GRAHAMSVILLE - “Traditions can be really important. They are a way of bridging the past with the present.” That maxim advanced by Yoni Pielet reminds us about the importance of carrying on with established and valued practices, events and customs from year to year. The world of sports is rife with such annual rituals such as the Super Bowl, the World Series, the World Cup, The Stanley Cup and NBA finals. But high school sports also present these valuable, much anticipated and coveted competitions.

The Tri-Valley Invitational track meet is an example of that tradition. The meet has a rich history. It was begun by Joe and Missy Iatauro. Year after year, it brings together a mélange of track teams from near and far to compete. Oddly, the meet also has had a tradition of some of the most hellacious weather including monsoon rainstorms and chilly temperatures. To wit, T-V track coach Chip Furman decided to move the meet from its late April home to early May in hopes of getting a better day.

Rain was forecast but thankfully it held off though the chill in the air and the wind made their annual appearances as if to ensure that the meet has its climate traditions intact.

In spring track, New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) divides its state competition into two divisions. All of the schools in Sullivan County, with the exception of Monticello, are Division II. In this meet, D-1 schools included Pine Bush, Saugerties, and Wallkill. The team results are divided by division, but the event results are combined.

Tri-Valley’s Adam Furman was named the Outstanding Male Track Athlete of the meet by dint of his first-place finishes in the 400, 800, 1600 and 3200. Furman had originally looked forward to this meet as a chance to run the steeplechase, an event he aspired to excel in this spring. However, last year’s stress fracture injury, incurred as a result of the race at Cornwall, has made him reconsider, at least for the present. There is too much as stake in terms of his potential state contention in the 3200. Other fine performances turned in by county athletes included a win in the 3000 steeplechase by T-V senior Caleb Edwards.

Later in the meet, Edwards and his family, along with other T-V seniors, were recognized with flowers and photos. They included Brandon Kaplan, Connor Rafferty and Robert Decker, Reese Shelmandine and Michael Squires.

Other gold medalists: Liberty’s Shaun Coles in the 110 hurdles, Sullivan West’s Tarrell Spencer in the long jump, SW’s Chris Campanelli with a season best 140-07 in the discus, Eldred’s Dominick Furlippa won the pole vault and Tri-Valley’s Armaan Butler prevailed in the shot put. Campanelli had a trio of throws of 50 plus feet but fouled on each of them.

In the girls’ competition, Tri-Valley’s Kendall McGregor triumphed in the F/S 200, T-V’s Amelia Mickelson won the F/S 1500. Sullivan West’s Grace Boyd prevailed in the 2000 Steeplechase after she set a new school record of 7:50.85 at the Cornwall Steeplefest. In this meet she also won the 3000, Liberty’s Sydania Foster won the 400 Intermediate hurdles, while Sullivan West’s Kathryn Widman swept the discus and the shot put. This spring she established new school records in the shot put with a heave of 34-02.

The cameras set up by Fulton Automatic Timing failed to work so the scoring had to be done by timers at the finish line. The process made tabulating the results more complicated and time-consuming. Many of the athletes secured personal best times and distances by dint of their efforts.

Congratulations to all the competitors and to the Tri-Valley coaching staff and help which once again made this meet memorable. As always, it serves as a preamble to the big meets yet to come, principally the OCIAA league meet, the Section IX Championships, the state qualifier and of course, the state championship which will return to Cicero North High School in Syracuse, the venue for the 2018 meet and the historic performances of Sullivan West hurdler Mike Mullally.

Boys Team Results: Division I: Pine Bush 212.25; 2. Wallkill 54.33; 3. Saugerties 36.50. Division II: 1. Tri-Valley 150; 2. Liberty 63.33; 3. Sullivan West 63; 4. Ellenville 39; 5. Chester 24.33; 6. Eldred 10; 7. Fallsburg 8.5; 8. Homestead 6.

Individual results: Top eight finishers include both divisions

F/S 200: 3. Aoleces Jimenez (SW) 25.20. F/S 1600: 1. Craig Costa (T-V) 4:48.60; 2. Van Furman (T-V) 4:52.30; 3. Landon Volpe (SW) 5:05.90. 100: 6. Tarrell Spencer (SW) 12.40; 110 Hurdles: 1. Shaun Coles (Lib) 17.00; 4. Noah Jucha (T-V) 19.30; 5. Ivan Rodriguez (Lib) 19.60 6. Reese Shelmandine (T-V) 20; 8. Peter March (SW) 20.30. 200: 3. Wayne Kratz (Lib) 24.60; 6. Coles (Lib) 25.60. 400. 2. Adam Furman (T-V) 5370. 4. Gabriel Deroschers (Lib) 54.90. 6. Tim Dirie (Lib) 56.40. 7. Dayne Wall (T-V) 57.20; 8. Dylan Sager (SW) 58.00. 400 Intermediate hurdles: 2. Dirie (Lib) 1:03.10; 4. Noah Jucha (T-V) 1:07.10; 5. Sager (SW) 1:08.80; 6. March (SW) 1:09.80; 7. Rodriguez (Lib) 1:11.00; 8. Hunter Doty (Falls) 1:11.90. 800: 2. A. Furman (T-V) 2:05.10; 6. Caleb Edwards (T-V) 2:22.50; 7. Carlos Campos-Castro (Lib) 2:27.80; 8. Van Furman (T-V) 2:27.80. 1600: 1. A. Furman (T-V) 4:31.10; 4. C. Edwards (T-V) 5:02.60; 5. Thomas Houghtaling (T-V) 5:05.70; 6. Karl Swanson (SW) 5;09.30; 7. Campos-Castro (Lib) 5:23.50. 3000 Steeplechase: 1. C. Edwards (T-V) 10:26.40; 2. V. Furman (T-V) 10:41.40; 3200: 1. A. Furman 9:49.90; 3. Houghtaling (T-V) 11:01.00; 4. Volpe (SW) 11:16.20; 7. Landen Boyd (SW) 12:38. 4x100 Relay. 2. Liberty 47.80; 7. Fallsburg 51.20; 8. Sullivan West 51.90. 4x400 Relay: 2. Liberty 3:48.30; 4. Tri-Valley 4:07.00 5. Sullivan West 4:15.10; 6. Fallsburg 4:16.80; 4x800 Relay: 2. Tri-Valley 9:27.20. High jump: 6 (tie). William Nearing (SW) 4-09; 6. Danny Shami (SW) 4-09; 6. Daryl McPherson (Falls) 4-09. Pole vault. 2. Sager 8:00; 3. Nathan Coy 8-00; 4. Connor Rafferty (T-V) 7-00. 4. Nicholas Bender (T-V) 7-00. Long jump: 1. Spencer (SW) 18-04.00; 3. Coles (Lib) 17-04.00;4. Chase Racette (Lib) 16-11.00; 7. Nazier Lpez (Falls) 16-07.00; 8. Swanson (SW) 15-09.50. Triple jump: 2. Racette (Lib) 35-07; 4. N. Jucha (T-V) 34-01; 5. Spencer (SW) 33-09.50; 7. Shami (SW) 32-07.75. Discus: 1. Chris Campanelli (SW) 140-07; 5. Armaan Butler (T-V) 115-01; 6. Dillan Hanslmaier (SW) 97-01. Hammer throw: 3. Butler (T-V) 115-06; 7. Robert Denman (T-V) 80-08; 8. Mark Klein (T-V) 71-08. Javelin: 2. Talan Scanna (T-V) 99-04; 3. Oliver Norminton (Falls) 96-03; 6. Butler (T-V) 90-03; 7. Colin Mentnech (T-V) 87-02. Shot put: 1. Butler (T-V) 38-00; 3. Hanslmaier (SW) 36-10.75; 6. Racette (Lib) 35-00.50.

Girls Team Results: Division 1: Pine Bush 142; 2. Wallkill 89; 10. Saugerties 23. Division II: 1. Ellenville 82.50; 2. Sullivan West 75: 3. Tri-Valley 71: 4. Liberty 43; 5. Eldred 36; 6. Chester 29; 7. Fallsburg 27.50; 8. AEF Chapel Field 20.

Individual Results: Top eight finishers combined Divisions I and II.

F/S 200: 1. Kendall McGregor (T-V) 28.50; 2. Anna Payton (Lib) 29.70; 5. Brooke DeCarlo (SW) 30.90; 6. Violla Shami (SW) 32.50. F/S 1500 1. Amelia Mickelson (T-V) 5:19; 4. Brynn Poley (T-V) 5:39.80. 100: 3. Alyssa Kavleski (Lib) 13.90; 7. Ashley Ingrassia (Falls) 14.30. 100 Hurdles: 2. McGregor (T-V) 18.20; 4. Katrina Blais (Lib) 19.70; 5. Sydania Foster (Lib) 19.90; 7. Stephanie Granados (Falls) 20.40; 8. Keely Schock (SW) 20.60. 200: 3. Kavleski (Lib) 28.20; 8. Emily Hornbeck (T-V) 30.50. 400: 6. Payton (lib) 1:09.60; 7. DeCarlo (SW) 1:10.30; 8. Hornbeck (T-V) 1:11.80. 400 Intermediate hurdles 1. Foster (Lib) 1:16.04; 2. Mackenzie Closs (T-V) 1:18.70. 3. Abby Parucki (SW) 1:19.10; 5. Joyce Brooks (T-V) 1:23.00; 6. Brooke Nunnari (SW) 1:24.02; 8. Granados (Falls) 1:33.90. 800: 3. Mickelson (T-V) 2:44.30; 6. Poley (T-V) 2:52.60. 1500: 2. Gisella King (Falls) 5:46.70; 4. Regan Kizer (Eld) 6:33.70. 2000 Meter Steeplechase: 1. Grace Boyd (SW) 7:56.50; 5. Meredith Anderman (Falls) 10:55.60; 6. Arianna Gonzalez (Falls) 11;40.60; 3000: 1. Boyd (SW) 11;34.80; 2. Mickelson (T-V) 11:50.50; 3. Ella Herbert (SW) 12:14.00; 4. Poley (T-V) 12:52.50. 4x100 Relay: 2. Tri-Valley 56.30; 4. Liberty 57.20; 5. Sullivan West 1:01.70; 6. Fallsburg “A” 1:01.80. 4x400 Relay: 2. Fallsburg 5:00.80; 4. Liberty 5:14.00. 4x800 Relay: 3. Sullivan West 12:27.10. High jump: 5. Paige Parucki (SW) 4-04.00; 6. Grace Gozza (T-V) 4-02.00; 7. Abby Parucki (SW) 4-00.00; 8. Hornbeck (T-V) 3-09. Pole vault: 3. Kaitlyn Potter (Eld) 7-06; 4. Schock (SW) 6-00; 5 tie. Rosalyn Tanner (SW) 5-06; Gozza (T-V) 5-06; Kizer (Eld) 5-06. Long jump: 3. King (Falls) 14-02; 5. Gozza (T-V) 13-01. Triple jump: 3. Kavleski (Lib) 30-01; 7. Shami (SW) 27-05; 8. P. Parucki (SW) 27-02. Discus: 1. Kathryn Widman (SW) 94-01; 3. Shami (SW) 72-01; 4. Closs (T-V) 70-03; 6. Lindsay Zgrokek (Eld) 67-04. Hammer throw: 4. Brooke Mulholland (T-V) 57-11; 6. Widman (SW) 54-04; 8. Ceci Mancia (Falls) 45-11. Javelin: 1. Kesenia Sosnowski (Eld) 66-04; 3. Zgrodek (Eld) 56-10; 5. Mancia (Falls) 47-03; 7. Emily Collura (Falls) 39-11. Shot put: 1. Widman (SW) 32-11.00; 2. Zgrodek (Eld) 28-09.

Monti boys blitz rival Goshen; Waterton captures Cornwall Steeplefest (again)

For the Monticello Panthers in search of yet another Division III championship, the road is now two thirds of the way complete behind a 90.5-50.5 win. A league victory over Beacon will assure a Division III title. Monticello’s Jadden Bryant won the high jump, the long jump and the triple jump. The Panthers swept the latter event and took two out of three of the top finishes in the other jumps. Evan Waterton won 400, 800, 1600 and 3200. The Montis’ won the 4x100 and 3x400 relays. Jesse Corces captured the discus and the shot put. The Suasey twins secured the 100 (JaJuan) and the 200 (Jadon).

At the Cornwall Steeplefest, Waterton captured first despite a fall on the fifth lap. His time of 9:41.38 was slowed by the tumble. He had been on a pace to finish in 9:35. He is currently ranked third in the state.