Horseheads High School senior Patrick Laney went from a state champion in baseball his junior season to one of the fastest sprinters in New York as a senior.
Laney’s burst onto the scene has garnered him Boys Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year honors for the 2026 season from the Elmira Star-Gazette and Corning Leader.
With track & field his chosen college sport when he attends SUNY Geneseo, Laney made the decision to switch over from baseball after playing a key role in Horseheads’ New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA title in 2025.
Laney capped his track season by placing fifth in the Class A finals of the 100-meter dash at the New York state championships the weekend of June 13 and 14 at Webster Schroeder High School. His finals time was 10.87 seconds, lowering his own school record.
Also that weekend at states, Laney joined Marco Cipolla, Baraka Schmidt, and Chase Luangsuwan in posting a 10th-place Class A finish in the boys 400-meter relay with a time of 42.5 seconds.
Laney won the 200-meter dash at the Section 4 Class A championships (22.17) and was 100 meter titlist at the Southern Tier Athletic Conference championships (10.93).
His track success followed a football season in which he won the Ernie Davis Award as the top player in Chemung County while earning third-team Class A all-state honors.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Laney selected Star-Gazette/Leader Boys Track & Field Athlete of Year
Reporting by Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
