Top local track and field graduates performing well in NCAA ranks this season
The Varsity 845 region has produced a number of NCAA Division I track and field athletes, many of whom are doing great things in the college ranks.
Here's a look at some highlights from the spring 2023 season:
Kingston grad Robert Becker became the ninth runner to go sub-4 minutes in the 1-mile run at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island. Becker is a graduate student at Stony Brook. Last month Becker ran 3:59.66 at the Fastrack National Invitational. His best indoor mile (3:58.98) came a year earlier at Boston University. He recently placed third in the Providence Friar Invitational mile in 4:01.62.
Cornwall grad Jiles Addison had made an impact as a freshman for Iona. He placed fourth in the 100 meters (10.97) and seventh in the 200 (22.53) at the Mets championships on April 8. A week later he was third in the 100 and fourth in the 200 at the Providence Friar Invitational.
Minisink Valley grad Conor Convery, a sophomore at Hartford, won the hammer throw at the American International College Yellowjacket Invitational on April 1 and took sixth at the UMass Commonwealth Invitational on April 15 with a college-best 167 feet, 3 inches. His top discus throw at AIC was a best 121-2, good for 12th place.
Minisink grad Robert Decker, a junior at Manhattan, won the hammer throw at Saturday’s Rider Invitational with a best throw of 209-1. He won at Mets with a throw of 197-1.
Washingtonville grad Elijah Mallard, a freshman, has been running the 400 hurdles at Syracuse He set a best mark of 51.89 at the University of Florida Tom Jones Memorial, placing 25th. He also took second at the Texas Relays and third at the Florida State Relays.
Burke Catholic grad Ryan Murphy, a senior at St. Bonaventure, set a best in the 800 (2:17.46), placing 39 th at the Brockport Invitational on April 14-15.
Newburgh Free Academy grad James Onwuka, a sophomore at Penn State, set a best in the 400 (46.91) at the Florida Relays March 31-April 1. He won the Virginia Challege last weekend with a 47.25 and was fourth (47.05) at the LSU Invitational on April 8.
Burke grad Mark Przybocki, a grad student throwing the shot put at the University at Buffalo, placed second at the Geneseo Invitational (53-4.25) and Buffalo Spring Opener (53-8.5) and third at the UB Alumni Invitational (52-1) last weekend.
Varsity 845U: Local graduates performing well in college athletics
Minisink grad Steven Struk, a sophomore at Stony Brook, set recent bests in the 5,000 (14:34.32), placing 22 nd at the Colonial Relays, and 1,500 (3:57.38), taking 11 th at the UConn Northeast Challenge on April 14-15.
Women's track and field
Kingston grad Stephanie Green, a senior at Albany, set two bests on Friday, winning the hammer throw (173-5) and taking second in the shot put (35-10). She was a third-place finisher in the weight throw at the America East indoor championships in February.
Onteora grad Cecilia Maillet, a senior at Binghamton, topped 17 feet twice in the long jump this season. She won the Lafayette Open (17-4.25) and 17 th at the Bison Outdoor Classic (17-6, four inches shy of her career best).
Washingtonville grad Ashley Moskowitz, a sophomore at Siena, set a best in the 1,500 (5:40.28), placing No. 48 at the Rider Invitational on Saturday.
Onteora grad Lucciana Robertson, a sophomore at Binghamton, recently set a best in the 800 (2:51.18), placing 16 th at the Lafayette Open on March 25.
Warwick grad Kaeli Thompson, a junior at Texas, has five top-10 finishes in the pole vault this season. She won the Longhorn Invitational on March 4, set a season-high at 13-1.5 in placing third at the South Florida Bulls Invitational on March 17-18, placing fifth at the Florida Tom Jones Memorial on Apri 14-15, placing eighth at the Texas Relays at the turn of the month and taking tenth at the Michael Johnson Invitational.
Minisink Valley grad Juliana Tobin, a grad student at Binghamton, has a trio of top-three finishes in the hammer throw; fifth at Lafayette Open (140-5), ninth at Towson Spring Open (138-3) and ninth at a Team Challenge (143-7) last Saturday.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: varsity 845 845U college track field men women OCIAA MHAL Section 9
