Bethlehem’s Sam Smith and Jake Platel won individual titles at Sunday’s Section II Indoor Track and Field Championships at the University at Albany.
Smith edged Colonie’s Greg Kehrer for the high jump title. Both athletes cleared the bar at 6 feet, 2 inches, but Smith did so in fewer attempts than Kehrer to take first place.
Platel had no such drama in winning the pole vault crown. Platel cleared 15 feet, 4 inches, well ahead of runner-up Adam Hume of South Glens Falls.
Guilderland’s Dashawn Gates placed third in a hotly-contested 300-meter dash final. Gates finished with a time of 37.6 seconds, one-half second behind Sectional champion Tim Mount of Saratoga Springs.
Bethlehem’s Yousef Zaid and Guilderland’s Ian Tapler also had top-six finishes in track events. Zaid finished fourth in the 1,600-meter race with a time of 4:31.6, while Tapler placed fifth in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.3 seconds.
On the girls’ side, Guilderland’s Ernestine Skipper and Bethle-hem’s Laura Hannigan each had top-six finishes.
Skipper finished fourth in the 55-meter hurdles finals. The sophomore ran a time of 9.2 seconds, 1.3 seconds behind Sectional champion Madalayne Smith of Saratoga Springs.
Hannigan placed sixth in the 55-meter dash finals with a time of 8 seconds. Smith claimed first place in a time of 7.1 seconds, .1 second ahead of Klarissa Ricks of Holy Names.
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