An upset in the girls 55-meter dash highlighted Sunday’s Suburban Council Indoor Track and Field Championships at the University at Albany.
Mohonasen junior Courtnee Richardson nipped Saratoga’s Madalayne Smith by .02 seconds to win the event. Richardson finished with a career-best time of 7.09 seconds, while Smith placed second with a time of 7.11 seconds.
It was an otherwise strong day for Smith and her Saratoga Springs teammates. Smith won the 55-meter high hurdles and the long jump to help the Blue Streaks pull into a 74-point lead over Shenendehowa in the team standings pending Monday’s shot put and pole vault competitions at Shen.
Smith had little trouble winning the hurdles, as she bested Colonie’s Kyle Plante by .26 seconds in the finals. Smith finished with a time of 8.08 seconds, while Plante placed second with a time of 8.34 seconds.
Smith also made short work of the long jump field, taking first place with a leap of 17 feet, 2.5 inches. Colonie’s Cassidy Keane was second with a distance of 16 feet, 9.75 inches.
As a team, Saratoga dominated the middle- and long-distance races, as it swept the top two places in the 600-, 1,000-, 1,500- and 3,000-meter races. Brianne Bellon led the way with wins in the 1,000 (2:59.52) and the 1,500 (4:41.89), while Cassie Goutos (10:37.64) edged Sydney King (10:37.65) and Keelin Hollowood (10:37.70) in the 3,000. Amanda Borroughs won the 600 (1:40.64).
Saratoga also won the 3,200-meter relay, as the team of Borroughs, King, Katie Treichel and Margaret MacDonald finished with a time of 9:32.63. Shen’s 1,600-meter relay team of Danika Simonson, Sam Crisafulli, Sarah Osaheni and Stefanie Fresenius took first place with a time of 4:13.91, and Shaker’s 800-meter relay team of Emily Vandenburgh, Christine Coughlin, Carly Brundige and Kristen Hayes won with a time of 1:51.43.
Saratoga finished the first day of the Suburban Council meet with 144 team points. Shen was second with 73 points, and Colonie placed third with 46 points, two points ahead of fourth-place Shaker.
Plante led Colonie with victories in the 300-meter dash and the high jump. The sophomore finished with a time of 40.41 seconds in the 300, and she cleared 5 feet, 4 inches in the high jump.
Mohonasen’s Jessica Ciraulo won the triple jump with a distance of 35 feet, 7.75 inches.
On the boys’ side, Shaker all but locked up another league title by taking a 43-point lead over Shen. The Blue Bison had 128 points after the first day, while the Plainsmen had 75 points. Bethlehem was third with 70 points.
Shaker pulled away from Shen by winning two of the three relays. The team of Darryl Roberts, Ryben Feinman, Matt Dustin and Matt Conti won the 800-meter relay with a time of 1:38.92, and the quartet of Conti, Dustin, Chris Herman and Brendan Dolan finished first in the 1,600-meter relay with a time of 3:38.47.
Conti and Herman each won individual events for Shaker. Conti claimed the 300-meter dash title with a time of 37.10 seconds, while Herman fended off Bethlehem’s Matt Crawford to win the 600-meter race with a time of 1:26.28.
Dan Harris, Stuart Charbonneau and Grant McLeod earned individual titles for Shen. Harris won the 1,000-meter race with a time of 2:38.56, while Charbonneau finished first in the 55-meter high hurdles with a time of 8.19 seconds. McLeod took first place in the high jump by clearing the bar at 6 feet.
Ballston Spa also had multiple champions at the league meet. Mike Villano won the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.75 seconds, Devin Bennett finished first in the 1,600-meter race with a time of 4:26.76 and Max Groves claimed the 3,200-meter title with a time of 9:26.75. The Scotties’ 3,200-meter relay team of Jake Flynt, Phillip-Michael Williams, Adam Custer and Ryan Grandeau finished first with a time of 8:26.82.
Bethlehem’s Paul Buehler was the lone double winner on the boys’ side. Buehler won the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 4.25 inches, and he took the triple jump title with a distance of 43 feet, 5 inches.
Saratoga County athletes dominated Monday’s shot put and pole vault competitions in Clifton Park.
Shen’s Maddesen Weeks won the pole vault by clearing the bar at 9 feet, 6 inches, while Ballston Spa’s Amelia Gonzales finished first in the shot put with a throw of 34 feet, 11.5 inches.
On the boys’ side, Shen’s Stuart Charbonneau took first place in the pole vault by clearing 13 feet, while Shaker’s Naquan Lewis won the shot put with a throw of 50 feet, 9 inches.
The next indoor track meet is Sunday’s Great Dane Classic in Albany.`