By Christopher Hunt
all photos by Tim Fulton
ITHACA – Lancaster’s Melisssa Kurzdorfer slammed her hands together and stormed out the throwing circle. It was the type of celebration that showed her adrendaline and frustration. It was the type of celebration that says, “Well, it’s about time.”
“It’s been a long time coming,” Kurzdorfer said. “It was my last throw. I knew I had (the win). So I just went for it. I knew it was there when I let it go.”
Kurzdorfer launched a 48-foot, 2.5-inch attempt to win the shot put and break at state meet record at the New York State Championships Saturday in Barton Hall at Cornell University. She missed the state record set by Stacey Schroeder of Grand Island in 1992 by a half-inch. The junior said a change in her weight-training program, her steady improvement and her performance in practices say that 50-feet is a legit goal for this season.
“Fifty was very real to me before,” she said. “But now, I know I can do it.”
She wore a black band on her right wrist with the initials D.T. on one side and A.M. on the other in tribute to Arthur Mertsluff, a neighbor that recently passed and Darren Tolsman, a teammate’s father who was one of 50 people that died in the Flight 3407 crash in Buffalo Feb. 12.
“It always means a lot for me to win for them but this one is extra special,” she said.
Special could be a word to describe freshman Kyle Plante of Colonie. Plante was the only freshman to win a state championships Saturday, claiming the 300 in 38.53 which lowered a national freshman class record of 39.13 set by Natasha Hastings of A.P. Randolph in 2001.
“I knew there we’re some fast girls behind me,” she said. “I knew I had to kick it in gear.”
Most would consider the win an upset since Plante beat favorite Chamique Francis of Cardozo, who had the second-fastest time in the country headed into the meet. But Plante has been one of the most successful freshmen in the country this season. Although, her reaction to winning her first state championship told how much she’s realized her own potential. Now her time is the second-fastest in the nation this season.
“Afterward I was just like, ‘Wow, I won?’” she said.
As much success as she’s had, it would be hard to believe that Suffern senior Shelby Greany also won her first individual indoor state championship. Greany won the 3,000 in 9:53.99 then finished second in the 1,500 in 4:36.41.
Greany led nearly from start to finish in the 3,000. She towed the chase pack until about 400 to go when Shenendehowa freshman Lizzie Predmore dashed to the front in an attempt to strip Greany of a finishing kick. But Greany never fell off pace but latched on to Predmore for a lap and then hammered the final 200 meters.
“My day was pretty good,” Greany said. “It could have been better. I wanted to run faster in the 3,000 but no one wanted to take the lead and share the work. But I came here most importantly to win so I’m happy with that.”
The Providence-bound senior then stalked Roslyn’s Emily Lipari through the final laps of the 1,500. Greany took two shots at the lead, first trying to surge on the back straightaway with three laps to go and then again with two left. Lipari fended her off both times and then she took off like a rocket through the last 150 to win her first state title in 4:32.59. Teammate Jen Clayton also on the long jump in 18-9.50.
“I just wanted to stay as close as I could to the leader and then make a move toward the end,” Greany said. “I guess my legs were a little tired for the 3,000 but the legs weren’t there to fight back at the end.”
Lipari said she was looking 4:30 and wasn’t afraid to take the pace and when the chase group started to dissipate Lipari could only feel Greany clipping her heels. The junior had never finished better than ninth at the state meet before and refused to let this one go.
“I knew I wanted to lead the whole race,” Lipari said. “Then after you do all that work to keep the lead you’re just thinking that there’s no way you’re going to let anybody pass you in the end.”
As impressive as Greany’s double was, Saratoga Springs Madalyne Smith provided the only double-winner of the meet. Smith won the 55-meter dash in 7.14 then set a personal best to win the 55 hurdles in 7.96.
The junior said the 55 was meant to just be a warmup for the hurdles then suddenly – three rounds later – she was atop the medal podium. In the hurdles final, Smith was slow out the starting blocks and corralled the race off the last hurdle. Cardozo freshman Latiesha Philson led the entire way but finished second in 8.02.
“I’m just stunned,” Smith said. “I didn’t have a great start but I wasn’t going to let it go. I was determined. I had to win this.”
It seemed like Emily Menges of Garden City took the same attitude into the 1,000. Menges never allowed anyone else in the race and only punctuated her victory with a surge on the bell lap to win in 2:54.12.
My coach told me I could either sit with the leaders and try to kick or I could run my own race,” she said. “I decided to run my out race and get out in front. I don’t really like sitting behind people.”
Menges has put together a solid session but struggled lately, especially last week at the Eastern States meet where she trudged through a 5:27 1,600-meter anchor leg on Garden City’s distance medley relay. But she didn’t resemble a struggling athlete Saturday. She was decisive, fluid and dominant.
“I needed this,” she said. ”Like, really bad.”
Hempstead’s Charlene Lipsey wasn’t quite as decisive in the 600. The senior, who is headed to Louisiana State University in the fall, stormed off the start line and built a significant early lead before she slammed the breaks once she cut to the inside after the first 150. As runners went by, Lipsey ran herself into a box that she couldn’t escape. That was until 350 to go, when she dropped from third to seventh, moved to the outside and sprinted back up to second behind Cardozo’s Claudia Francis headed into the last lap.
Lipsey took over the lead on the back straight then slowed again. But once Francis tried to sprint ahead, Lipsey found her wheels again and won in 1:33.10 with Francis second in 1:33.49.
“I really did get lucky on this one,” Lipsey said. “If that was nationals, I wouldn’t have been able to do all that and think I could win.”
Cardozo’s Chamique Francis endured a day that also included frequent trips to the awards podium. The sophomore finished second in the high jump in 5-6, then placed second in the 300 in 39.44. Francis was noticeably fatigued in the 300 final after a full high jump competition and the 300 trials. But she found the energy to anchor Cardozo’s winning 4x400 that finished in 3:56.20 on a squad that included Tessa West, Ahtyana Johnson and 
Alexis Mapson.
Francis was about 10-meters behind headed into the last turn when she accelerated passed Newburgh’s anchor leg for the win. Newburgh was second in 3:56.75.
“I really didn’t want to lose,” she said. “I came in second in all my events and I really didn’t want to lose this for my team.”
Bronxville continued a reach history in relay running, winning the 4x800 in 9:19.20 with Henrietta Miers, Tori Flannery, Olivia Bruton and Caitlin Hudson. Schyulerville's Sarah Palmer won the high jump in 5-8. She said she had three solid approaches at 5-9 afterward.
"I'm afraid to look back at the pictures because I know I was so close," she said.
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.