2009/2010 Indoor Track Race Results....
(Click on Competition for Summary/Outstanding Performances)
Meet: Morse Relays - 12/12/09(SUNY Cortland)
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Girls Varsity
Team Place: 7 of 12
Boys Varsity:
Team Place: 4 of 11
Meet Summaries
Girls: Intending to shake off the rust from XC transitions and remember the speed of indoor events, the girls accomplished both, though 'track speed' still took most by surprise. All runners came in over their targets, though their training has been deliberately aimed at base-building and aerobic power rather than speed-based. Seasonal goals will come later.
Boys: Like the girls, the boys took to the SUNY Cortland track intending to re-gain familiarity with their events. Without their contingent of XC Federation distance runners, the boys still managed to make some noise with their fast-twitch athletes. The 4x200 Relay of Jake Lafaver, Zack Lafaver, Brandon Mills and Kyle Ivers served notice that WG will have some speed as they placed a close second to sectional favorite Corcoran with a decent time for the tight, slippery Cortland track. Junior Matt Ulrich also announced his presence with a first-place in the 55 hurdles.
Outstanding Performances
Girls: None
Boys: 4x200 Relay/Matt Ulrich
Meet: Holiday Relays - 12/19/09(Hamilton College)
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Girls Varsity
Team Place: 9 of 18
Boys Varsity:
Team Place: 7 of 20
Meet Summaries
Girls: At full strength with the addition of XC state championship qualifiers Anna Leo and Laura Leff, the girls found the 2-person format of the meet and the slippery tight corners of Hamilton College more demanding than expected. With only a few exceptions, the distance runners continue to struggle with the speeds of the 200m oval track, though the discrepancies between target times and performance times is shrinking for most. Kelly Powell registered a commendable double with a 10th place in the 600m and 11th in the 400m. The only eye-popper of the meet came from 8th grader Laura Leff. Running her first 200m track indoor meet and her first 3000 meter event ever, Laura shook off a too-short warm-up after the 1600m split and set sights on the leader Taylor Wendler of CNS, a 10:43 finisher in the 08-09 season. Laura overtook Wendler with two laps remaining and won going away in 10:47.38, the fastest WG time since Elizabeth McMahon's 10:22.56 record run during the 06-07 season. Off the track, WG may have found a budding star in freshman thrower Erica Fitch. With only a few practice sessions on the glide technique, Erica added over 2 feet to her previous PR as she placed 7th individually in the shot put.
Boys: If improvement is the key this time of the season(and it is), the boys team is on track. Though at a disadvantage with the 2-person format due to a lack of depth in some events, the 'cats took advantage in others. Matt Ulrich ran alone in the 55hh and finished 1/1000th out of first with an excellent 8.15 for the slick Hamilton surface. The 'cats scored first with the 4th place 1000m relay running of Martin Leff and Matt Gonnella. A few events later, Matt Byrnes and Matt Serrao raced to 5th in the 3200 meter relay. That set the stage for the 'unique' brother relay of Jake and Zack Lafaver in the 400m. The Lafaver's delivered with individual 1st and 6th places finishes that brought a first in the relay. Billy Gabriel and Mark Reilly ran well for a 4th in the 800 meter relay. That set the stage for the final relay. Sam Reedy and John DeLallo set their standards for the 1600 meter as they placed 5th and 7th individually to win that relay handily.
Outstanding Performances
Girls: Laura Leff(3000m)/Erica Fitch(Shot Put)
Boys: Matt Ulrich(55hh)/Jake Lafaver & Zack Lafaver(400m)/Sam Reedy & John DeLallo(1600m)
Meet Results
Girls Varsity
Team Place: 11 of 20
Boys Varsity:
Team Place: 11 of 20
Meet Summaries
Girls: The girls struggled in this one. First day back at school following the break may have contributed, but evidence of comfort with track speeds was in short supply. Few individual runners or relays hit their target times. They put this one 'in the box,' close it and move on.
Boys: The boys suffered the same fate as the girls, though with some exceptions. The 4x200 ran their best time to date(1:38.40), despite a substitute member. The SMR went under target. And the 4x1600 notched a new school record with several outstanding individual efforts in this composite race.
Outstanding Performances
Girls: None
Boys: Martin Leff(SMR 800m)/Sam Reedy(4x1600)/John DeLallo(4x1600)/Jake Lafaver(4x200)/Tony Terzolo(4x200)
Meet: Grieve Invitational - 1/7/10(Manley Field House, S.U.)
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Girls Varsity
Team Place: No Team Score
Boys Varsity:
Team Place: 14 of 22
Meet Summaries
Girls: With many of the better athletes pulled from the meet, the remainder performed very well despite the lack of team scoring. Training and an acquired sense of track speed were evident as almost all the athletes performed below their target times. Kelly Maestri won her heat of the 55m. Field event performances remain an issue, however, so there's work to be done.
Boys: Ditto for the boys. Team members were clearly in a racing mode as they too recorded a large numberr of und3r-target performances, if not all-time PR's. Both Tony Terzolo(300m) and Jay Paiku Rawling(600m) won their heats in convincing fashion.
Outstanding Performances
Girls: Kelly Maestri(55m)/Amber Sweeney(300m)
Boys: Jay Paiku Rawling(600m)/Jeremey Cantello(PV)/Tony Terzolo(300m)
Meet: Southern Tier Invitational - 1/9/10(Barton Hall, Cornell U.)
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Meet Summaries
Girls: A small contingent of individual entries marked this snowy annual trip south to Cornell University. The girls made the most of the opportunity, with personal bests and under-target efforts by most athletes. Katie Bott's 1:43.88 600 meter time was good for third place and 2nd on the Section III Leaderboard. Laura Leff was equally impressive, lowering her 3000 meter PR from 10:47 to 10:33.57. That places her 10th in the state and also #2 on the Section III Leaderboard. Another excellent effort came from Amy Hannahan, who lopped almost 4 seconds off her all-time 1000m PR with a 12th place 3:20.86 time in that event.
Boys: The boys were wired for racing and also posted some excellent times on the Barton Hall oval. Matt Ulrich made finals in the 55hh where he raced to 7th place. Martin Leff chopped over 10 seconds off an all-time 1600m PR with a 4:45.19, adding to the Wildcat's arsenal of 1600m competitors. Jake Lafaver's PR 1:26.35 in the 600m earned him 4th place and 3rd on the Section III Leaderboard. John DeLallo raced 5 seconds under target in the 1000m, and his teammate Sam Reedy logged a nearly flawless 2:40.78 in winning his heat of the 1000m and placing 6th overall, 3rd on the Section III Leaderboard.
Outstanding Performances
Girls: Laura Leff(3000m)/Katie Bott)600m/Amy Hannahan(1000m)
Boys: Martin Leff(1600m)/Jake Lafaver(600m)/John DeLallo & Sam Reedy(1000m)
Meet: Arcaro Invitational - 1/11/10(Manley Field House, S.U.)
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Girls Varsity
Team Place: No Team Score
Boys Varsity:
Team Place: No Team Score
Meet Summaries
Girls: With a number of athletes held out of this meet, the emphasis was not on scoring, but on event performance improvements. And those improvements continued from meets last week for most of the athletes.
Boys: The boys also had a number of members waiting for the Constantino Invitational but also enjoyed a number of excellent performances. The training is working.
Outstanding Performances
Girls: Alyssa Sherman(1500m)
Boys: Jay Paiku Rawling(500m)
Meet: Constantino Invitational - 1/13/10(Manley Field House, S.U.)
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Girls Varsity
Team Place: 8 of 21
Boys Varsity:
Team Place: 4 of 20
Meet Summaries
Girls: Things began to fall in place for the girls at this meet. From a top-10 finish in the 4x200m to an 8th grade WG 1500m meter record for Laura Leff to a much improved 4x400m relay, team members are beginning to register quality event performances. Most athletes enjoyed personal bests. A week and a half stretch to their final invitational will give them time for quality training and skill development.
Boys: Years before any present team members were born, the WG 4x200 relay record was set and remained the 2nd oldest record. Until this meet. The relay of Tony Terzolo, Jake Lafaver, Zack Lafaver and Kyle Ivers stormed to first place in that event as they nipped the former 1974-75 record and replaced it with their own 1:35.77. The 'cats also ran a credible 4x400 which placed third. Points also came from Matt Ulrich in the 55hh, Steve Houghmaster in the 1600m and Jeremy Cantello in the pole vault. The team enjoys a stretch of focused training before the 1/23 invitational in Cortland.
Outstanding Performances
Girls: Katie Bott(4x200/4x400)/Kelly Powell(4x400)/Laura Leff(1500m)
Boys: 4x200Relay/Martin Leff(1600)
Meet: Cortland Invitational - 1/23/10(SUNY Cortland)
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Boys Varsity
Team Place: 2 of 13
Girls Varsity
Team Place: 3 of 13
Meet Summaries
Boys: The boys woke up early for a bleary-eyed drive south to SUNY Cortland's Lusk Fieldhouse and an AM meet. On the tight(and slower) SUNY Cortland track, they performed well and had three individual winners. Steve Houghmaster registered his finest performance of the indoor season in capturing the 1000m. Not long after Jake Lafaver zoomed to first in the 600m, and he was followed by Matt Ulrich and his first-place effort in the 55hh. The boys also had scoring performances by John DeLallo(3200m), Sam Reedy(1000m), Zack Lafaver(55m/300m), Billy Gabriel(1600m), Matt Gonnella(1600m), Matt Ulrich(HJ), Jeremy Cantello(PV) and both the 4x800 and 4x200 relays to bring the team within 2 points of winning the meet. They now enjoy quality training in preparation for their 2/9 Sectional Championship.
Girls: The girls also shifted into a higher gear as they began thinking championships while still testing some runners in various events. Laura Leff registered one of two first place finishes for the 'cats in the 1000m where this fall's NYS XC Freshman of the Year battled the 8th Grader of the Year. This day, the 8th grader won, as Laura became a front-runner in the first lap and led throughout, opening her lead in laps 4 and 5 to win going away. Later, senior Katie Bott ran her first 300m of the season and won it with a strong final 100m. Other top-6 scorers for the girls were Morgan Farmer(3000m), Abby Kastick(1000m) and both the 4x400 and 4x800 relays. The girls also going into training mode in preparation for their 2/3 Sectional Championship.
Outstanding Performances
Boys: Steve Houghmaster/Jake Lafaver/Matt Ulrich/John DeLallo/Jeremy Cantello/Billy Gabriel
Girls: Laura Leff/Katie Bott/Alyssa Sherman/Morgan Farmer
Meet: Girls Section III Championship - 2/3/10
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Team Place: 8 of 12
Meet Summary
A small 9-person Wildcat squad took to the track in this championship. With no field event athletes entered except for shot put, it was up to the runners to score points. The 'cats managed only three top-6 finishes with a 4th place and seasonal best in the 4x800 relay, and third places by Katie Bott in the 600m and Laura Leff in the 3000m, whose 10:28.06 was the second fastest time ever for a WG runner. A nice step-up performance was also logged by Amber Sweeney in the 4x400 relay. The small team returns to the track for their league championship on February 15th.
Outstanding Performances
Laura Leff(3000m/4x800)/Amber Sweeney(4x400)
Meet: Boys Section III Championship - 2/9/10
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Team Place: 6 of 12
Meet Summary
High hopes for a best-ever top-5 finish were dashed by the unfortunate disqualification of the 4x400 Relay squad for a athlete conduct infraction and the failure to take full advantage of scoring opportunities in the field events. Nevertheless, the team posted some impressive performances and individual showed continued improvements. Solid 'doubles' were the order of the day as Steve Houghmaster ran seasonal PR's in both the 1600 and the 4x800. Sam Reedy did the same in the ill-fated 4x400 and the 4x800. And Billy Gabriel mixed it up in an extremely talented 3200 meter field. Running a school record 9:45.13, he placed 4th where all of the field was lapped by winner Alex Hatz of F-M. Gabriel's 2:02.1 opening leg of the 4x800 set the stage for a near upset of record-holding Liverpool, who clipped the 'cats on the last lap. The WG time of 8:13.63 was the best in several decades and met the qualifying standard for the National Scholastic Championship. The team now has 4x800 and 4x1mile squads qualified for that meet. They now ready for their league meet on the 17th.
Outstanding Performances
Billy Gabriel(3200-School Record-4x800)/Sam Reedy(4x400/4x800)
Meet: Girls CNYCL Championship - 2/15/10
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Team Place: 3 of 7
Meet Summary
The girls' efforts were a mixture of performances. Due to an unfortunate and absolutely inexcusable spectator collision on her 4x400 relay warm-up, F-M ace McKenzie Carter suffered a season-ending injury and the F-M relay was forced to withdraw. WG raced ahead of the remaining field to claim the league championship in that event. Laura Leff added another highlight with a nifty 2nd place finish in the 1500m. Her 4:52.31 lowers the WG 8th grade record in that event, with the outdoor season yet to come. She later added a 2:26.4 leg in the 2nd place 4x800. Another solid performance came from Morgan Farmer as she sliced sixteen seconds off her 3000m best to place 4th. Several off-form races, however, cost the team points and a place as they finished only 2 points off second-place Corcoran. Maybe next year. A select group trains on for the Open Qualifier meet.
Outstanding Performances
Laura Leff(1500m/4x800)/Morgan Farmer(3000m)
Meet: Boys CNCYL Championship - 2/17/10
Meet Results
(For Full Meet Results, go to Leonetiming)
Place: 2 of 7
Meet Summary
The goal was to win the league championship. For 9/10ths of the meet, that was the position the Wildcats held. But a late charge in field events and sprints swung the balance in Corcoran's favor and when they beat WG in the final 4x200 event, an 11 point advantage and the league championship was theirs. The 'cats gave it everything they had, and there should be no heads hung low. The team members registered PR after PR after PR. Athletes expected to score 6th or 5th places instead scored 4th's. The entire team simply stepped up in this one. First place League Champion finishes went to the 4x400 relay of Jake Lafaver, Zack Lafaver, Kyle Ivers, Matt Gonnella, to Steve Houghmaster in the 1000m, to Jake Lafaver in the 600m, to Matt Ulrich in the 55 high hurdles, and to the 4x800 Relay of Billy Gabriel, Sam Reedy, John DeLallo and Steve Houghmaster. In the 1600m, Bill Gabriel went right at F-M Alex Hatz and grabbed an impressive 4:25.33 second place, one of the top times in the section. Martin Leff took 3rd in that event with a PR 4:39.96. WG has now run 5 athletes under 4:40 in the 1600m, two of them under 4:30. Another brilliant 2nd place came from John DeLallo. In only the second 3200m of his career, John powered to a 9:59.32. Add Kyle Ivers' 2nd place PR in the Long Jump(18-9.5) and Jeremy Cantello's PR 2nd place pole vault effort of 10-6 to all the other all-out efforts and it adds up to one of the best team efforts by a West Genesee squad in the past decade.
Outstanding Performances
Total Team Effort - Every team member entered in the meet registered a top-6 finish.
Meet: Section III Open Qualifier Meet, 3/1/10
Meet Results
Meet Summaries
Girls: The 'cats will send two to the 3/6 State Championship at Cornell University. 8th grader Laura Leff continued to build an already impressive resume with a qualification in the 3000m, a difficult task for any grade. Senior teammate Katie Bott rolled to an impressive school record and the fastest Section III 600m of the season as she won that event. She later returned for the 300m and with a furious finish placed 2nd for another trip to states.
Boys: Hopes for an upset in the 4x400 Relay against favorites Liverpool and Jamesville-Dewitt did not materialize. Billy Gabriel, also, saw his 3200m state hopes disappear with a charge that began a few laps too late. And the 4x200 relay that once had a sectional top-time never really got going. But the 'cats made noise in another unique way. Jake Lafaver(600m), Steve Houghmaster(1000m) and John DeLallo(1600m) all finished 4th in their races, but with third qualifiers in each of those events, West Genesee now sends 3/4ths of the Intersectional Relay to Cornell. That will be an interesting relay.
Meet: New York State Championship, 3/6/10
Meet Summary
Boys: With their unique West Genesee + 1 Intersectional Relay for Section III, it was a stellar day for the Wildcats. Seeded third in the contest, Steve Houghmaster took off in the opening 1000 meter leg, opened a 20 meter lead by the 2nd lap and never looked back, scorching the field with a 2:34.3 and handing the APW runners a 40 meter lead. Bzdick clocked and excellent 24.0 200 meter and gave the baton to Jake Lafaver. His 600m, a 1:24.2 PR, only widening the lead. the baton then passed to John DeLallo and the 1600m anchor, who would battled a Section I runner with a 4:25 to his credit. Lap by lap, the lead shrunk until DeLallo held a 10 meter lead with 2 laps to go. He shifted gears, put the pedal to the medal and closed with an outrageous 31.5 tinal 200m. It wasn't even close. The relay was the second fastest ever Intersectional Relay and gave these 'cats both a state and Federation championship medal. Their win was a nice contribution to a Section III onslaught where we went 2-3 in the 600m, then won the 1000, the 1600, the 3200 and the 4x800 meter events. Domination. The 'cats now move on to their 4x1mile and 4x800 relays in the National Scholastic Championship.
Girls: Katie Bott
finished her high school indoor career with a third states qualification in the
600 meter. Her 1:44.01 was good for 24th place in the 30 runner state field.
Teammate Laura Leff, meanwhile ran her second sub-10:30 3000 meter and her 4th
under 10:40, a marvelous 8th grader achievement. She placed 15th in the 31
runner field and moves on to the National Scholastic 7th/8th Grade Mile.
Meet: National Scholastic Indoor Track & Field Championship, 3/12 - 3/14, 2010
Meet Summary
Boys: How do you one-up on a State/Federation championship? The boys managed amid the monsoon rains of NYC. Stepping on the track with their 4x1mile relay, they faced the national-leading Haddenfield squad from New Jersey. Billy Gabriel put WG in the hunt with a strong 4:24.9 opening leg. John DeLallo kept WG close, surging with a strong 400 final meters and a 4:29.6. Sam Reedy followed with a 4:36.0 before handing off to Steve Houghmaster, who PR'd in 4:22.2 to bring the 'cats home third in the nation with New York State's 2nd fastest time of the season and All-American status. The team then ventured back into the monsoon for a 3 hour break at their hotel. They returned for their 4x800 meter only to find the meet was running 40 minutes ahead of schedule and they barely had time to warm up and throw on dry singlets. The goal for the 17th seeded Wildcats was a solid time, maybe a school record. Little did they know. To add to the suspense, Gabriel walked into the clerking area with a bloody nose and he was quickly shifted to the third leg, with Reedy closing. They ran the 2nd of 3 heats, with two astonishing times coming out of that first, slow, heat. The opening leg went to a nervous Jake Lafaver, who ran a masterful 1:58.7 to put WG in the mix. Houghmaster followed, laying down a 1:58.8 which left the 'cats snapping at the heels of the first place competitor. Gabriel shadowed in his third leg, then burst to the lead in his final lap, handing off to Reedy. He ran like a Wildcat possessed, never looking back and giving the team the win in that heat and the third fastest time of the event. That left the hot heat to go. When the 4th place team crossed in 8:00+, the 'cats had improbably gained the podium again for their 2nd All-American effort of the meet while breaking a school record dating back to the 1980/81 season. It was the greatest day in the history of Wildcats Indoor Track.
Girls: Laura Leff
put the finishing touches on another stellar season with a tremendous mile run.
Locked in a pitched battle with fellow Section III 8th grader Maria Lamontagne,
it was Maria's day in the final laps as she powered away from Laura, but her
5:13.24 was the fastest indoor track mile ever for a WG runner, and she finished
second in the nation. 8th Grade Runner of the Year in cross-country. Now an
All-American runner in Indoor Track. What a year so far...
2010-11 Scholar Athletes