Mott Continues to Excel

Story and photos by Tim Fulton
Photo Gallery Here

NEW ROCHELLE - Coach Cap might look a little younger come Monday. The long time New Rochelle track and field coach, perhaps best known for making great hurdlers, has a new 400m hurdler on his hands.

All American Elizabeth Mott, who placed 4th in the 400m at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in 54.81, setting a new Section 1 Record in the process, is now running the longer hurdle race.

Coach Capellan, or “Cap” as most of his athletes and colleagues call him, bet Mott that if she could break 66 seconds her first time in the event, he’d shave his mustache. From the sound of the gun, it was never in doubt.

Mott ran a national leading 62.1 seconds at her school’s own invitational, and the scary part is, she has a lot of room for improvement.

“I was chopping my steps. I was surprised at how I did. I’m still not smooth in it yet.”

Coach Cap has his eyes on the Section 1 record of 59.8 by Bronxville’s Deidre Fleming in 1987.

It was a surprisingly warm and sunny early April day in New York, a weekend that often features cold wind and rainy conditions. Long Island powers like Bay Shore and Uniondale joined locals New Rochelle, Mt. Vernon, and Somers to form the nucleus of a very nice meet.

The day started off with Sarah McCurdy doing what she so often does – bringing her relay squad back from a few places down to win the 1600m SMR in 4:18.27. McCurdy looked smooth and confident over the first lap before taking the lead with about 325m to go and never looking back. Bay Shore also won the 4x1600m and 4x800m relays.

Aki Bajulaiye of New Rochelle also brought his team from behind to win the SMR. New Rochelle also won the 4x800m in 8:55.1.

The Somers boys 4x1600m relay team of Vinny Cascio, Pat Hashmall, Pat Porteus, and Todd Apgar won in 19:06.0. Porteus opened the race up on the 3rd leg with a 4:36.6 carry, though it could have been faster. The official told anchor Todd Apgar to take the baton a lap early, though when Apgar went out to do it, Porteus all but pushed him away, slowing his pace ever so slightly and throwing his rhythm off a bit.

The girls 100m hurdles matched Uniondale’s Ashley Hendrix against New Rochell’s Elizabeth Mott. Hendrix used a late push to earn the win in 14.3 seconds and also was on the winning long jump relay team.

Somers Lauren Campbell (right), Hanna Monte, and Megan Faeth swept the shot put and discus relay events. Campbell’s 34-11 SP was an outdoor PR for the senior while Monte’s 90 foot discus throw was near her best. Faeth also jumped 4-10 in the high jump, an unusual triple.

Other event winners included Somers Crosby Tillman in the 1500m racewalk (8:09), Uniondale’s boys 4x100m (43.8) and Shot Put relay (82-08), Bay Shore’s boys long jump relay (39-04.5), Somers boys pole vault relay (21-06), Mt. Vernon’s girls and boys 4x400’s (4:04 and 3:27), New Rochelle girls pole vault relay (17-0), and the Bay Shore girls triple jump relay (70-05).

 

 

 

WINNERS PICTURE GALLERY
scroll down for some of the winners from the meet
Photo Gallery Here

 


Uniondale, NY - Boys 4x100m


Ashley Hendrix (Uniondale, NY)


Bayshore, NY - girls 4x800m


New Rochelle, NY - boys 4x800m


Hanna Monte (Somers) - Discus and Shot Put relays


New Rochelle, NY - boys 4x800m


Crosby Tillman (Somers, NY) 1500m racewalk


Mt. Vernon, NY - girls 4x400m


Mt. Vernon, NY - boys 4x400m