As Section VII athletes prepare for the NYSPHSAA Track and Field Championships in Caledonia, N.Y., hosted by Mumford High School, Peru junior Dan Lennon might be the area's best shot at a podium finish.
Lennon will be competing in two events, but focusing on Friday night's 3,200-meter race, where he's ranked third overall in the state. Earlier this spring, Lennon broke Lee Berube's 2008 Section VII record, running nine minutes, 7.52 seconds at the Loucks Games. With his sights on the nine-minute barrier, Lennon has been focusing on this race since the winter. His strategy is to run the kick out of Greene senior Chad Noelle, the only New Yorker under nine minutes this spring.
"My coach and I are hoping that I can go under nine minutes," Lennon said. "During indoor we focused on the mile so I could have the speed to bring this race out in 4:30 for the first mile and run the kick out of Noelle."
With his second event on Saturday, the 1,600, Lennon says he is hoping to break 4:20 and go as low as 4:15.
Seton Catholic's Mitchell Ryan, a sophomore, is fresh off of his tight state-qualifying battle in the steeplechase with Peru's Charles Remillard, where they finished within a second of each other and ran 10:15.2 and 10:15.7, respectively. Ryan could improve greatly on his 34th-place ranking.
Saranac has two relay teams—the 1,600 and 3,200-meter relays squads—competing at states. The 1,600 relay quartet had the fastest time in the section, with a 3:29.70 clocking. In the 3,200 relay, Saranac is riding high after a dead heat finish in the state-qualifying race against Plattsburgh, where they both were timed at 8:28.9. Micah Patterson will compete on both relay teams and also in the open 400.
The Chiefs' shot putter, Corey Duval, is ranked 10th in Division II but could find himself with a higher finish. Duval has thrown 50 feet, seven inches and is looking for a new best throw that could land him on the podium.
"I think he can throw 53 feet at states and get on that podium," Saranac throwing coach Mike Castine said.
Ticonderoga freshman Jay Hebert might make a big splash in his first visit to the state meet. With his sub-15 second speed in the 110 hurdles, Hebert could hold his sixth-place ranking and possibly set a personal best. Hebert is the youngest athlete in the 110 hurdle field.
"There's going to be enough people to race with," Hebert said. "I'm going to be keeping my eyes on the other people out of the corners of my eyes."
Peru's Shawn Hendrix will be a contender for the Division II title, as he's ranked third (44-1-½). Hendrix took fourth last year and will joined by his teammate, Bryce Schnaars, who will be competing in the high jump.
For the Section VII girls, Seton's Anna Rabideau will be going to her last state championship meet to compete in the 2,000-meter steeplechase before heading the St. Lawrence University in the fall.
Rabideau is the section record holder in the event that she ran 7:22.70. Last year Rabideau doubled, running 4:54.33 in the 1,500 and 10:40.90 in the 3,000.
This year, Rabideau is battling back from tendonitis in each of her achilles but doesn't rule out a personal-best, citing her progress back from injury since cross country.
"I would love to PR," Rabideau said. "I don't want to put too much pressure on myself coming back from injury, but I've reached every other goal I've set for myself this season."
Seton's seventh grader, Margaret Champagne, will compete in the 3,000 as the youngest athlete in the field. With a seed time of 11:05.78, Champagne could improve on her time and 26th-place seeding.
Molly Roush, from Northeastern Clinton, finished 13th overall last year in the 800, running 2:15.79. With goals of breaking Sara Facteau's 1993 record (2:14.95), Roush will also be competing in the 400, an event she's only run twice competitively.
"I want to shoot for Sara's section record at states," Roush said. "I think I can run 2:14."
Another Cougar, Mallory Honan, will be competing in the 100 hurdles and in the long jump, as a double-qualifier.
Alexandra Farrington, from Saranac, will be the section representative in the pentathlon after winning three individual titles as the Section VII meet two weekends ago.
Farrington wracked up 2,389 points at the state-qualifying meet. Maxine Rock, also of Saranac, will be competing in the long jump and 100.
Saranac shot putters Victoria Phaneuf and Trish Helms are ranked eighth and 15th in Division II. Helms is also on Saranac's 400-meter relay team that clocked 53.14.
Field events will kick off the meet today at 12:30 p.m., with pentathlon races starting at 1:30 p.m.
Section VII qualifiers
Division II
Boys
100- Jesse Perkins (Ticonderoga).
200- CJ Stewart (Saranac Lake).
400- Micah Patterson (Saranac), Shawn Hendrix (Peru)
400- Jake Martindale (Saranac).
Long jump- Jonathyn Granger (Ticonderoga).
Triple jump- Shawn Hendrix (Peru), Jake Spear (Saranac).
Shot put- Corey Duval (Saranac).
Discus- Devon Anderson (Beekmantown).
400-relay- Ticonderoga-2 (Jonathyn Granger, Kenneth Johnston, Michael Barber, Jesse Perkins, Luke Bartlett, Jay Hebert).
1600-relay- Saranac (Brandon Bushey, Casey Jackson, Jake Martindale, Micah Patterson, Ryan Kerner, Connor Christopherson).
800- Zachary Ziemer (Seton Catholic).
1600- Dan Lennon (Peru).
3200- Dan Lennon (Peru).
Steeplechase- Mitchell Ryan (Seton Catholic).
Pentathlon- Jon Brown (Saranac).
High jump- Bryce Schnaars (Peru).
3200-relay- Saranac (Heath Andre, Brandon Bushey, Billy Badger, Micah Patterson, Austin Medeiros, Travis Agoney).
Girls
100- Maxine Rock (Saranac).
200- Jessica Huber (Beekmantown).
400- Molly Roush (Northeastern Clinton).
100-hurdles- Mallory Honan (Northeastern Clinton), Vanessa Salamy (Saranac Lake).
400-hurdles- Mallory Honan (Northeastern Clinton).
Long jump- Mallory Honan (Northeastern Clinton).
Triple jump- Maxine Rock (Saranac).
Shot put- Victoria Phaneuf (Saranac), Trisha Helms (Saranac).
Discus- Emily Anderson (Beekmantown).
400-relay- Saranac (Trisha Helms, Tiffany Helms, Ellen Thew, Maxine Rock, Jamie Favreau, Elora Lacy).
1600-relay- Northeast Clinton (Celine Bouvier, Samantha Smith, Mallory Honan, Molly Roush, Justine Rabideau, 706 Kelly Rogers).
800- Molly Roush (Northeastern Clinton).
1500- Emma Deshaies (Plattsburgh High).
3000- Margaret Champagne (Seton Catholic).
Steeplechase- Anna Rabideau (Seton Catholic).
Pentathlon- Alexandra Farrington (Saranac).
High jump- Celine Bouvier (Northeastern Clinton), Lea Perry (Peru).
3200-relay- Peru (Meghan Mazzella, Maria Remillard, Cheyanne Debozy, Ashley Leta, Taylor Durocher, Rebecca Pellerin).
Malone qualifiers
Boys
1600- Morgan Marlow.
3200- Conor Gordon.
Steeplechase- Corey Lamere.
3200-relay- Rourk Marlow, Doug Fitzgerald, Corey Lamere, Conor Gordon, Morgan Marlow, Austin Perry.
Girls
Discus- Amanda Gadway.
3200-relay- Emily Hutchins, Morgan Bronner, Justina Cositore, Charlene Scott, Rebekkah Bond.
Steeplechase- Rebekkah Bond.
Tupper Lake qualifiers
Girls
100- Amanda Moeller.
200- Amanda Moeller.
400- Kyla Kenyon.
100-hurdles- Kyla Kenyon.
400-hurdles- Kyla Kenyon.
1600-relay- Hannah Klossner, Kristin Bickford, Kyla Kenyon, Amanda Moeller, Lindsey Maroun.
800- Hannah Klossner,
High jump- Hannah Klossner.
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