VESTAL – Chad Noelle of Greene returns to the New York State track and field meet next weekend at Vestal as the best Section IV 1,600-meter runner – ever.
Noelle, a junior, shattered a 20-year-old record held by Union-Endicott’s Brian Clas timing 4:10.54, six seconds better than his previous-best time and two seconds under Clas’ long-standing mark.
“I haven’t done a lot of miles since indoor nationals, and I haven’t done a really hard one in about three months,” Noelle said. “I hoped I could really still push myself, and it worked out.”
For two laps, Noelle stayed on the shoulder of Chenango Valley’s Max Straneva and Corning’s Jarred Cornfield. After two laps, Cornfield moved to the front, and Noelle went with him.
“The first lap was slightly slower than I wanted, and after the first 800, if it didn’t pick up, I thought I might take over,” Noelle said. “Cornfield picked up the pace in the third lap, and going into the last 400, I felt really good, so I said let’s go.”
As the bell rang for the last lap, Noelle seemed to shoot himself out of a cannon and past Cornfield. By the second turn on the final lap, a tight race turned into a rout, and Noelle ran the last 400 meters in 56.5 seconds for the record.
“During last summer, I decided that my number one goal was to go 4:10, and I was glad I got it,” Noelle said.
Noelle is not the only local runner making a return appearance at the state meet. Oxford junior Katie Woodford came away with Section IV, Division II titles in the 100- and 400-meter dashes. Woodford was narrowly edged in the 100 by three-time defending sectional champion Kamari Canady of Binghamton. Canady won in 12.22 outleaning Woodford, who timed 12.24.
It was a busy afternoon for Woodford who ran the 400-meter relay, the 100-meter semifinals, and 100-meter finals in an hour’s time. About 45 minutes later, she then ran the 400-meter dash finals in a career-best 56.63 seconds, second overall in Section IV.
“I wasn’t really that tired,” Woodford said. “I’ve been doing a lot of workouts to get me used to faster races with less recovery time.”
Woodford admitted her start out of the blocks in the 100-meter final was perhaps the difference between first place overall. “I was behind (Canady) out of the blocks,” she said. “I caught up, but it wasn’t enough, and I’m happy to go back to states.”
Norwich senior Sarah Bonnell backed up a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter dash with a Section IV title in the long jump. Bonnell’s leap of 17-1/4 was the best in Division II and the top distance sectionwide. “At the start of the season, I was going for the 100 and the long jump, and I’m really excited I got the long jump,” Bonnell said. “It was a hard pit to get good jumps, but I had a really good jump. I had a good, solid mark, and didn’t worry about faulting.”
Noelle was a double winner taking the 3,200 meters in 9:22.15, a time about 15 seconds shy of his best this season.
Emily Woodford of Oxford also qualified for the state meet in division two timing 25.36. Senior Chris Burnett of B-G/Afton was the top division two runner in the 3,000-meter steeplechase finishing in 9:41.09.
Oxford’s 400-meter relay team of Jessica Russo, Amanda Marks, Woodford, and Woodford posted their best time this season (49.76) in winning the Division II title.
Below are top-six performances for local athletes:
Top Local finishes
