Track and Field
BINGHAMTON – Greene senior Chad Noelle had little trouble defending his Section IV titles at the state qualifier, and returning state champion, Katie Woodford of Oxford, is on course for a three-peat after Thursday night’s meet at Binghamton Alumni Stadium.
Noelle was nowhere near his best times in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races, and he wasn’t in record-breaking mode either, said Greene coach, Tim Paske. “The goal today was to just win the races and qualify for the state meet,” Paske said. “He’s in training shape right now – the best shape I’ve ever seen him in. He’ll be the number one seed at states next week, and that’s when he’ll be peaking.”
Katie Woodford won Division II titles in the 100- and 400-meter races. In the former, she set a personal-best 12.02 seconds to win the overall sectional championship, while in the latter event, she fought off a hip injury to win the Division II crown.
Woodford, her sister Emily, and first-year track and field upstart, Haley Witchella, all earned bids to the state tournament Emily Woodford claimed the Division II crown in the 200 meters (25.41), and Witchella was the Section IV champion in the shot put winning with a personal best 36-feet, 7-inches. The two Woodfords and Witchella teamed with Jessica Russo for a Division II title in the 400-meter relay (50.02). “We accomplished our goals today. Everyone we wanted to qualify at states made it,” said Oxford coach Irene DeJager.
Norwich’s boys will send six athletes on to the New York State Championships next Friday and Saturday at Caledonia-Mumford High School. Senior Jon Foulds won the overall Section IV title in the 110-meter hurdles. He timed a career-low 15.12 seconds. “That was just a huge race for Jon,” said Norwich coach Paul Sims. “I know he kind of wanted to redeem himself after STACs a couple of weeks ago. He went out and made a statement today.”
Matt Murray, Patrick Taylor, and the 400-meter relay team also earned state meet bids for Norwich. Murray was the top Division II performer in the 800 meters (1:57.04), Taylor was the Division II champ in the triple jump (42-1/2), and the relay quartet of Taylor, David Layman, Josh Favaloro, and Morgan Crawford had the best Division II time finishing in 44.55.
B-GA’s eighth-grader, Julia Knapp, heads to the state meet for the first time taking second overall in the 400-meter hurdles (first in Division II) timing 1:07.22. Connor Fuller, also of the Bears, will make the trip to states as well as the Division II winner in the steeplechase.
Top-Six Overall Place Finishers at State Qualifier
(Event, Name, school, place finish, time/distance)
Girls
Pentathlon, Isamarie Ramos, BGA (4), 7:41.99.
400m relay: Oxford (2), 50.03
100m hurdles: Morgan Hagenbuch, Norwich (6), 16.70.
100m: Katie Woodford, Oxford (1), 12.02.
200m: Emily Woodford (2), Oxford 25.41; Cleo Daoud, Norwich (6), 27.53.
400m: K. Woodford, Oxford (2), 58.83.
400m hurdles: Julia Knapp, BGA (2), 1:07.22.
Triple jump: E. Woodford, Oxford (5), 34-8.
High jump: Haley Witchella, Oxford (2), 5-0.
Pole vault: Jess Avery, B-GA (4), 10-0.
Shot put: H. Witchella, Oxford (1), 36-7.
Discus: Cassie Schwarzans, G-MU/Morris (3), 108-10; H. Witchella, Oxford (4), 103-6.
