THIELLS — The opening day of the Red Raider Relays, which had 37 schools and more than 1,100 athletes saw one meet record fall and multiple personal-best performances logged.
The meet, conducted on campus for the first time in four years, is being held at North Rockland’s huge, new athletic complex. Starting in 2023, Spring Valley had played host due to construction at North Rockland.
Initial reviews of the new track and throwing and jumping areas appeared overwhelmingly positive with multiple coaches suggesting the facility should host the state outdoor track and field championships.
Certainly, the track appears fast. While many events, including sprint finals, are slated for Saturday, the track was the site of one meet record Friday and multiple other outstanding performances.
Both winner Olivia Heim of Monroe-Woodbury and runner-up Bridget Dunn of Tappan Zee smashed the 15-year-old meet record in the girls 1,500 in personal-best times. Heim ran 4:38.07 and Dunn 4:39.16.
The record had been 4:45.5, set by former Cornwall standout Aislinn Cuffe, who competed for Stanford.
Heims’s time was a PB by nearly nine seconds. Dunn, who’ll run for Div. I Furman next year, PB’d by close to two seconds.
Arlington athletes won both the girls 3,000 and boys 3,200 races in big personal-best times.
In the girls 3,000, Div. I Stony Brook-bound Kirsten Anastasio beat Nyack’s Hannah Delaney by a little more than a second (10:11.37 to 10:12.44) in a multiple-heat, 34-runner race.
Anastasio’s time was a nearly 10-second personal best and Delaney’s a more than 22-second PB, which her previous best coming indoors.
Anastasio said she wasn’t expecting to run so fast this early in the season.
“I just stuck with the girls in front,” said Anastasio, who took the lead with more than a half a lap remaining and never relinquished it.
She wants to slash her time to 10:08 to qualify for nationals.
Fellow Admiral senior Anise Abidar, who’ll run for Vassar next year, ran 9:26.27 to easily win the boys 3,200.
That was an overall personal-best at that distance by more than five seconds and a nearly 21-second PB over his previous outdoor time in the event.
Abidar, who prefers the mile, is shooting to run low-9:20s in the 3,200 by the end of the season.
Friday, he found himself seventh about two laps into the race.
“I slowly moved up. I like to conserve (energy) and see how everyone else is feeling,” Abidar said of his strategy.
Section 1’s success wasn’t limited to the actual track.
North Rockland took first and second in girls shot put in personal-best performances that throws coach James McCarron thinks will lead to even bigger throws.
Sophomore Dara Modupe threw 37-3 and junior Anaiah Dorsonne 35-8.5.
“They really bought in to what we’re doing in practice. … If you stick with the plan, there will be more good than bad,” McCarron said
McCarron said good performances stem in part from stepping into the throwing circle with confidence
“It’s being fearless and thinking, ‘I’m going to show on this throw that I’m the best one here,’ ” he said.
He foresees both throwers having a chance to eventually exceed 40 feet.
“With the work ethic they have, they can throw as far as they went,” McCarron said.
The meet appeared to reflect javelin’s growing popularity, even though it has yet to become a state championship event.
Section 1 swept the first three spots in the boys field of 27.
John Jay-East Fishkill’s Myles Reddick threw 142-0 for the win. Teammate Ryan Shapiro was second (138-4) and Brewster’s Ryan Pawlowski won bronze in 136-4.
On the girls side, three out of 23 threw better than 100 feet, something that wasn’t seen just a couple of years ago.
Minisink Valley’s Kessler Hirsch had the best throw at 116-4. John Jay-EF’s Morgan Doughty hit 114-5 for second and North Salem’s Freyja Smith took third at 105-4.
Section 1 swept the top six spots in boys shot put with the top three going to Clarktown North’s Ethan Davius (141-1), Ramapo’s Eric Montoya (129-3) and Spring Valley’s Austin Renaud (127-1).
Other winners
Girls pole vault: Stella Scherbak, Monroe-Woodbury (12-3)
Boys discus: Ethan Davius, Clarkstown North (141-1)
Girls 110 hurdles: Madison Riccardi, Cornwall (15:01)
Boys 110 hurdles: Ilungo Salerno, Cornwall (14.65)
Boys 1,600: Eamon Curley, John Jay-East Fishkill (4:31.29, edges Northport’s Doug Sorto, 4:31.63)
Boys triple jump: Kyle Kirkland, Clarkstown North (44-3.5, edges Ramapo’s Da’vonte Brown, 44-2.5)
‘Girls triple jump: Madison Riccardi, Cornwall (38-0, edges Suffern’s Avianhah Sanon, 37-7.5)
Nancy Haggerty covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Red Raider Relays back at North Rockland with new track, record
Reporting by Nancy Haggerty, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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