The meet moves from the Carrier Dome in
Syracuse for the first time since 1997.
Many people liked the meet there but the
track had become absolutely decrepit with
pot holes throughout it. Also, while
there was ample room to move about and warm
up, the vast space took away from what makes
winter track and field special - the
closeness and noise of the crowd. With
the return to Cornell, where the meet was
held for years before heading to Syracuse,
the atmosphere should be a lot more
exciting.
Also, the girls and boys meets were split to
combat over crowding. This makes the
meet a lot quicker and makes doubling all
the more difficult. Will that have an
affect on the relays and athletes looking to
win multiple events? Probably.
Wherever the meet is held, you can always
count on amazing performances in NY State.
With state and national champions returning,
we could see a few meet records. Look
for a full meet preview on Thursday......
some photos courtesy dyestat.com and tullyrunners.com
55m
- Lynne Lane (right) should repeat as State Champion, especially
after dropping that 6.91 at Eastern's. She's in top form right
now but if she falters would be challenged by the duo from
Middle College and Chisolm from Baldwinsville.
55HH - This race is a little
more open than the dash and crazy things happen in the hurdles.
Katelyn Guerrier of Sidney and Saleena Addur-Rashed (Bishop
Loughlin) should battle Janique James of South Shore for the
win. After watching Addur-Rached most of the year, I might
give her the edge. Note that Guerrier's time was converted
from a hand time.
300m
- Without Lynne Lane in the race Lareea Chisolm (left) becomes
the heavy favorite. Her 39.24, run on a flat track, is the
fastest in the state and 3/4 of a second faster than the #2 seed
time, which was run at The Armory.
600m - The State hadn't
produced any great times in the 600m until the PSAL
Championships when Hillcrest's Makalia Griffith and Cardoza's
Dalilah Muhammad battled to a 1-2 finish in 1:30.81-1:31.29.
Bayshore's Sarah McCurdy has found her speed and should
challenge for the win. She won the Easterns's 800m on
Tuesday in 2:13. Suffern's Caroline Heidt has made huge
strides this winter and will be in the race as well.
1000m
- Bellport's Brittany Sheffey is the favorite with her 2:50.26
flat track time. Sheffey is the defending 1500m state
champion and one of the fastest girls in NYS history.
Sayville's Kristy Longman comes in with the #2 seed at 2:53.24
but watch out for Carmel's Kristen Reese who's seed time in
2:55.84 but she is very dangerous. Suffern freshman Shelby
Greaney, a FLN finalist, had run 2:55.94 and could pop off a
good one.
1500m
- Suffern's Kara McKenna has been on fire lately and it's hard
to imagine anyone taking her down but JFK's Maegen Krifchin is
tough to beat. valley Stream North's Theresa Rush should
be in the race as well and how can you count out Hannah
Davidson. Davidson popped a great one at the Boston Indoor
Games Mile, where she ran 4:57.73. Look for Davidson and
McKenna to go at each other.
3000m
- It's Lindsey Ferguson vs. Aislinn Ryan in this one.
Saratoga vs. Warwick Valley. There may be a few others in
the race early but with Ferguson's history of leading from the
gun it should become a 2 girl race pretty early on. Last
year the 3K was one of the best races of the day with Nicole
Blood out kicking Ryan. Look for another classic duel.
1500m Racewalk - Last year's
race was a match up between rivals Kate Cannon of Somers and
Brittany O'Brian of Bayshore. Cannon won the race after
O'Brian was pulled off the track in the middle for a DQ.
Both are back this year but you have to add on Heather Buletti
from Westhampton and Jenna Monahan of Sachem East.
All have gone under 7:10. O'Brian and Cannon matched up at
Brown and Hispanic this year with O'Brian taking both wins, the
latter in US#1 time of 6:55.09. Look for a quick early
pace and for 4 or 5 girls to separate from the field.
4x200m
Relay - Uniondale's the heavy favorite in a race where anything
can happen. Spellman and Middle College are both capable
of catching them. All of these schools are used to racing
at the Armory so the flat track may have an affect on them.
Watch the 2nd and 3rd stick passes. They'll be crucial.
4x400m Relay - Boys and Girls
are the favorite but if they falter, there's a ton of teams
looking for an opening. Watch for Suffern as a sleeper.
They've run 3:59 and have shown the ability to win this race
many times over the last few years.
4x800m
Relay - I guess it's Suffern vs. Bayshore. Many people see
that 9:03 time and think how can anyone beat them but Bayshore
is a proven winner and that 9:12 is nothing to sneeze at.
Look for a tight race. Boys and Girls can always pop a
good race but they might not have enough to get top two.
Saratoga has a chance in any race they enter. They'll be
in the race for a while for sure.
High Jump - The event appears
to be the deepest it's been in a while with five girls seeded at
5'06" or better. Dexter and Knight have both gone 5'08" at
some point this season. Whoever is "on" will be the one to
take it.
Pole Vault - Rachel Nemoyer of
Orchard Park appears to be the favorite though Washingtonville's
Stephanie Duffy just cleared 11'06" at Eastern's. Somers
Rachel Cassata, who has a season best of 11'03", no-heighted at
State Quals. The PV is a crazy event and strange things
could happen this weekend since all of the girls are so close.
Triple jump - One has to think
that White Plains Whitney Ford is the favorite with her 39'02.5"
credentials, but John Glenn's Gabriella Baiter has gone 38'07.75
and should battle her. While Kellenberg's Katherine Groene
has gone 38'08".
Shot
Put - This should be a great event. The girls shot putters
often vary a great deal in consistency and with 6 girls over 40
feet, this should be a classic battle. Any of the below
girls could win. Watch 8th grader Melissa Kurzdorfer, the
only one younger than 11th grade.
Kadine
Johnson
11 New Rochelle
43-05.50
Betty Williams
11 Longwood
42-10.75
Monica Ridgeway
12 Liverpool
42-02.00
Sommer Cloinger
11 Cicero-NS
40-06.00
Alyssa Pirinelli
12 North Tonawanda 40-02.00
Melissa Kurzdorfer
8 Lancaster
40-01.50
Long Jump - This should be a
two person fight as Lynne Lane and Bianca Fung have clearly been
the best in the state all year. Lane just popped a
19'07.5" leap at Easterns while Fung was back at 18'02".
If Lane stays hot, she could be at that 20 foot barrier.
Word is that the Cornell pit is a "jumpers pit".
New York
State Championships
.JPG)
55m
- Lynne Lane (right) should repeat as State Champion, especially
after dropping that 6.91 at Eastern's. She's in top form right
now but if she falters would be challenged by the duo from
Middle College and Chisolm from Baldwinsville.
300m
- Without Lynne Lane in the race Lareea Chisolm (left) becomes
the heavy favorite. Her 39.24, run on a flat track, is the
fastest in the state and 3/4 of a second faster than the #2 seed
time, which was run at The Armory.
1000m
- Bellport's Brittany Sheffey is the favorite with her 2:50.26
flat track time. Sheffey is the defending 1500m state
champion and one of the fastest girls in NYS history.
Sayville's Kristy Longman comes in with the #2 seed at 2:53.24
but watch out for Carmel's Kristen Reese who's seed time in
2:55.84 but she is very dangerous. Suffern freshman Shelby
Greaney, a FLN finalist, had run 2:55.94 and could pop off a
good one.
1500m
- Suffern's Kara McKenna has been on fire lately and it's hard
to imagine anyone taking her down but JFK's Maegen Krifchin is
tough to beat. valley Stream North's Theresa Rush should
be in the race as well and how can you count out Hannah
Davidson. Davidson popped a great one at the Boston Indoor
Games Mile, where she ran 4:57.73. Look for Davidson and
McKenna to go at each other.
3000m
- It's Lindsey Ferguson vs. Aislinn Ryan in this one.
Saratoga vs. Warwick Valley. There may be a few others in
the race early but with Ferguson's history of leading from the
gun it should become a 2 girl race pretty early on. Last
year the 3K was one of the best races of the day with Nicole
Blood out kicking Ryan. Look for another classic duel.
4x200m
Relay - Uniondale's the heavy favorite in a race where anything
can happen. Spellman and Middle College are both capable
of catching them. All of these schools are used to racing
at the Armory so the flat track may have an affect on them.
Watch the 2nd and 3rd stick passes. They'll be crucial.
4x800m
Relay - I guess it's Suffern vs. Bayshore. Many people see
that 9:03 time and think how can anyone beat them but Bayshore
is a proven winner and that 9:12 is nothing to sneeze at.
Look for a tight race. Boys and Girls can always pop a
good race but they might not have enough to get top two.
Saratoga has a chance in any race they enter. They'll be
in the race for a while for sure.
Shot
Put - This should be a great event. The girls shot putters
often vary a great deal in consistency and with 6 girls over 40
feet, this should be a classic battle. Any of the below
girls could win. Watch 8th grader Melissa Kurzdorfer, the
only one younger than 11th grade.