This weekend was the annual CHSAA Intersectional Championships, one of the State's longest running Championship meets. The last regular season meet on Randall's Island, the fast times were flying at Icahn Stadium. Check out some of the highlights below.
Hayes Finds Success With Struggle
It was a big day for Cardinal Hayes, although it wasn't without some effort. Chief among those efforts came from Elijah Jones (Cardinal Hayes), who swept both the 100m and 200m. He is now NY #1 in both events, with his 10.60 and 21.18 second performances, although only the prior will count for record purposes. His 200m mark, which is historically quicker, was wind-aided, but would have stood at NY #7 All-Time if it counted.
However, his 100m mark was legal, and moves him to NY #8 All-Time over that distance.
The struggle came from their 4x100m, where teammate Lucas Nunez suffered a hamstring pull, knocking them from a chance to run at the State Meet. Hayes has been the State's fastest 4x200m squad Indoors, and was eyeing the 4x100m State Record Outdoors, a mark that has been elusive since 1993. South Shore made a run at it in 2016, going 40.90, but couldn't catch the 40.73 set by Marshall of Rochester. Hayes will have a chance to run at Outdoor Nationals, but it is unclear if Nunez will be available.
Iona Prep Takes Home A Nail-Biter
Only one point differentiated Iona Prep from runner-up Xavier, but that's all it took for the New Rochelle school to capture only their second Intersectional win ever, the first occurring way back in 1987. Their win was aided by four individual event winners, with a potential upset in the Pole Vault as Louis Logsdail hits 15-0 over the Indoor State Champ, and sophomore Pedro Bravo takes the win in the coveted 3200m.
They also saw a win in the rarely contested Javelin, as Rob Greer defended his title from the year prior, and Connor Shea deepened the field in the 400H, one of the states deepest events this year, running 55.46 to win.
Byrnes Impressive In The Middle-Distance
Senior Ellen Byrnes (Sacred Heart Academy) was the only female on the track to win two events, taking both the 800m and the 400H. The latter was her better performance, as her 62.48 now ranks her as NY #6 this year. Her teammate, Maggie Maier, would later win the 3000m. Notre Dame Academy saw wins in both the 2k Steeple and the 1500m, with those two legs coming back for the win in the 4x800m.
Saint Anthony's Duo Sets Up For Big Race
The two 3200m State Leaders are abandoning that event for the State Meet, to focus on the 800m for Matt Payamps and the 1600m for Mason Gatewood. They both handily won their event at the CHSAA Championships, then came back to win the 4x800m, an event they won at the State Meet Indoors. Both athletes will now be headed to Missouri, to compete in the Festival of Miles. You can follow along live on FloTrack tomorrow night.