Alex Combs (right) and Jordan Burton of Warwick ran side by side in the final half lap of the 800-meter run in the OCIAA championships. A few days later the battle continued at the Section IX meet in Middletown.
For the second time in a week, Alex Combs of Cornwall and Jordan Burton of Warwick Valley were side by side, as they entered the final straightaway of the 800-meter race.
Jordan prevailed once again to win the section title by a fraction of a second. Alex, the Dragon record-holder in the event, had to settle for the runner-up position.
The meet was held in Middletown on Thursday, May 22. A late afternoon rain caused an hour and a half delay.
As in the county meet during the previous weekend, the Cornwall boys were fourth in the team scoring, and the Cornwall girls were third.
Beatrice Boylan was the only Dragon athlete to win a section title. She led a one-three-six Cornwall finish in the 3000-meter run, which proved to be the team’s best event of the day. Beatrice placed fourth in the 1500-meter run instead of defending her title in the steeplechase.
Christa Sidoti didn’t seek a second victory in the pentathlon, after winning it the previous weekend. She entered four individual events and scored in all of them.
Marcus Louis, hampered by a bad foot, still scored in three events. So did Boylan, Jillian Decker, Kevin Gangemi, Conner Russell and Ashley Wallace.
Freshman Hannah Mellino was the runner-up in the steeplechase with her fastest time of the year.
SECTION IX MEET
May 22
BOYS — 400 m: Kevin Gangemi (4) 50.82. 800 m: Alex Combs (2) 1:55.73, Mike Vecchio (7) 2:03.10. 1600 m: Aidan Doyle (2), 4:31.39, Ben Skoog (8) 4:45.06. 3200 m: Dave Brubacher (7) 10:26.70. 110 hurdles: A.J. Mathelier (5) 16.01, Conner Russell (6) 16.05. 400 hurdles: Russell (7) 59.73. 400 relay: A.J. Mathelier, Gangemi, Russell, Marcus Louis (4) 45.26. 1600 relay: Gangemi, Luke Amnott, Russell, Alex Vega (5) 3:30.72. 3200 relay: Mike Vecchio, Combs, Daniel Thurau, Doyle (3) 8:18.5. High jump: Louis (3) 5-6,. Long jump: Louis (7) 19-6.75. Discus: Frankie Orlando (7) 114-11, Boys finish fourth.
GIRLS — 200 m: Jillian Decker (2) 26.34, Alice Morgan (5) 27.16. 400 m: Decker (4) 58.59, Gabby Fanning (8) 1:00.71. 800 m: Dara Cuffe (6) 2:26.83. 1500 m: Beatrice Boylan (4) 4:53.06, Ashley Wallace (6) 4:56.39. 3000 m: Boylan (1) 10:11.04, Wallace (3) 10:26.26, Victoria Caroli (6) 11:24.11. 100 hurdles: Sidoti (8) 16.97. 400 hurdles: Christa Sidoti (6) 1:10.90. 2000 steeplechase: Hannah Mellino (2) 7:30.62. 1600 relay: Gabby Fanning, Morgan, Claire Ruotolo, Decker (3) 4:06.88. 3200 relay: Cuffe, Kaili Markley, Wallace, Boylan (3) 9:55.20. High jump: Katie Murphy (6) 4-10. Long jump: Sidoti (6) 15-10.5. Triple jump: Sidoti (5) 33-5. Pole vault: Katarina Van Ledtje (4) 9-0. Discus: Sarah Henry (7) 86-10. Pentathlon: Kristen Henry (4) 2,086, Kassidy Murtagh (5) 2,066. Girls finish third.
