Loughlin Games webcast and video archives - WATCH NOW
With the snow rolling in and schools canceling their weekend athletic activities left and right, one might have expected the 2009 Bishop Loughlin Games to have been a bit of a disappointment in comparison to years past. Those in attendance though, will be able to relate the nearly constant stream of impressive performances that occurred through the morning and afternoon girls portion of the meet. Between local stars Jen Clayton (Suffern) and Lateisha Philson (Benjamin Cardozo) and the attendance of Kyle Plant (Colonie) and Mary Kate Anselmini (Ward Melville) spectators and athletes alike were treated to race after thrilling race.
Clayton got things started early with a dominating win in the long jump, landing at 19’ 2.25” and outdistancing her nearest competitor by nearly half a foot in the process. Lateisha Philson as up next, first cruising through her 55 meter hurdle heat with an unchallenged 8.27 before throwing down a devastatingly quick 8.10 in the final to edge out Nicole Cummings (Peekskill, 8.12) in a thrilling decision. Philson’s time currently ranks her 2nd in the state and nationally, cutting a whopping .18 seconds off her previous seasonal best.
In the 300 meter dash, upstater Kyle Plante (Colonie) threw down the gauntlet in her trials run, clocking a blazing fast 39.46 to advance. However it would be local Chameque Francis of Benjamin Cardozo emerging victorious in the final topping the field with her 38.52 national leader over the 2nd place Plante (38.59). Plante’s time still places her well ahead of the previous national leader and with a solid grasp on the 2nd spot in the national rankings.
The distance runners provided their share of the action as well, with Roxanne Henningson (Greenwich) emerging victorious in the 2 mile run while Mary Kate Anselmini executed a nearly flawless race plan to steal the show in the 1 mile run.
Mary Kate Anselmini may have provided viewers with the most exciting distance race of the day though, sitting comfortably within the pack for nearly the entirety of the race and slowly making her way through the field as it progressed. She clipped off runner after runner, but with 2 laps to go found herself still well off the lead in 5th place and with quite a bit of ground to make up. Undeterred, Anselmini went to work, opening up a smooth stride and eating up the track as she powered by her rivals over the closing laps. Driving through the line, Anselmini dipped under the 5-minute barrier with her 4:58.28 winning time, topping the field by a margin of over five seconds.
Exciting performances all around throughout the morning and into the afternoon hours, but the top performance of the day was notched in the 2nd to last race of the girls meet when Medgar Evars stormed to a meet record victory in the 4x200m relay, stopping the clock at 1:41.24 . Running at the front from the gun, Medgar Evars controlled the race throughout, refusing to relinquish their lead and instead forcing the margin wider throughout the closing legs. Their performance shattered the meet record of 1:41.36, as well as topping the national leaderboard by nearly a full second.
While many teams cleared out quickly after the first half of the meet, those that stayed were treated to some impressive performances by the boys. Following in the same vein as the girls portion of the meet, a combination of local talent and upstate prowess had spectators on their feet for much of the competition, their raucous voices more than making up for any lack of filled seats. From the northernmost reaches of the state to the tip of long island, athletes from all over New York state and the surrounding areas braved the dire weather predictions to compete here at the 2009 Bishop Loughlin Games.
In the signature distance event of the meet, Otis Ubriaco (Burnt Hills) showed impressive poise and fitness in a virtually solo run to victory in the boys 2 mile. After taking the lead in the early stages of the race, Otis towed a strung out field through the mile in a mid 4:40’s split, at times appearing as if he was toying with the other runners as he threw in occasional bursts of speed. After the mile mark was passed however, it was a one man show as Otis pressed, then broke all challengers and suddenly found himself alone and with a commanding lead over the field. Not content to simply win, Ubriaco continued to push the pace and closed well to cross the line in 9:2
2.28, 17 seconds ahead of his nearest pursuer.
Throwing some local flavor into the mix were Arthur Whyte (Scarsdale) and Bruce Grant (Fordham Prep) in the 55 meter high hurdles. Whyte, who clocked the fastest time in the trials just held off a charging Bruce Grant at the line, 7.58 to 7.59.
Indeed, national marks were in abundance today as Monsignor Farrell’s Cory Duggan posted an impressive 15’ 0” victory, just missing both the meet record (15’ 3”) and the national leader (15’ 1”) but winning by a monstrous 2’ 6”.
Sheepshead Bay was one school that not only braved the weather, but the competition as well, much to their success. Earning victories in the long jump the 300 meter dash and the 55 meter dash through the efforts of Rolyce Boston (22’ 09”) and John Thomas (33.95, 6.40). Double winner Thomas posted the 3rd fastest time in the nation in the 55m, while his 33.95 effort gave him the national lead by nearly a full second and a half. Not to be outdone, Boston’s jump launched him to number 2 on the national leaderboard behind Carlton Lavong (Methacton, PA).
