ITHACA – Over the weekend, all local indoor track teams competed in the Section IV Classic held at Cornell University in Ithaca. Sidney took first place for the girls while Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton/Harpursville tied for fourth place with Ithaca. Unadilla Valley girls came in sixth place while Norwich took 26th. The Norwich boys found success in the third spot behind Ithaca and Vestal while BGAH came in 12th place and Oxford in the 18th spot to round out the local teams.

BGAH

The BGAH girls achieved fourth place with impressive performances from Ethne Degan, Maddie Ingham, Vanessa Brazee, Emily Sprow, and Riley Lindsay.

Degan continues to excel in the 1000 meter run, where she picked up a new personal best time of 3:03.93, which lands her in the NY Top 50. She came in second behind Elmira’s Vicky Mordvinova. Teammate Ingham came in seventh with a new best of 3:15.98. Brazee achieved fifth place in the girls’ 3000 meter run with a best of 12:44.59.

Brazee, along with Lanielle Brazee, Kaydence Brimmer, and Chandler Benjamin, led BGAH to a fourth place finish in the 4x800 meter relay while Ingham, Emily Sprow, Brenna George, and Mackenzie Payne finished seventh in the 4x200.

Riley Lindsay continues to excel in the field events where she achieved her best throw of the season with a distance of 36 feet, 5 3/4 inches in the weight-throw event. She also came in fourth place in the shot put with a throw of 31 feet, 4 1/4 inches.

For the boys, Colin Dicks led the Bears in numerous events on the day. He tied for 10th place with Ithaca’s Geoff Helms for the boys’ 55 meter dash with his best time of 7.02. Teammate Brock Porter came in 10th with a new personal best time of 2:55.11 in the boys’ 1000 meter run.

Dicks also did well in the field events, where he came in third place in the long jump. He had his best jump of the season of 20 feet, 2 1/4 inches. He earned second place with another best jump of 39-0.75.

NORWICH

The Purple Tornado boys’ team continue to impress this season, picking up top five or better finishes as an overall team in the past few meets.

Richard Fuller achieved an eighth place finish in the 55 meter dash with his best time of 6.90 seconds. Fuller, along with Gabe Decker, Caden Sutton, and Zander Sutton, led the 4x400 relay team to a third place finish with a time of 3:48.97.

Zander Sutton earned a fourth place finish in the 600 meter run, achieving his best time of 1:30.96. Decker tied for sixth place in the 300 meter dash with a time of 39.30 seconds.

Norwich did well in the field events with Gabe Blenis coming out on top in the weight-throw. He threw his best of 51 feet, 1 3/4 inches, making the NY Top 50 lists. Teammate Harrison Matlack-Grey came in eighth place with his new personal best of 38-4.50. He also finished 10th in the shot-put (36-2).

Lucas Craddock took home the victories in the high, triple, and long jump events. Events he has been succeeding in all season and in his overall track career. He jumped his best of a 20 feet, 8 3/4 inches in the long jump that made the NY Top 50 while jumping a best of 46-6.25 in the triple jump.

The Norwich girls didn’t have much success in this event, but still did their best. Ava Cirigliano came in 11th for the 300 meter dash with a time of 46.35 seconds. She also led the girls’ 4 x 200 relay team to a sixth place finish with teammates Layla Root, Hayley Slack, and Amanda Smietana.

Lara Tefft and Lena Neisler came out strong in the fielding events for Norwich. Tefft picked up a seventh place finish in the shot put event with a mark of 39-0, her personal best. She also earned 11th in the weight-throw with a new record throw of 28 feet, 6 2/4 inches.

Neisler tied for sixth place in the high jump with Chenango Valley’s Molly Walters and four other girls with a jump of 4-6.

OXFORD

Kayla Figary and Victor Richette continue to lead the Oxford Blackhawks track team this season. Figary achieved a new personal best time of 46.72 seconds in the girls’ 300 meter dash for 13th place while placing 18th in the 55 meter dash (8.14 seconds).

Richette came away with a 3rd place finish in the boys’ 300 meter dash with his best time of 38.37 seconds and had a 13th place finish in the boys’ 55 meter dash. Oxford’s Gordon Smith came in 14th and ran his best time of 2:58.54 in the 1000 meter run.

UNADILLA VALLEY

The Unadilla Valley Storm girls track team finished strong behind a good BGAH team. Two teams that continue to show great progression throughout the season with excellent runners and jumpers.

UV’s relay team picked up another victory in the 4x200 as Jaiden Schrag, Isabella Potter, Kalie Naughton, and Gracie Gorrell completed a time of 1:52.76.

Schrag and Gorrell also excelled in their respective individual events in the meet. Schrag earned a second place finish in the 55 meter hurdles in 9.39 seconds, behind known opponent Carlea Davis from Dryden’s 8.99 seconds.

Gorrell came out with the first place victory in the 300 meter dash, achieving a best time of 42.16 seconds, placing in the NY Top 50. She also finished fifth in the long jump with her best of 15 feet, 8 1/4 inches. Schrag came in eighth place in the same event (15-1.75).

Kalie Naughton finished eighth in the triple jump (31-3.50) while coming in 13th for the 55 meter dash, which she ran in her best time of 8.07 seconds. Molly Gorrell ran the 600 meter run in 1:57.43, her best for a 12th place finish.

UP NEXT:

All track teams will be competing in Sectionals at Ithaca College, scheduled to take place on February 10.