres took third.

As expected, Tri-Valley swept the shot put, with Tehnyat Khan taking first (35-10), followed by Dominique Darby and Torres. Khan won the discus (95-4), with Torres and Darby throwing for the sweep as Sullivan West’s lead shrunk to 66-57.

Hawkins won the pole vault (8-0) ahead of DeMilia.

As the meet wound down, Sullivan West’s 4x400 relay team of Peters, Hawkins, Pilny and Manzi sped to a 4:18 win. Barker won the high jump at 4-8 ahead of Pompeii, with a three-way tie for third at 4-6 between Sullivan West’s Katrina Graby and Tri-Valley’s Kristin Offringa and Becka Polansky.

When the dust cleared, an exuberant Sullivan West team took its victory lap to celebrate the win over its rivals. They punctuated that by dousing Seidl with the chilly water from the cooler.

The Lady Bears gathered their belongings and their spirits, vowing to have the last word at sectionals. Sullivan West improved to 3-0 OCIAA, while Tri-Valley slipped to 2-1.

Sullivan West boys hold sway over T-V in non-title fray

With both teams having lost to Liberty, the Division IV title was not an issue.

Coming off his nation-best 9:25 win in the Cornwall Steeplefest, Sullivan West’s Colin Seidl ran the first leg of the 3200 relay against Tri-Valley’s Tim Martin. Martin, who plays baseball, lends his speed to the track team and would later out-kick Austin Erlwein in the 400 for a dramatic win in 53.9.

Dallas Ripley, Erlwein and Russell Bryan combined for the win (8:48), although Tri-Valley’s Chris Whipple nearly caught Bryan at the finish. Sullivan West’s Chris Murphy won the 110 hurdles (18.2), ahead of Tri-Valley’s James McLain. Westie Mike Sheldon was third.

Dan Figueroa sped to a Bulldog win in the 100 (11.3), outpacing Bear Brendan Moore. West’s Kyle Flynn was third. Seidl breezed to a win in the 1600 (4:51). Ripley was second and Tri-Valley’s Jeremy Kinney took third.

Figueroa, Flynn, Anthony Nicoletti and Manolatii Rabii took the 4x100 relay (46.3). Sheldon won the 400 hurdles (62.4) ahead of McLain. Murphy got third. Seidl was unsurpassed in the 800 (2:08), ahead of Kinney and Ripley.

Figueroa took the 200 (23.6), with Flynn in second and Moore in third. He also won the long jump (18-0). Seidl made it a perfect day with a win in the 3200 (10:17). The Bears got a win in the 4x400 relay with Mike Freeman, Moore, McLain and Martin (3:53).

Tri-Valley’s Bob Fiedlers’s won the discus (134-2). Teammate Ross Bonnell took second, while Sullivan West’s Brandon Wagner took third. Fiedler won the shot put (46-7), ahead of Sullivan West’s Vaughn Schlott and Tri-Valley’s Alan Moss.

Ripley won the triple jump (35-6). Wagner was second and McLain took third. Erlwein set a PR with a 10-0 in the pole vault. Eric Larsen and Murphy combined for the Western sweep of the event.

Martin won the high jump (5-4).

Sullivan West’s improved to 2-1. Tri-Valley slipped to 1-2.

Visit riverreportersports.com for an album of meet photos.