Local athletes earn state berths at qualifier meet

PLATTSBURGH | Section VII athletes took advantage of a final opportunity to qualify for the NYSPHSAA indoor track and field championships Saturday, Feb. 14, as the section held its state qualifier meet at the Plattsburgh State Field House. The meet allowed athletes who finished first or second to earn automatic berths to the state championships, while third-place finishers remained eligible if they met NYSPHSAA qualifying standards. Relays advanced automatically with first-place finishes, with second-place teams eligible if they met the state standard. Saranac highlighted the meet with a record-setting performance in the boys 4x800 meter relay. Matthew Canning, Sean Dormann, Owen Dingman and Noah Thayer won in 8 minutes, 24.09 seconds, breaking the Section VII record of 8:26.67 and earning automatic qualification. Beekmantown just finished second in 8:24.11 behind Chris Lincourt, Nolan Laidman, Escher Hoffman and Carson Ladue, also under the previous record. Saranac also won the girls 4x800 relay, as Sienna Boulds, Laura Denial, Nora Mesec and Julia Ryan finished in 10:05.53 to secure automatic qualification. Beekmantown placed second in 10:23.44 with Bristol Provost, Jordanne Minchoff, Olivia Drowne and Fiona Maes. Plattsburgh High earned an automatic berth by winning the girls 4x200 relay in 1:54.39. The Hornets' lineup of Madeleine Reidell, Kiley Krester, Lilah Theeman and Kaylin Whitbeck finished first. Saranac claimed the girls 4x400 relay in 4:16.58 with Elizabeth Wynnik, Boulds, Eve Liberty and Sarah Lavigne. On the boys side, Peru won the 4x400 relay in 3:40.17 behind Owen Fuller, Skylar Raczhowski, Michael Welc and Brennan Peters. Saranac captured the boys 4x200 relay, as Michael Strack, Riley Hutchinson, Nolan Hamel and Braeden Waldron finished first in 1:36.16. Several athletes secured automatic individual qualification by finishing first or second. AuSable Valley's Celton Dupuis won the boys 55-meter hurdles in 8.13 seconds. Plattsburgh High's Braydon Caraballo captured the boys 55 in 6.82 and also won the 300 in 38.26. AuSable Valley's Kaelin Suloff won the girls 55 in 7.41 and added a victory in the 300 in 41.95. Beekmantown's Nolan Laidman earned automatic qualification by winning the boys 1,600 in 4:29.65. Peru's Michael Welc won the boys 600 in 1:26.81, while Saranac's Thayer claimed the boys 1,000 in 2:49.59, edging AuSable Valley's Reece Long by three-hundredths of a second. On the girls side, Peru's Maddy Welc won the 1,000 in 3:17.80, and Saranac's Boulds captured the 1,500 in 5:09.84. Beekmantown's Minchoff won the girls 3,000 in 11:00.54, with Plattsburgh High's Abigail McLean finishing second in 11:03.38. Peru dominated the boys field events. David Nwadike won the high jump at 5 feet, 8 inches and also captured the triple jump with a mark of 43 feet, 11 inches. Logan Porter won the long jump at 21-2.25. In the girls field events, Peru's Maggie Garrow won the high jump at 5-0 and the long jump at 16-5.75, while teammate Aubree Narducci claimed the triple jump at 33-10.75. In the throws, Saranac Lake's Miles Frazier won the boys shot put at 46-2, and teammate Sam Duprey captured the weight throw at 53-1. On the girls side, Beekmantown's Kylie Bishop won the shot put with a throw of 34-5, while Saranac Lake's Trinity Martelle earned automatic qualification and set a Section VII record in the weight throw at 40-8.5. The 2026 NYSPHSAA indoor track and field championships will be held March 6-7 at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island.

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Local athletes earn state berths at qualifier meet

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