The 2010-2011 high school sports season officially came to an end last weekend at the New York State Track and Field Championships. The closing efforts of seniors Chad Noelle of Greene, and the Woodford twins of Oxford – Katie and Emily – brought back memories of other “once-in-a-generation” track and field athletes.

It was in the spring of 2000 that Norwich senior Katie Almeter capped a brilliant record-breaking career winning the Division II state title in the 400-meter dash. Almeter became the first Norwich girl to ever win an individual state title. A year later, teammate Karen Snyder became the second NHS lady to win an individual state title.

To that point in my sportswriting career, I had not encountered such a prodigious athletic performance in the spring, and I wasn’t sure if I would see the likes of Katie Almeter – or Karen Snyder – any time soon.

In 2001, the same year Snyder won a state title, Oxford senior Mike Chrystie made the switch from baseball to track and field. Chrystie’s exploits as a football player earned him numerous school and Section IV records. We knew he was fast, but how fast?

That spring season, training without an actual track, Chrystie had was the epitome of a one-year wonder. His dynamic speed on the football field indeed translated to a track. Whenever possible, Chrystie, the Oxford team, and head coach Irene DeJager shuttled to the nearest track to practice. Most of the time, Chrystie was working on his start, his form, and his conditioning on the all-purpose grass athletic fields at Oxford Academy.

During the regular season, Chrystie sprinted his way to an unbeaten season in the 100-meter dash, and his record against all opposition was nearly as flawless in the 200-meter dash. In the former event, Chrystie never lost a race – the entire season. Despite a less-than-adequate start at the blocks, Chrystie blistered the competition on his way to a Section IV record 10.4 seconds – a record that still stands.

He crushed the Section IV competition, he bested every runner on the state Division II runner, and he ousted the best of the best in the Federation 100-meter dash finals. Chrystie was the first Chenango County athlete to win a Federation track title – in any event, for that matter.

Chrystie’s spectacular season and unbeaten performance was so special, I was sure I would not see anything of that ilk for a long, long time.

Turns out, that long, long time was just about 10 years – not nearly as long as I had originally thought.

As a freshman in 2008, Katie Woodford burst on to the Section IV scene knocking off top-seeded Bethany Norris of B-G/A to win the first of four straight Section IV titles in the 400-meter dash. Woodford’s best time as a freshman was sub-59 seconds, evidence that bigger and better things were to come.