Section V grabs 38 medals at state indoor track meet: Top performances, new record

STATEN ISLAND – Clunk.

The weight throw ball landed on the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex’s carpeted floor, throwing up a light cloud of white chalk dust on impact.

Matt Auble cracked a big-kid smile.

The Warsaw senior had just heaved another record-breaker – 71 feet and change – to highlight a bushel of bests from Rochester’s track and field teenagers at the state high school indoor championships Saturday.

"What a day," Auble said. "Such fun. First thing I find out when I get here is I'm given the boys sportsmanship award for Section Five.

"What an honor. I think that gave me a little something extra. So I'm all pumped up and go off with a perfect throw."

He won shot put as well, which amounted to four gold medals around his neck – two for winning the public school competition and two for the state federation titles, among private, parochial and New York City schools.

Auble and Webster Schroeder senior jumper/sprinter Camryn Cole were the only two among Section V's contingent of 104 entries to sweep their two individual events, but others were close behind.

At day's end, Section V had collected 38 medals – 22 by the girls – including 11 golds, five silvers and nine bronzes. The public school competition awards medals to the top six and federations the top eight.

Camryn Cole has a plan

So far Cole's high jumping has for the most part been a good two hand spans above her competitors. Saturday, she topped out at 5-foot-9 inches after missing three tries at 5-11. Is there some sort of intimidation factor here, she was asked. Only one other girl cleared 5-4. Cole's Section V record is 6-0.

"Oh, I don't know about that," she said. "I do know that I keep my eye on (pentathlon) times and distances. That's what keeps me motivated. I see myself doing pent down the road."

The pentathlon, a spring track event, combines hurdles, high jump, long jump, an 800-meter run and shot put.

Her winning long jump, at 19-5.5, was nearly a foot longer than the runner-up.

For now, she's one of many who'll be in Boston next Saturday at the New Balance nationals, in a new indoor track facility that is said to rival, or surpass, the Ocean Breeze layout.

Juiced up

“Juice . . . Orenthal . . . ,” Mike DeMay hollered down at OJ Singletary after the University Prep senior had collected gold in the 300 with a personal best 34.58. DeMay, who coached Singletary at Rush-Henrietta before the sprinter transferred to the charter school in the city of Rochester, flashed him a thumbs up.

"Good for him," DeMay said. "He earned it. He's a good student and a good kid."

Singletary said he deliberately started, then stopped after coming out of the blocks in the 55 to save himself for the 300 and the 800 relay, which finished fourth and sixth. If he hadn’t started, he would have been disqualified for the entire meet.

"He had a great meet,” UPrep coach Brian Smith said. "He's still got a sore left hamstring from finishing the 55 at state qualifiers, but we're hoping this next week will give him a chance to heal.”

Smith said Singletary had the fastest split of the meet on his relay anchor leg – a 21.56.

Rising to the challenge

With Singletary out of the 55, Irondequoit senior Mekhi Christensen said he "got my head in the game" to represent Section V.

"I didn't want my season to end (in the preliminaries)," he said.

So he raced to a 6.47 in his first heat, qualifying him for the final eight, then a 6.43 to capture silver and bronze. The time was his best ever by .03.

"We're super pumped for him," Irondequoit coach Matt Tytler said. "He’s been improving every year. He was second to his older brother (Malik) for awhile but he broke his brother's record last year."

Feeling the pressure

McQuaid freshman Rhoan Kaulder admitted to his coach, Todd Stewart, that he couldn't help but think of his sensational long jump a year ago that won him double golds with a 22-10.5 leap. He was the first eighth-grade boy from Section V to double up.

"I told him today," Stewart said, “to just go out and have fun. Not to worry. It's not realistic to think he's going to go past that 22-10 every year, every time. It's just not going to happen.

Kaulder managed a 21-4.5 and just missed the medal stand.

Dominant walkers

That was a mighty happy threesome of Section V racewalkers that posed for pictures and told of their determination to stick together.

Desilet Dubois, a junior at Brockport and seniors Alexa Governor of Williamson and Kyra Pellegrino of Gates Chili finished 2-3-5 and all set personal bests -- 6:57.02, 6:59.3 and 7:05.68.

Dubois, who has pretty much dominated the event the last four years, was third-seeded among the three going in.

"I was determined to go out hard and try to hold the lead," she said. "It worked out okay.

Governor said she "faded" a bit mid-race but kept as close as she could to Dubois. Pellegrino, who doubled with the 3,000 and racewalk, admitted to feeling some fatigue. "I debated about doing both," she said. Her 10:18.38 was a 3,000 personal record as well.

A tough triple

Another pentathlete in the making is Jadyn Mullen of Alexander. She, Cole and Schroeder junior Corintia Griffith were the only three girls to compete in three events.

Mullen, heading to Penn State in the fall with a partial track scholarship, was tuckered out after completing the 55 hurdles, 600 and anchor leg of the Batavia Notre Dame/Alexander 1,600 relay.

"I feel it in my legs," she said, "but I'm glad we medaled in the relay."

With juniors Shannon Schmieder, Aaliyah Wright and senior Laurel Kania, the four Alexander schoolmates earned an eighth-place federation medal. They've competed and trained this season with Batavia Notre Dame.

"It's our first year doing indoor," Mullen said. "We've had a great season."

Hoping to heal

Schroeder junior Corintia Griffith is nursing a sore right knee, but you'd hardly know it from her performance.

She swept the triple jump going 40-10.5, finished with two thirds in the long jump at 18-3.25 and ran the preliminary heat of the 800 relay before ending her day.

"I'm not sure if I'll be getting a relay medal or not," she said, "but I'm not super upset. It's been a good day."

Bang, bang

Jerry Lewis could hardly believe it. The Webster senior had jumped out to a good start in the 1,000 but coming off the first, banked, turn, a gun sounded a second time.

Everybody stopped, one runner was down, and confusion reigned.

"The officials told us that we were too congested. Too much banging around," Lewis said. "I could see the guy fall, right off to my side. I was lucky I didn't get caught in that.

"We had to go back and start again. I didn't get off nearly as well the second time.”

He finished well back, 11th/16th but his 2:36.33 time was just a fraction off his personal record.

Bad break

East Rochester senior Manny Sepulveda gave it a try in the long jump, but after fouling after one jump, he couldn't continue. He was seeded first in both long and triple jumps and had finished fifth in triple jump at states in 2022.

By late morning Saturday he was headed home.

"My right heel has been bothering me since sectionals,” he said. “I was able to push through the pain last week, but this week was unbearable.”

Fortunately, his teammate, Jalen McCoy, was able to bring home some states hardware for ER's second-place sectional team. McCoy was third and fourth in the 300.

Others of note

Schroeder senior Shelby Boise continues to shave fractions off her personal best in the 600, but she just missed medaling with her 1:37.50 . . . Victor senior Melody Harloff, off to NCAA Division I Youngstown State in late summer, said she was happy to end her indoor career with a silver and bronze and setting a best time in the 300 (40.08). "I still think my best event is the 55 (she was 6th and 10th) but my coach thinks I'm more of a 300/400 runner in college." . . . Auble's not the only Section V thrower to place well. Penfield senior Peter Northrup swept two shot put thirds at 52-1.75 and Sheldon Siverling of Batavia two fourths at 50-4.75. Auble's sportsmanship award was matched by Williamson's Alexa Governor for the girls.

Section V results from state track: Boys | Girls

Complete results on-line at www.oceanbreezenyc.org and www.nysphsaa.org

Jim Castor, retired assistant sports editor of the Democrat and Chronicle, has covered high school sports in the Rochester area for more than five decades. He can be reached at jcastor@jimcastor.com

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NY state indoor track results: Section V grabs 38 medals