Kenyon shines on first day

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Tupper Lake's Kyla Kenyon (front right) races down the home stretch in the 400 hurdles during the NYSPHSAA Track and Field Championships at Caledonia-Mumford High School Friday. Kenyon won the race and set the Section X record. She also medaled in the 400. Staff Photo / Courtney Lewis

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June 11, 2011

Tupper Lake senior wins 400 hurdles, sets Sect. X record at state track and field championships

COURTNEY LEWIS Press-Republican The Press Republican Sat Jun 11, 2011, 03:23 AM EDT

CALEDONIA — Kyla Kenyon crossed the finish line well ahead of everyone else in her 400-meter hurdles heat and then looked up at her time.

Her eyes got wide and her jaw dropped.

The Tupper Lake senior had just become the new Section X record-holder, and after the next heat had finished, she became something even better: state champion.

She yelped "Oh my God!" and then ran to find her coach.

No one in the second heat at the NYSPHSAA Track and Field Championships beat Kenyon's time of 1 minute, 3.6 seconds, making her the Division II (small schools) champion. She'll move on to the Federation race today against the fastest runners from Division I and Division II.

"This is my first win that I've ever gotten," said a beaming Kenyon, who has earned multiple medals at past state meets — but no golds until Friday. "I wanted to win a state championship so bad. It's been my No. 1 goal that I've ever had."

She also made the podium in the 400 dash, and she qualified for today's finals in the 100 hurdles.

Franklin Academy's Amanda Gadway was the only other local female medalist Friday at Cadelonia-Mumford High School, placing sixth in the Division I discus throw.

In every event, the top six athletes in each division earn medals.

Kenyon was seeded 11th in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:06.82 and said she didn't think she had a chance to win.

"I picked it up in the last 200 instead of the last 100, which is what I normally do," Kenyon said, noting that she followed the advice of her coaches.

She beat the previous section record of 1:04.4, which was set by Canton's Melissa Thacker in 2002.

Kenyon said she was "kind of disappointed" with her 400 dash performance, but her time of 58:04 was still good for fourth place.

She clocked 15.94 in the 100 hurdles Division II preliminaries, which was fifth best and put her in today's finals. She said she thinks she can go faster.

She added that winning the 400 hurdles "just really boosts the confidence for (today)."

Gadway was seeded second in the discus, and her early throws were not as far as she had hoped.

"I was a little off (Friday)," the senior said. "I don't know if it was the stickiness of my hands on the disc; I just wasn't getting a good grip. But it was an all right day."

She knew the pressure was on for the last few throws, and on her fifth of six attempts, she recorded 117 feet, 1 inch.

"I knew I had to pull a good throw out in order to place," Gadway said. "I could tell that it was definitely my best of the day. The way that it slipped off, it was a good feeling."

She medaled in the discus for the third straight year.

Massena's Courtney White won the event with a 132-3. Gadway will join her in today's Federation final, which includes the top eight athletes from either division.

Beekmantown's Jess Huber advanced to today's Division II finals in the 200 by finishing in 25.31.

She was seeded 19th going into the race but placed second in her heat, automatically qualifying for the final, and ended up with the fourth-best time of the day.

Molly Roush of Northeastern Clinton just missed the podium in the 800, placing seventh with a time of 2:17.26.

Saranac's Alex Farrington was eighth (1,378 points) among Division 2 competitors in the pentathlon after three events — the 100 hurdles, high jump and shot put.

The event continues today with the long jump and 800 meters.

Email Courtney Lewis at: clewis@pressrepublican.com