Track

Silver lining

Sullivan West’s Colin Seidl takes silver in NYS Division II steeplechase

By RICHARD A. ROSS

SYRACUSE, NY — Even the darkest clouds have a silver lining and as Sullivan West’s Colin Seidl mulls what went awry in his bid to repeat as NYS’s Division II steeplechase champion, time will hopefully provide him with the perspective to understand the magnitude of his numerous accomplishments and to focus on the brilliance of his accumulated body of work.

Seidl never felt right in the day or two leading up to the race. Perhaps it was fatigue, or maybe it was the onus of being the number-one guy. After all, Seidl is not the kind of person who is all that comfortable in the spotlight. With the exception of the OCIAA championship win, turned in just after he had claimed the nation’s fastest time of 9:25 at the Cornwall Steeplefest, Seidl’s best races have come when the expectations were lower.

At last year’s state meet, Seidl enjoyed the relative lack of notoriety prior to his winning. This year, the pressure was intense.

Warwick’s Dave Dewan set a blistering pace that left Seidl far behind by the end of the first lap. As it turned out, Dewan could not hold that pace against eventual winner Micheal Kiley of Chaminade, who set a new national high-water mark with a stunning 9:13.92. Dewan took fourth overall with a 9:27 but Seidl never really got on track in this one.

His 9:47 earned him a Division II silver medal but fell short of the 9:43.14 turned in by Division II gold medalist Lyle O’Brien from East Aurora. Seidl heads to the Nike Nationals this weekend to vie in the scorching speed of the 2000 steeplechase. Getting into the top six would make him an All-American, but in that race there are no separations by division so he’s going to have to really bring it.

Whatever happens, nothing can change the fact that he was a state champion and, by far, this region’s best in the event. He finishes up his high school career as nothing short of a legend and a role model for the legions of runners who, in their wildest fantasies, aspire to be as great and as classy.

Fittingly, Seidl won the Sportsmanship Award for Division II at the state meet.

When it comes to his legacy, Seidl has been a man among boys.

Silver may seem like second best to him at the moment, but in truth Seidl is second to none.

Other Sullivan County finishers at states

Monticello’s Jessica Fingers was 11th in Division I in the 3000 with a time of 10:28.48. Liberty’s Greg Castro finished seventh in Division II in the pole vault with a leap of 13-6. Teammate Ethan Meadow was 11th in Division II with a jump of 11-0. Tri-Valley’s Tehnyat Khan took third in the Division II shot put with a throw of 36-2.5. Teammate Kelly MacNamara finished 18th in the event with a throw of 28-8. Sullivan West’s Morgan Hawkins was 13th in the 400 hurdles in 1:10.34. Teammate Kendra Barker was 15th in Division II in the high jump with a leap of 4-8.