By Christopher Hunt
photos by Tim Fulton
WHITE PLAINS – Suffern’s Shelby Greany has said for months that she would run her races her way. She wouldn’t wait. She wouldn’t be a reactionary runner.
So when she saw the pace lagging in the first 200 meters of 1,600 at the Loucks Games at White Plains, Greany didn’t hesitate to bury a top-notch field and turn the race into a solo effort. She won the 1,600 in a personal best 4:48.25, the second-fastest time in the country this season.
“I knew I was coming out to break 4:50 and whoever wanted to come with me could come with me,” she said.
But either way Greany made her mind up and opened a 50-meter gap by the time she zoomed through the half mile mark in 2:21. Her time broke a meet record of 4:49.44 set by Eileen Ellig of Rutland, Vt., in 1984. Emily Menges of Garden City finished second in a personal best 4:53.09 and Roslyn’s Emily Lipari third in 4:55.46.
“There are two different types of people that run the mile,” she said. “There are those that sit and kick and there are those that race to 1200 and see what happens.”
As far as Greany is concerned, her sitting and kicking days are mostly over. And the way she’s been running this week they should be. Greany set the national steeplechase record Monday then anchored the Mounties to a win in the East Coast distance medley relay Thursday with a 4:47.6 anchor leg split. With the major success that Greany is enjoying this season, she acknowledged that it builds pressure for her to have a spectacular race each time out. Before the race, Suffern co-head coach Lou Hall told her just to have fun.
“I have fun when I win,” she told him.
In that case, the 100 hurdles were a ball for Medgar Evers senior Janice Jackson. She won her signature event in a career best 14.02. Jackson has often said that her start was the weakest part of her race and said her coach, James Phipps, said that if she could stay close to Cardozo freshman Latiesha Philson off the start and have a strong finish that she should win. He called it right.
Philson earned an advantage out of the blocks but Jackson took over and opened a lead on Philson in last three hurdles. Philson finished in 14.47.
“I can hurdle with anyone,” Jackson said. “It’s really about getting out.”
Jackson said it’s not her technique coming out the blocks that’s hindered her but her reaction to the gun. Asked about her reaction time Saturday, she responded: “I had the reaction I needed to have to win the race.”
Greany's teammate Jen Clayton won the 200 in 24.74. They split the most outstanding performer award for the meet. Clayton surprised herself again Saturday with her performance, a day after she jumped 20 feet, 2 inches to win the long jump. It's only her third competition of the season after struggling with pain in both her knees.
"I was really coming out here looking to at least get third," Clayton said. "I really surprised myself and I'm excited for the season."
In the 400, Cardozo sophomore Ahtyana Johnson came from behind in the home straight to win in 54.62, the second-fastest time in the state this season. Donna-Lee Hylton of Hempstead, who owns the state’s fastest season time (54.56), got out well and earned a commanding lead coming off the last turn. But she started to falter with 50 meters left and Johnson did the best job of holding form.
“I knew the competition was going to be tough going out there,” Johnson said. “I was kind of tired coming down the straightaway but I knew if I was tired that everyone else had to be tired.”
Then when Johnson saw Hylton start to tighten up she found an opportunity to pounce. Lakeland sophomore Brie Roller came up for second in 55.80 and Hylton finished third in 56.11.
“I saw that she was tired and I was tired too but I figured that maybe all this practicing well help me now” Johnson said.
Cardozo, in familiar fashion, dominated the sprint relays. The Judges won the 4x100 in 47.35 with Philson, Tessa West, Alexis Mapson and Johnson. Then West, Johnson, Philson and Claudia Francis won the 4x400 in 3:46.28. Their top quarter-miler, Chamique Francis, is still sitting out with a quadriceps injury. Bronxville won the 4x800 in 9:09.44, the third-fastest time in the country this season. Greany anchored Suffern to second in 9:12.28.
Bronxville girls won another 4x800m relay. From Left, Tori Flannery, Olivia Bruton, Caitlin Hudson, and Henrietta Miers, and coach Jim Mitchell.
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.