Mott wins 400, struggles in heat
By Christopher Hunt
photo by www.wingedfootfotos.com
NEW ROCHELLE – Just sitting in the shade New Rochelle’s Elizabeth Mott needed to comment on the heat.
“Oh my gosh, it’s so hot out here,” she said.
Then her teammate Aisha Chisholm said, “You think it’s hot? Wait until you get on the track.”
Mott demolished the field in the 400 meters at the Eastern States Championships at Iona Prep in 55.01 seconds. She admitted the heat became a lot to handle.
“It was slow,” Mott said. “I took out but once I broke the stagger I kind of just relaxed. I didn’t mean to but I guess the heat got to me.”
She commanded the race after 150 meters. Mott wanted to run faster than the 54.0 Section 1 record she set at the Class A championships two weeks ago. Saunders senior Heidy Palacios finished second in 56.99.
“I was not tired at all,” she said. “I was trying to go sub-54 but if I had known this would be the weather I would have backed off and maybe run the 200.”
Mott looked fine after the race but the intense heat started to make her dizzy and nauseous. After laying on the infield for more than 20 minutes, an ambulance was called and Mott was taken to Sound Shore Hospital in New Rochelle for heat exhaustion. She was released from the hospital later Saturday night. New Rochelle coach Andy Capellan said she still felt nauseous but OK.
The heat seemed to affect everyone who raced. But Bronxville’s Caitlin Hudson managed well. She won the 800 in 2:14.70, a personal best. She led from the gun in a field depleted by SAT exams.
“’I guess the thing that pushes me is that I’m scared that someone is behind me and going to come up and pass me,” Hudson said.
Hudson said she is confident that she can run faster at the state meet with increased competition, especially after running personal best times for two straight weeks.
“I just have to not let myself get intimidated,” she said. “I’ve had my PR’s most recently so hopefully that shows what kind of shape I’m in.”
For many, the Eastern States served as one final tune-up before the state meet next weekend. Suffern sophomore Jen Clayton used the meet as another chance to work on her triple jump technique. She won in 38 feet, 10 inches and believe or not, she still doesn’t look like much of a triple-jumper.
“I don’t have a second phase,” she said. “I had it down at practice but today I was all over the place. All I need is a couple days of practice and to not be nervous. I really wanted to jump 39-40 but I think I was trying too hard.”
Clayton will contend for three individual state titles next week competing in the 200, long jump, triple jump and 4x100 at the state championships. Suffern’s Carol Duganzic (5:19.2), Jana Soares (5:23.4), Sam Randazzo (5:30.6) and Shelby Greany (5:04.6) won the 4x1 mile relay in 21:17.8.
“We have a bunch of girls that are close to certain marks and this meet is good for them,” Greany said. “It’s a fun race except for when it’s 1,000 degrees like today. It’s also a race that doesn’t mean anything so you can just work on things, like my whole race was about working on my arms. It was a way for us to work on different things and run a fun relay.”
Spring Valley’s Shilesha Johnson won the 100 in 12:37 and the 200 in 25.73. Mamaroneck freshman Gina Talt won the 1,600 in 5:06.95. Charlotte Pope of New Rochelle won the shot put in 37-6 1/4 and Brittany Dombrowski won the javelin with a throw of 128-11.
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.